Characteristics of High-Performing Managers: How to Build Them

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Last Updated on January 15, 2024 by Milton Campbell

High-performing managers are different from their peers. They have certain characteristics that make them unique, and it shows in the work they do and how they do it.

They are not only good leaders, but they are also good at managing people and creating an environment where people want to work. High-performing have a certain way of doing things that makes them stand out from the crowd.

In this article, we’ll discuss exactly what those characteristics are and how you can build them in yourself.

They Have Strong Communication Skills

Good communication skills are crucial for managers. They can help you manage your employees more effectively, build trust with them, and get more done.

Good communication skills can also be very useful in your personal life, especially if you want to become better at managing people. In order to have strong communication skills, you must be able to listen and speak effectively, both in one-on-one situations and with groups of people. You should also know how to communicate clearly and concisely so that everyone understands what’s being said.

Tips For Good Communication Skills

Some tips for being a better communicator:

Be clear and specific when communicating expectations. For example, if someone doesn’t finish a project on time, don’t just say “You didn’t finish it on time.” Say something like “I expect you to submit the report by 4 p.m.” This way there’s no room for misinterpretation about what’s expected from you or from your employee (and how late is too late).
Use active listening skills in meetings so that everyone feels heard and understood. Even when they’re disagreeing with one another or express opposing viewpoints. Active listening requires that you tune in closely to what people are saying so that you can respond appropriately when it’s your turn to speak up again later on in the conversation

They Are Self-Aware

Self-awareness is the ability to be aware of one’s own strengths and weaknesses, needs, and motivations. It’s a key component of self-confidence and self-assurance because it helps you make better decisions and improve your relationships with others.

When people are self-aware, they can recognize when they’re tired or stressed out, so they can take steps to prevent these factors from impairing their performance. Because they know what motivates them and what their goals are, they don’t need external sources (like money or praise) as incentives for doing well at work. Instead, the reward comes from doing something that aligns with those internal drivers in the first place.

Having high levels of self-awareness allows managers to direct their attention toward improving themselves rather than focusing on changing other people’s behavior toward them. No matter how hard you try to change someone else’s behavior without taking steps towards making yourself a more effective manager first – it won’t work!

How to Be More Self-Aware

Here are some strategies that can help you be more self-aware:

Identify your strengths and weaknesses, then use them in the right situations. For example, if you are more of a visionary-type manager with big ideas but less success implementing them, try delegating tasks to someone who is more analytical than you so that they can get the job done.
Understand how your personality affects others’ reactions to you and adjust accordingly. For example, if you’re an introvert who tends to avoid conflict by saying “yes” when it would be better for everyone involved if you said “no,” consider setting up meetings where people don’t just give their opinions; they also have time at the end of each meeting for feedback on how well those ideas were received and what other issues need addressing before anything gets approved or actioned.
Learn how best to manage emotions such as anger or anxiety that might get in the way of effective leadership at work. Take steps like meditation exercises or yoga classes during lunch break if necessary!

They Demonstrate Confidence in Themselves and Trust in Others

Confidence is the foundation for trust, and it’s learned. Confidence doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be developed through practice and experience.

You can’t fake confidence or pretend to be confident if you’re not feeling it. When you do, your body language will betray your true feelings. But when you are truly confident in yourself and others, your body language will reflect that inner state of mind.

Confidence is not a personality trait but instead a mindset that influences our state of mind at any given moment. Therefore, it’s something we have control over choosing whether or not we’ll embrace at any point during our days (or nights).

How to Build Confidence

The way we react to our environment is influenced by how we feel about ourselves, which means that building confidence requires you to work on your mindset.

You can do this by:

Going after some goals that are difficult but not impossible (e.g., setting a new personal best at the gym). If you succeed, take note of what helped you get there. Was it a good night’s sleep? A healthy diet? Maintaining a regular schedule for exercise? Whatever it was, try incorporating these elements into your daily routine so that they become ingrained habits.
Find ways to challenge yourself with small tasks and then achieve them. For example, if you’re a writer, set aside time each day to write. If you don’t know what to write about, start with a list of topics that interest you and then go from there.
Stop comparing yourself with other people who share similar traits as yours (e.g., intelligence level or athletic ability). This will help remove any pressure associated with being “better” than everyone else!

