Introduction: Rethinking What Makes a Great Manager

Take a quick scroll through LinkedIn, and you’ll see profile after profile loaded with technical certifications, product expertise, and shiny awards for crushing targets. But let’s be honest—when was the last time you saw someone headline their bio with exceptional listener or conflict resolver? The real skills that make managers truly effective rarely get the spotlight they deserve.

Google’s Project Oxygen has done the research: the managers who really move the needle are the ones who empower their teams, communicate clearly, and champion career development. These might not grab headlines, but they’re the foundation for real, sustained team success.

## The Limitation of Gut Instinct in Management

The Limitation of Gut Instinct in Management

Early in my career, I leaned hard on intuition. If something felt right, I went with it. When conflict flared up, I tried to reason through it based on what seemed fair to me in the moment. Sometimes that approach worked. More often? It led to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, or avoidable drama.

Trusting your gut alone quickly becomes an invisible ceiling on your growth as a leader.

The jump from individual contributor to manager is usually fueled by the belief that technical excellence will naturally translate to leadership success. But here’s where things get tricky: the skills that drive personal achievement—analytical thinking, problem-solving, deep expertise—aren’t the same ones that inspire teams or navigate the messiness of human motivation.

You might be tempted to keep relying on instinct—especially when you’re under pressure or juggling competing priorities. But gut decisions come with blind spots and biases, often shaped by your own experience instead of your team’s needs. Most of us default to old habits unless we intentionally build new ones.

Let me slow down here: Leadership experts are clear—successful managers are those who learn to check their instincts and focus on deliberate skill-building instead. That realization stung at first; nobody wants to believe their best isn’t enough. But it’s also freeing: you can get better at this.

One tool that helped me was learning about the “Ladder of Inference.” It’s a model showing how quickly we leap from facts to assumptions and decisions—often without realizing it. By slowing down and making this process explicit, you can spot your own biases and make more thoughtful choices. It sounds simple, but try catching yourself mid-leap; it takes practice.

Management calls for new muscles. Without them, you risk underperforming and feeling stuck or frustrated (transform your technical expertise into leadership). That’s why promoting top performers for technical skills alone can backfire—for them and for their teams.

If you’re interested in how leaders balance empathy with making tough decisions, defining moments for leaders often require more than just intuition.

Building Great Managers: Leadership as a Craft

The idea that great managers are built—not born—isn’t just encouraging—it’s liberating. Leadership isn’t reserved for extroverts or those born with charisma; it’s available to anyone willing to put in the work.

At the heart of this approach are so-called soft skills. Ironically, these are often the hardest to master: building trust through honest conversations, communicating expectations with empathy and clarity, resolving conflict without drama. These aren’t add-ons—they’re the bedrock of effective management.

Satya Nadella’s transformation of Microsoft is a perfect example. He didn’t rely on being the smartest person in the room; he championed a “growth mindset,” encouraging leaders at every level to learn from mistakes, seek feedback, and invest in their teams. His results show that leadership excellence can be cultivated over time—and that vulnerability is a strength, not a liability.

If you want actionable strategies for these conversations, the 8-part playbook for building trust within teams offers practical tips that work across industries.

Similarly, effective communication means more than delivering updates—it’s about checking for understanding and inviting dialogue. Conflict resolution isn’t just mediation; it’s curiosity about different perspectives and patience in finding common ground. These moments aren’t always neat or tidy—and they rarely show up in a LinkedIn headline—but they’re where true leadership takes shape.

Here’s the good news: every one of these skills is learnable. Just as you mastered technical tools or industry knowledge, you can deliberately develop your leadership toolkit. With consistent practice and feedback, these abilities become second nature—but only if you treat them as real disciplines worth developing.

Research backs this up: deliberate practice significantly improves empathy and communication—two of your sharpest tools as a manager (evidence for deliberate practice). Starbucks offers a real-world case study here: their system of ongoing feedback and coaching empowers every employee (“partner”) to grow their skills (Inside Starbucks: A case study on talent management).

