7 Traits of Influential Managers: How Do You Stack Up?

True mastery of leadership takes a lifetime, and the ability to guide, inspire or influence others is not something that just happens overnight. However, there are key traits and attributes displayed amongst the greatest leaders of all time, which you can emulate today.

Leaders are made, not born, which is great news for all of us! It means that regardless of your current situation, if you have the desire to become a great manager, you can be. It just comes down to how hard you're willing to work.

Managing others requires you to train daily. You'll need to push through difficulties as they arise, and you will be challenged. It's certainly not for everyone, but when you get it right the rewards can be enormous for your people and your team.

Before we continue, you need to know this about management: As a manager you work for your employees, not the other way around. If you're not selfless enough to share this mindset, then stop reading now. You won't become a successful manager until you understand it.

But if you're committed to leading others better than you ever have before, let's carry on.

So the question is this: how do you compare to the best of the best?

1. A Great Manager Knows How To Influence Others

Great leaders understand that the best way to impact people, is to connect with them on a deeper level. It’s this subtle art of influencing them which ultimately leads people to your desired objectives, as opposed to telling them what to do. To influence your employees, you'll need to invest time in fostering relationships with them. You need to work selflessly for your people, and add genuine value to those around you.

Before you can influence anyone, people will need to be able to relate to you. You need to be authentic, personable and respectful to others. Think of the most influential people in your own life — what common characteristics did they display? I'd bet you trusted those people and respected them highly. Influential leaders mightn't always tell you what you want to hear, but they'll certainly communicate with you in an honest and open way for your own benefit. They care, and that's how they connect with you.

To become an influential leader, start by taking an active interest in the lives of those around you. Show your staff that that you genuinely have their best interests at heart by learning about their personal lives, hobbies, career goals and ambitions.

How was their weekend?

How did their daughter's music recital go?

How is their ill grandmother feeling now?

Get to know your people and what's happening in their lives, and show them your human side. Be authentic, and care about them. It's important.

As a manager your primary objective is to establish the right culture. Your corporate culture will determine your success, and should look to cultivate an environment where your staff are all in. You want them to be committed to working hard, driven to work selflessly for one another, and ready to have fun. You want your employees to be open to feedback, to take responsibility for their decisions and to drive innovation for you to see a competitive advantage in your business - all of that comes down to influencing others so you can get people on the same page.

There are different techniques you can use to lead or influence your staff to a desired outcome, in ways that generate their unwavering buy-in . That's an article for another time, but please let me know in the comments if learning those strategies would be of benefit to you.

For now, your take-home point to remember is that building rapport with people is the key. Investing in relationships isn't always easy, but it's essential if you wish to become an influential leader. Take the time to get to know your people, because it will shape everything that you do within your management framework.

2. A Great Manager Takes Responsibility

It’s important to remind ourselves that no one is perfect. Your team will make mistakes, and so will you. Great leaders and are prepared to take responsibility for problems that occur on their watch, because they recognise that they were in charge. Great managers accept responsibility for the problems in their team - they don't look to pass the blame onto others. Instead, they acknowledge their part in the setback and quickly look to resolve it, rather than dwelling on the issue or making excuses.

To become great yourself, you need to be selfless and prepared to put your hand up when things go wrong in your team. You have an opportunity like no other to build your employees' trust when plans fail. By willingly accepting responsibility for your team's performance (rather than passing the blame) you create a safety buffer for your team. This buffer protects your staff from upper levels of management or disgruntled customers, and proves to your people that you have their backs. Defend your staff and you'll create a culture where your employees feel safe to make decisions for themselves, without worrying about repercussions of making the wrong choices. When they feel this freedom, their performance will skyrocket. Protect your staff and you'll see see their loyalty increase dramatically too.

Remember:

• As the manager, you're responsible for the training and development of your staff.
• Therefore, you're responsible for identifying gaps and potential risks before they occur.
• People will be watching to see how you'll react - so put your hand up and accept responsibility where appropriate, and act swiftly to rectify problems.
• Accept responsibility, but give credit freely to your team. Acknowledge them for their hard work - you didn't do it all alone!

