Successful Managers Master These Skills

You’ve taken the plunge and are either starting a business, purchasing a business, or have been promoted into a management position. I suspect you have been bombarded by suggestions on how to be an outstanding manager, many of which contradict each other and some that don’t make a lot of sense. While there are many aspects of management that you will need to master, your best bet is to start with your people skills. Successful managers learn to maximize their impact on subordinates, other managers, networking contacts, customers, and others who they meet along the way. Here are a few of the skills you will need to know in developing a people-centered perspective to management.

• Persuasion – successful managers learn how to persuade others to their viewpoints or priorities. This is often done by doing your homework to understand how the other person may feel about an issue and anticipate their response. It also involves acknowledging their concerns and being patience. You don’t always win on the first attempt but can set the stage for a future win.

• Empowerment – successful managers learn how to facilitate and coordinate the work of others and provide them with the confidence to operate at a high level. One of the hardest things a new manager needs to learn is not to micro-manage but to train and support subordinates to do their work properly. In many environments, the idea of employee empowerment is not well understood or supported. If you have the power to introduce the idea of empowerment into your business or team, do it. If you don’t have the power, proceed carefully but do proceed toward that goal.

• Role Modeling – managers can role model the behaviors and actions they want to see from others. If you are looking for a networking contact to be supportive and positive, then you need to be that way with her. If you want a subordinate to arrive to work on time and be dependable, you need to reflect those behaviors yourself.

• Communication – successful managers learn to be good communicators. This is similar to the concept of persuasion but communication goes beyond that. Good communicators demonstrate a balance between establishing a social connection with people and providing useful and relevant information. Good eye contact and positive body language are very important. You could be giving someone a signal that you think they are a moron by they way you look at them, your voice inflection, or body language. Always be aware of the way you are projecting yourself when dealing with others.

• Management/Leadership – successful managers learn to be both a good manager and leader. The two concepts are often lumped together as being the same thing – but they are not the same. Management involves the fulfilling of tasks, processes, and responsibilities which establishes the framework for work while leadership involves the attitudes and emotions of people and provides the vision, inspiration, and purpose for work. It is important to master both roles.

There are certainly other management concepts and roles that a new manager needs to master to be effective. However, you can’t go wrong if you start by focusing on becoming people-centered in your approach to your work. Look for other article posts that will help to clarify many of the concepts outlined here.


Steven Watson, PhD has been a small business owner for 8 years and currently owns two businesses – a home health agency and professional copywriting and resume company. He also has over 10 years of experience working in federal, state, and local government agencies as a manager.

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