Actionable Steps for Developing as a Great Manager

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything you “should” be doing as a leader. I’ve been there—the mental checklist grows faster than your calendar clears. But there’s a framework I return to again and again—the Plan-Do-Reflect cycle. Set an intention (Plan), take focused action (Do), then pause to assess what worked (Reflect). Applied to any leadership skill, it creates a rhythm of continuous improvement.

1. Start Small: Dedicate 10 Minutes Daily

   Leadership development doesn’t require marathon sessions or fancy workshops. Start by carving out just ten minutes each day—read an article, listen to a podcast episode, or jot down some thoughts about a recent challenge. The key is consistency: daily practice compounds over time and shows both you and your team that growth matters.

   Curious how leaders use daily routines for growth? From busy to impactful: how leaders shift their focus explores ways to make every minute count toward real influence.

2. Ask for Feedback—And Really Listen

   This one takes courage but pays off fast. Honest feedback surfaces blind spots we can’t see alone. Ask your team members, “What’s one thing I could do better as your manager?” Then—this part is crucial—resist the urge to defend or explain yourself. Just listen. The point isn’t praise; it’s insight you can use to improve.

   I’ll admit: the first time I asked for blunt feedback from my team, I braced myself for criticism I wasn’t sure I could handle. But what I got was specific, actionable advice—and a surge of trust I hadn’t expected.

   For proven feedback techniques (up, down, and sideways), mastering feedback strategies for every direction offers a toolkit to improve communication at all levels.

   Constructive feedback supports ongoing learning and empowers employees to take charge of their own development (the importance of feedback in learning and development). This loop—feedback followed by action—is what moves the needle for managers at every level.

3. Apply What You Learn Immediately

   Knowledge without action is trivia. After learning something new or receiving feedback, pick one insight and put it into practice within the week. Maybe it means running meetings differently, setting clearer expectations, or finally having that tough conversation you’ve avoided. Growth happens when you do—not just when you know.

   If you struggle with making 1:1s truly valuable (rather than just routine check-ins), transforming 1:1 meetings from dread to growth details frameworks that turn these moments into powerful leadership opportunities.

These steps aren’t just for new managers. Seasoned leaders benefit from revisiting the basics too. Small daily improvements add up quickly—and before long, you’ll notice real changes in how you lead and how your team responds.

Cultivating Lifelong Leadership Growth

Here’s something most people overlook: management isn’t a mountain you summit once—it’s an ongoing journey of adaptation and self-discovery. The most effective leaders commit to lifelong learning—not because they’re lacking, but because excellence is always evolving.

Staying sharp means seeking out peers and mentors who challenge how you think. The Center for Creative Leadership found that 77% of leaders say strong peer networks are crucial for success (building a thriving peer support network for emerging leaders). This week, consider reaching out to a leader you respect and ask: “What’s one resource that really helped you grow as a manager?” You might discover new frameworks, books, podcasts, or courses that become staples in your own toolkit.

Peer learning groups—think mastermind circles or manager roundtables—are powerful spaces to talk through challenges, share resources, and hold each other accountable. Growth accelerates when you’re learning alongside others who get it.

It also helps to create space for reflection within your own network. Sharing stories—both wins and failures—can spark honest conversations that demystify what management really looks like. Whether through formal mentoring programs or informal peer chats, surrounding yourself with growth-minded colleagues lifts everyone up.

As you continue this journey, remember: there’s no finish line for becoming a great manager. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn; every challenge is an invitation to grow. When discomfort shows up as you try something new—that’s proof you’re moving beyond old instincts toward real mastery.

Ultimately, what sets great managers apart isn’t their ability to trust their gut—it’s their willingness to treat leadership as a craft worth continuous study and deliberate practice.

Seek out new resources, ask for honest feedback, and share what you learn with others along the way. Your growth as a manager doesn’t just transform your own career—it shapes the culture and success of every team you lead.

No one arrives at leadership fully formed; it’s an ongoing journey marked by curiosity, humility, and growth. By embracing the mindset that great management is built—not born—you take the first step toward elevating yourself and those around you. There’s no better moment than right now to commit to your next small step on this path.