Talents of a Great Manager

Gallup finds that great managers have the following talents:

• They motivate every single employee to take action and engage employees with a compelling mission and vision.
• They have the assertiveness to drive outcomes and the ability to overcome adversity and resistance.
• They create a culture of clear accountability.
• They build relationships that create trust, open dialogue, and full transparency.
• They make decisions based on productivity, not politics.

Source: Gallup Business Journal – Why Great Managers Are So Rare!

Here are a few small additions to each of the point mentioned above.

• To be able to motivate others and build relationships, they communicate with clarity.
• They are assertive in driving outcomes and overcoming obstacles but they are graceful yet firm in dealing with people and situations. 
• While creating a culture of accountability, they also balance accountability with engagement.
• They work hard to build relationships and trust but they remain objective and unbiased without letting their relationships impact the decisions.
• They make decisions based on productivity but they think critically about other aspects of decision (and its respective impacts).

Great managers are the catalysts of employee engagement.

Related Reading: 

• Great Story: A Manager’s Function
• How to Build a Great Team and Culture? 60 Pointers
• Team Performance: Keeping Ego at Bay