How To Become a Better Manager & Leader at Work

For many, becoming a manager of a team - however big or small - is a priority career milestone. Yet, being a great manager is easier said than done. Beyond meeting company goals and completing each priority project, managing a team requires leadership and the ability to inspire great work from those around you. In short: being a great manager means being a leader and being a leader goes beyond assigning tasks and ensuring each project is successfully completed.

At Shaw Search Partners, we have had the honor of working with and alongside experienced managers and leaders across many sectors and fields. And, while management styles may differ from person to person, there are recurrent characteristics that are commonplace among great and inspiring managers and leaders. 

Luckily, becoming a great manager is a matter of effort, accountability, and perspective. In other words, being a great manager is achievable for anyone! Take a look below at our advice to managers seeking to not just manage, but inspire.

Know and understand your team

At the end of the day, being a manager is less about managing projects and internal goals and more about managing the people behind those tasks. Understanding your team’s individual strengths and weaknesses will enable you to fill the gaps when needed as well as encourage collaboration across departments and among coworkers. Knowing each individual team member on a personal and professional level will allow you to better motivate and assist each individual, ensuring that they feel both supported and challenged.

Communicate well + often

It sounds simple, but effective communication is a key component of leadership. Communicating well and often with your team members is crucial in gaining their trust. The more you explain your thought process - whether it's a  large-scale organizational decision or a simple update on priority projects - the more your team will feel like their input is appreciated and they are part of those conversations as well. 

Listening to your team’s input

When a team member voices a concern, a great manager listens, considers their perspective, and moves forward with a better understanding of the situation at hand. Each team member offers a unique perspective - specifically, a perspective managers do not have personally. If an employee has legitimate concerns, it’s crucial to listen as their input could be shared by other team members or illuminate a larger issue within the team as a whole.

Act by example

Integrity is key. If you are asking your employees to perform in a certain way, be sure you are meeting those same standards and expectations. Further, employees are likely to feel energized, passionate, and driven to work hard if they are seeing that same energy demonstrated by their manager. Don’t forget that your energy will often reflect back to you.

Celebrate wins

At times, the mistakes or issues - however big or small - garner more attention. How often do we replay our mistakes compared to our accomplishments? As a leader, it's your responsibility to take the time to acknowledge and celebrate your team’s wins, whether it’s thanking an employee during a team meeting or celebrating the successful completion of a big project with a team lunch. By celebrating the wins, we are telling our team that their effort does not go unnoticed and their work matters.

Practice understanding and empathy

At the end of the day, our teams are made of human beings with vibrant, complex personal lives outside of the day-to-day happenings at the office. To be a great manager is to understand that life can be tricky to navigate at times. Empathy for one another is both felt and appreciated by our team members. Treat every team member with compassion and always lead from an understanding that work is only one facet of an employee’s life. 

Being a manager is not an easy gig, but it can be rewarding and fulfilling. Remember that becoming a manager that inspires and leads does not always happen overnight - you are guaranteed to make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to seek advice from those around you and other resources to help guide you.

Seeking your next star manager? Be sure to reach out to our team of expert recruiters - we’re always here to help.