3. A Great Manager Looks After Their Team

One of the most crucial things a successful manager can do is to make their team feel valued and supported through the good times and the bad. Your team is your most valuable asset, so make sure you look after them.

This trait has a number of sub-topics, so I will summarise them below:

Find the balance between a 'firm' versus 'gentle' approach, and know when to apply each tactic

You need to understand how each person in your team operates, so you can determine how to best approach them in any given situation. What style resonates with each person, and how can you communicate with them in the most effective way?

For example, Suzie might prefer for you to communicate with her more directly. She prefers when you get to the point, and give her the key information she needs to know, without the fluff. Tom on the other hand, needs you to build up to the feedback and package it in a more positive light for it to sink in. If you go in too strong with Tom, he will retreat and you'll lose the impact of your message. Two different people who have two completely different communication styles - it's your job to know how to engage with Suzie and Tom differently.

Now there will be times where you'll need to handle a situation according to the circumstances presented to you, irrespective of your employee's communication preferences. For example, matters that relate to a person's safety or your company's legal requirements need to be addressed more assertively than non-urgent items in your business, which might allow you to take a more sensitive or considered approach.

To make the right decision on your approach, assess the seriousness of the matter, and the objective you need to achieve. Is the time-frame urgent, and is this action critical to your business? Wherever possible, always look for opportunities to tailor your approach to your employees that will generate the best results with them.

Hold regular catch-up meetings with your team

To lead effectively you need to know what your team is up to, and keep abreast of the projects and operations that take place in your business. Don't confuse this with micro-management. Regular catch-ups with your staff allow you to stay across the work they're undertaking, how they are delivering it, how they're coping, and any issues they may be having.

During these catch-ups, your intention should be to provide a safe space where your employee feels comfortable to share any wins or challenges they've faced. You want them to help you identify any areas for improvement, so you can support them to the best of your ability. Your catch-ups also provide an opportunity for you to reinforce when someone is doing a good job, so don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't need them if all is going according to plan. Use the time effectively to uncover as much about your people and their progress as you can, because you can't connect with people if you don't know how they're going.

Carving out time in your busy schedule shows your employees that you value them. Prioritise your catch-ups and ensure they occur on a consistent basis. Stick to your agreed upon time wherever possible too. This is your employees' chance to stop business operations for 30 minutes, and focus on their own mental health or career development. Respect this time, because it's crucial for them and for your management also.

If you need to address a performance issue in these meetings, remember your purpose for doing so. You're trying to grow your people because you care for them, so ensure you provide tangible examples of the issue you need to address, and set them a plan they can follow to improve. Monitor that plan and provide support where possible.

Great managers don't sit back and watch their people flounder - they jump right in and help their staff, however uncomfortable the conversations may be. This is part of looking after your team.

Reward and recognise your employees

It’s essential for you to celebrate your team's success, and highlight the small wins alongside the big ones. Sometimes, it’s the smallest ones that mean the most to a person. Each person in your organisation will be motivated by different things, and it's your job as a manager to learn what makes your people tick. When you know what's important to someone, you know how to tailor your approach to get the best out of them. Whether a person is motivated by intrinsic or extrinsic rewards (often it's a combination of both), you need to find out what your people want, and at what stages of their lives they want it. People change, so your rewards need to reflect the changing stages of their lives too.

These rewards could be:

• Tangible rewards, like financial incentives, bonuses, vouchers, team lunches, trophies or movie tickets.
• Extrinsic rewards, like sharing great customer feedback with your organisation or emailing your team to thank a particular person for their hard work.
• A kind comment from a peer.
• Intrinsic rewards, like feelings of satisfaction or pride for a job well done.

It'll probably be a combination of these rewards that brings out the best in your people, so be creative as you learn what drives each of your employees. Rewards will help to keep morale and motivation high while they strive for targets.

