Working under a smart and effective manager is essential – not only for the company, but for each and every employee’s performance and career growth. Some managers are authoritative, others can inspire us, and there are those who seem to always have a ready answer to all your questions. But what makes a leader strong? Who is the successful manager? And how to recognise if you work for a weak manager?
When it comes to managers’ strength, we should define what strength is. The manager should ensure work runs smoothly, but that’s just part of the equation. The manager also needs to know how to handle all the problems and surprises of everyday work, to make quick decisions, and yes, to know all the answers – sometimes, but not always. We need to take into consideration the difference between traditional management and modern-day leadership styles. While most leaders still stick to the good, old rules of controlling, budgeting, and planning – because often that’s all they know, others are trying to enter the new era, where coaching, listening and supporting people is considered a more successful strategy. But we’re not judgmental – both ways have their ups and downs.
The authoritative leader may not be motivating, while the modern one may lack respect and authority. So, what is considered as a strength? In the end of the day, that is a combination of all traits and abilities we’ve already mentioned, plus flexibility, resilience, the ability to handle every problem. The strong leader can listen, ask for new ideas, and be an example for his or her employees. Here’s how you can tell the strong from the weak manager:
Weak managers won’t accept your ideas
If you have a good idea, but the manager rejects, explaining something like “The system doesn’t work like that” or “I already know”, then this is a weak manager. The strong one will hear the proposal, ask a few questions and even discuss it with the team. And if he or she doesn’t like you very much, it won’t be a problem – personal relationships and prejudices shouldn’t matter. The strong manager is flexible and will figure something out.