They Pay Attention to Detail

The importance of paying attention to detail can’t be overstated. If you’re going to make your mark as a manager, you need to be able to see and appreciate the small things that matter.

It’s easy for managers (and employees) to get caught up in the big picture and lose sight of what’s important but it’s critical that such mistakes aren’t made in areas where the stakes are incredibly high.

How to Pay More Attention to Detail

To be an effective manager, you have to pay attention to details. Here are some key characteristics that high-performing managers possess when it comes to their attention to detail:

Focus on the details. The most successful people in life are those who can pay attention to every detail and see things in a way that others haven’t thought of before.
Be precise and thorough with your work. When you’re diligent in everything you do, it shows that you care about the job being done correctly and nothing less than perfection will suffice!
Be specific with your instructions or requests for help from others (e.g., “Can someone please send me an email about what happened at today’s meeting?”).

They Create High-Performing Teams

A high-performing manager is someone who builds a team that is capable of producing results. They are good at delegating tasks, communicating expectations, and helping the team work together.

Creating a culture of trust in the team. Which encourages people to take risks and make decisions without fear of failure or judgment.

They also provide feedback that is honest and constructive. They are willing to accept responsibility for their own mistakes and failures, and they are able to learn from them in order to do better next time.

Tips for Creating High-Performing Teams

If you want to create a high-performing team, there are four key components:

Create a clear vision for the team. The best way to do this is by creating an overarching goal and then breaking it down into smaller tasks, milestones, and results. You can also break down goals by department or division if that makes sense for your company.
Provide feedback that is specific, timely, and actionable. If someone on your team has done something well but isn’t getting feedback from you or your manager about their good work (and why), they won’t be able to keep it up and may start feeling discouraged or like they’re wasting time on things they aren’t recognized for.
Make sure everyone on the team can communicate effectively with each other and you! If someone’s great at what they do but doesn’t talk much at meetings or in one-on-ones with others in their group, then there will definitely be problems down the road when things get serious at crunch time (which inevitably happens).
Encourage an atmosphere of trust. If people don’t feel they can be honest with each other or with you, then your team will always lack productivity and creativity.

They Are Effective at Building Relationships With Their Employees and Peers

Managers who build strong, positive relationships with their employees are better able to engage those employees. In addition, they tend to be more successful at achieving their goals than managers who don’t have good relationships with their employees.

Effective managers also build positive relationships with peers within their organization. As well as between different organizations and departments within an organization. This helps them get things done more quickly and efficiently. People will be willing to help if they have a good relationship with someone else involved in the project or task.

How to Build Strong Workplace Relationships

In order to be an effective leader and inspire your team, here are some tips for building better relationships with them:

Build a strong rapport by being open and honest.
Share information so everyone is on the same page about what’s going on in the company or team and understand why specific goals have been set.
Be fair and consistent in how you treat people, whether it’s giving everyone equal opportunities or communicating expectations clearly so employees know what’s expected of them at work.
Recognize contributions from your employees. Praise them publicly during meetings as well as privately when appropriate. You can also give small gifts like candy treats or flowers when they’ve done something noteworthy.

They Encourage Creativity and Innovation

Encourage creativity and innovation. “I encourage my employees to come up with new ideas, but I’m not going to do it for them,” says the high-performing manager.

This might seem counterintuitive, but if you want your team to be innovative, you have to allow them the freedom to fail. For example, if one of your employees comes up with an idea that doesn’t work out or isn’t feasible given current resources or market conditions, instead of passing judgment on them personally (which can lead to people feeling discouraged), encourage them by saying something like:

“That’s a great idea! I think it would take more time than we have right now to get this off the ground though.” The key here is that you don’t discourage risk-taking. Rather you encourage it by giving honest feedback about what could work better next time around.

How to Encourage Creativity and Innovation

To encourage innovation in your workplace, you need leaders who can inspire employees by setting an example and creating an environment that encourages their participation. You might start by encouraging them to share their own ideas or offering rewards for those who do so successfully.

Helping them collaborate on projects will also help foster. It gives people opportunities for feedback on what works well or doesn’t work at all.

Conclusion

In summary, the best managers are those who have a strong people orientation and who create high-performing teams. They pay attention to detail, are self-aware and confident in themselves, and they demonstrate trust in others. These characteristics help them build relationships with employees and peers that lead to better performance outcomes at work.

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