Management Prodigy: 7 Essential Skills to Become a Successful Manager

Acquainting yourself with the coveted managerial brilliance of the corporate world can be a forbidding task for most. The skillset needed to become an effective manager is in fact quite different from that needed to become an expert contributor. A completely new set of expertise must be diligently cultivated to ace the role and responsibilities of a manager. This includes a blend of both interpersonal as well as technical skills. We have curated the following list of 7 indispensable skills that every manager should master to attain unmatched success in the corporate world:

Efficacy in Communications

One of the foundational tenets of exceptional managerial leadership is the ability to effectively articulate. Managerial communication is not solely circumscribed by the need to simply enunciate commands, but is rather expansive as it encompasses several other forms of communications. Listening diligently to the needs and concerns of your subordinates is equally significant in charting out an effective communication strategy. Moreover, communicative cues are not solely verbal. We communicate more through our non-verbal gestures like body language, facial expressions, etc. than our overtly spoken words. An exemplary manager needs to master the art of managing both these domains of communication to effectively lead the team to success. Once you truly ace this formidable skill, you will be able to communicate ideas with an added sense of clarity and efficacy, thereby witnessing an invariable enhancement of the efficiency levels in the enterprise.

Self-Reflexive Assessment

In the contemporary period, managers must cultivate a self-reflexive skillset to succeed in the overwhelmingly competitive corporate environment.  Introspective assessment is the key to identifying possible oversights. True leadership potential among managers can only bloom and grow in a self-reflective setting. This skill is often devalued in favor of the more cut-throat competition-oriented ones, however, the innate value of this trait cannot be overemphasized. Until managers are able to self-evaluate their own flaws and shortcomings, they will not be able to incorporate a diversified approach to similar issues in the future. Thus, self-reflexivity and retrospective analysis helps managers learn and grow from their own misgivings and thereby, become better leaders.

Deterministic Resolve

Decisiveness is an indispensable trait of an exceptional manager. Every effective manager hones the ability to evaluate circumstances and make crucial decisions.  Most situations in the competitive market environment warrant the need to take quick decisions. An astute manager has the ability to process the information provided to her/him, assess the circumstances, and finally, make the best-suited decision to achieve optimal benefits. Indecisiveness is detrimental to the managerial work ethic and must be annihilated at all costs. The value of a manager is gauged from her/his aptitude for making swift and sound decisions.

An Astute Sense of Organization

An effective manager must master the core organizational skills needed to head the administration of the enterprise. As the leader of the team, a manager must cognize the best way to order and streamline processes so as to maximize output and benefits, while reducing costs. She/he has to manage and coordinate the various complex elements of an ongoing project including monetary resources, personnel, time frame, etc. These organizational skills are applicable not solely to the day-to-day administrative responsibilities of a manager but also extend to a wider range of responsibilities encompassing the domain of recruitment, training, and asset management. A good manager must inevitably adopt the role of an organizational genie- juggling multiple aspects with the same due diligence.

Team Architect

The success of an enterprise is hinged on the ability of the team members to cooperate with one another and fuel the fire of innovation. The role of the manager is incomparable in this regard. The manager helms the responsibility to bring the entire team together. Striking a harmonious balance between the skillsets and personalities of the various team members falls under the organizational gambit of the manager. Both time and effort have to be invested in building notable goal-oriented teams. Similarly, managers also have to organize team-building exercises in order to boost the morale and cohesive spirit of operational teams in a venture. Often there may also be issues and clashes in such work teams. The responsibility of conflict resolution and negotiation is also helmed by an effective manager. They are adept mediators, with the coveted ability to assuage any and all tense situations.

Motivational Leadership

The position of managers is defined by their ability to exhume the best out of their team members. The true leadership potential of a manager is assessed by her/his ability to inspire and motivate the team members. By instrumentalizing their people-management skills, listening skills, and problem-solving abilities, managers ensure optimal operational expertise in an enterprise. Good managers lead by example. They welcome constructive criticism and embody improvements. Their goal is to apply this same process to enhance the performance of their work teams.

Meritorious Time Management

Effective time-management skills are pivotal for all managers. As all projects are ideated with a certain deadline, managers must be able to organize and regulate their resources accordingly. Moreover, they must be able to ration the available time frame judiciously among the various phases of the project, so as to optimize the output. Efficient managers do so by ideating detailed timeframe-oriented plans that segment project goals into milestones. Each of these milestones is further segmented into smaller tasks to maximize efficiency. Without sound time management skills, no manager can hope to meet the pre-established project deadlines. 

The competitive corporate world can be difficult to navigate for all, including managers. The traits of an effective manager are quite multifaceted and varied. However, all good managers must invest considerable time and effort to hone the skills that enhance their effectiveness in the long-run. The seven deterministic skills highlighted above can be diligently cultivated to become a successful manager.

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