Empower your team

The best managers know they don't need to be in charge of everything for them to be a successful leader. Instead, they look for opportunities to empower those around them, by giving their employees responsibility, challenges for development and trust.

Identify people in your organisation who possess certain skills/abilities, and allow them to branch out into those areas if it's something they're passionate about. For example, if Bob is a talented software developer and enjoys teaching people how to use your IT systems, get him to train others on how to use it most effectively. If Adam wants to become a manager one day, help him to grow his people skills by giving him the opportunity to mentor new employees.

Tailor your plans to each individual employee where you can, to leverage the strengths and interests of your staff. Not only will this increase buy-in because your employees feel more valued and trusted, but it also makes your job as a leader a lot easier - suddenly you don't have to do everything yourself! Empowerment leads to delegation, which frees up your time to focus on other strategic elements of your business.

When you empower others, you develop their careers and give yourself room to work on your business rather than in it. Get your people involved, ask for their opinion and entrust them with key responsibilities. It helps them, and it helps you!

4. A Great Manager Has Control Over Their Emotions

Managing people is tough, and you will have bad days from time to time. You're human, and you'll experience anger and frustrations just like everyone else will. But as a leader, you need to rise above your emotions and control them appropriately. As a leader, you can't have an emotional reaction to everything that happens to you. Control is what separates the best managers from the average ones.

You are the barometer for your team, and your people will follow your behaviour. When you exude positivity, you'll notice others behaving more positively too. When you're negative, you're subconsciously giving your employees permission to behave the same. You set the tone that your people will follow, so the choice is yours. Stay in control of your emotions if you want your employees to control theirs.

Remember, part of your job as a leader is to instil confidence in your team. Part of your role is to show them that you can overcome problems together, and help your team to develop resilience when times get tough. But you can't instil that belief if you're panicked or stressed yourself.

Implement strategies into your day to manage your emotions when things become tense. Do whatever works best for you, but it's your responsibility to monitor your own behaviour as much as you monitor your team's. You can't be your best for others, if you're not looking after yourself first.

• Take breaks during the day. Ensure you arrive and leave at appropriate times to maintain your sanity.
• 'Switch off' when you leave the office. Disconnect from your emails and leave any stress at the door before you go home.
• Invest in daily exercise and a healthy diet - it helps with your decision making and emotional stability!
• Talk to people who you can trust. We all need to vent sometimes. Just don't vent to your staff, it's a bad look.
• Spend time talking to the customers who love your brand. Engaging with positive people when you're having a tough day can help lift your mood.

5. A Great Manager Knows Their Non-Negotiables

To lead by example, you need to first set clear expectations and ground-rules for your team. These are your ‘non-negotiables,’ which can be derived from your values and key business objectives. Your non-negotiables will determine the behaviours of your people, so it's important to get these right.

To establish your non-negotiables, consider:

• Your current business position, and your future business objectives. Where are you now and where are you looking to go?
• What is best practice for your industry, and what values are most important for your business to hold?
• The makeup of your team - what do your employees value most, and how are their expectations aligned with yours? It's not just a one-way street, and sometimes you'll need to meet somewhere in the middle between their expectations and yours.
• Can you be consistent with upholding this non-negotiable? Is it a realistic expectation, or are you asking too much of your people?

The rules you establish will shape your management framework, and significantly contribute to the culture of your organisation. Your non-negotiables make up your team's identity and bring people together on the same page. If you're a new manager to an existing team, remember to implement any changes to expectations gradually, and take your employees along for the ride. Involve your people wherever possible.

6. A Great Manager Sees The Bigger Picture

Truly great managers are visionaries. They're the ones who can see the bigger picture and have goals and dreams for their team. They've crafted a supportive and high-performance culture, and they've developed ways to engage with their people in a manner that generates real results. But most importantly, they understand where work fits into the lives of their employees.

