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Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚑
Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚑

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The Manager Traits: The Good / Bad / Ugly

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Intro

What manager are you Good πŸ‘, Bad πŸ‘Ž or Ugly πŸ‘Ί?

We have all had a manager in the past that fits in one of these 3 categories. Some of us a people managers also fit in one of the three categories. What is worse is if we don't realize that we are in the latter two.

To be able to improve we all need first step, recognizing where the Good, Bad and Ugly traits of each of those examples.

The most important traits of a manager are

⭐ Communication
⭐ Decision-making
⭐ Emotional intelligence
⭐ Leadership
⭐ Motivation
⭐ Problem-solving
⭐ Support and guidance
⭐ Teamwork and collaboration

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Here is table that will allow you to compare each trait and get better understanding of what you should look for. First step to Personal Growth is self-awareness!

Traits Good πŸ‘ Bad πŸ‘Ž Ugly πŸ‘Ί
Communication Clearly explains tasks and expectations Uses jargon or difficult to understand language Yells or belittles team members
Decision-making Considers all options and perspectives before making a decision Makes decisions without considering the full picture Makes decisions without consulting the team
Emotional intelligence Is aware of and manages their own emotions, as well as those of others Struggles to understand and manage their own emotions Is unaware of or ignores the emotions of others
Leadership Motivates and inspires the team to reach their goals Fails to provide direction or guidance Uses fear or intimidation to lead
Motivation Encourages team members to take on new challenges and grow Dismisses or criticizes new ideas Is disinterested in the growth and development of team members
Problem-solving Develops strategies to proactively address issues Only reacts to problems as they arise Ignores or avoids problems altogether
Support and guidance Provides necessary resources and support to help the team succeed Micromanages every aspect of a project Fails to provide necessary resources or support
Teamwork and collaboration Encourages and facilitates teamwork and collaboration Undermines the efforts of team members Refuses to work with others or promotes individual success over the success of the team

We as Leaders are responsible to hold ourselves to high standards as we are the example for people in and around our teams. If we posses and present the right qualities and behaviours the people around us will follow suit.

In next post I will cover each Trait with more concrete examples, techniques and strategies on how you could get better on handling these situations and catalyse your personal growth.

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Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn for more Career, Leadership and Growth advice.

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