You may not realise this, but as a manager you're responsible for the health and happiness of your people as much as they're responsible for their own. As long as they’re in your care, you play a big part in their well-being. You have the ability to make their life a dream or to make it a living-hell, so it's absolutely essential that you promote the right messages to your organisation which will allow your staff to thrive. That means encouraging holistic well-being, and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Are you noticing that your employees are stressed or overworked? Encourage them to take time out to do something they enjoy.

Are your employees struggling with a certain aspect of their personal life? Offer suggestions or support wherever appropriate.

Don’t overstep the boundary, but part of your role as a manager is to support all aspects of your employees' lives that contribute to their work performance. Work makes up only one part of a person’s life, and factors like relationship breakdowns, health issues, sleep problems or financial situations can affect how a person feels and behaves at work. Your employees need to have their personal lives in order before they can perform for you, so it's important that you help to facilitate their success in areas outside of work as well.

You can help them by:

• Providing flexibility when your staff are dealing with personal problems.
• Driving a culture of high-performance, but reminding them what's most important in life - health and family.
• Encouraging your staff to monitor their own mental health. Advocate for people to have outlets outside of work.
• Encouraging your staff to take regular breaks throughout the year.

Show your people that you care for them, and not just the value they provide to your business - they'll work harder for you when they know they're more than just another cog in the wheel.

7. A Great Manager Is Passionate

Without doubt, one of the most important traits that every great manager demonstrates is passion - passion for their work, passion for their team and passion for their organisation.

They're passionate about helping others, and they authentically let their enthusiasm show.

You simply cannot be a great leader unless you have a huge passion for what you do, or the message that you're presenting to your team. Great leaders have a keen desire for helping others, and do so with gusto, enthusiasm and charisma. Can you still be a good leader without passion? Absolutely. But you won’t be great...

Let’s discuss why.

I want you to think about Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech for a moment. What is it that made this speech so impactful, and how did Martin Luther King’s message resonate with millions of people around the world?

Well, he delivered his message with huge passion and heart. The reason this speech was so powerful and connected with people from all over the world was because of how it was delivered. It oozed with emotive language that made people understand and believe in him. It was his passion, that connected the crowd to his message.

Compare that speech to a boring presentation you've seen somewhere along your own journey. Was anyone really listening to that dull presenter, who was lifeless and uninspiring? Not a chance. The same applies to your management success as well - if you want people to be bought-in, you're going to have to rev them up with your passion.

The way you show up everyday matters. The way you address your team matters. The enthusiasm you bring matters. Are you lifting your people up with energy and enthusiasm each day? Because you should be.

Don't underestimate the power of passion in becoming a better leader — demonstrate it and instil it in your people, and watch your results sky-rocket.

Bringing it all together

Developing strong leadership takes time. It’s the culmination of small, daily efforts to better connect with your people which drives business outcomes. Your people are your greatest asset, so your management style will determine if you make the most of that asset. Successful management is hard, but it's so rewarding.

Focus on building relationships with your people above all else. There's no ‘one-size fits-all’ approach you can take when it comes to managing people, so you're going to need to leverage the rapport you've built with your workforce. Every person, situation, circumstance, and team is different, so you'll need to adapt your approach accordingly.

Implement strategies and frameworks into your management that will allow you to bring out the best in your people. Focus on their development as much as your own. The more you learn, the better you can lead your people - so work hard, be open to feedback, and continually evolve your skills. No leader is perfect, but some are significantly better than others because of the work they put in daily, and the traits they demonstrate.

It's the commitment to life-long development which is the difference between the greatest leaders, and their mediocre counterparts. And it's a commitment that you can make to yourself right now too. If you want to be a successful leader, now is your chance. This is your permission to step up and improve your management capabilities, and change the lives of those around you.

If you've read this far, you've got it in you. You've got what it takes, so go make it happen.

Become the manager you've always wanted to be, by becoming a leader who works for others.

To your success,

Adrian