What makes a good manager? 10 research-backed attributes

Finding great managers can be challenging – but it’s also undeniably important. Managers shape how employees experience their work every day, which means they directly influence engagement, development, retention, and team performance.

But what makes a good manager? Much like the workplace itself, the answer to that question has evolved. The command-and-control model that was once the hallmark of effective management has given way to something more nuanced: managers who coach, listen, advocate, and develop their people as much as (or even more than) they direct them.

In this guide, we draw on plenty of external research and insights from Culture Amp’s own people science team to define the characteristics of a good manager – and explore how organizations can hire and develop more of them.

Key insights

• Manager quality has a direct impact on employee engagement, development, retention, and team performance.
• Research consistently shows that great managers share a common set of behaviors – and those behaviors can be learned, developed, and measured over time.
• The best managers do more than hit their targets. They coach their people, communicate clearly, create psychological safety, and connect daily work to a larger purpose.
• Keeping good managers in place matters as much as hiring them, as employee commitment declines when the manager relationship is disrupted.

Why are managers so important?

Ask most employees what shapes their day-to-day experience at work, and the answer usually comes back to their manager. Higher-level leadership has an impact too, but it’s the person they directly report to who sets the tone for how work feels every day.

Managers shape the daily work experience

Skilled managers influence work in ways that other leaders simply can’t. They deliver feedback, decide how workloads are distributed, handle conflicts, make sure their team members feel seen and supported, and oversee performance management.

Here’s the simplest way to think about it: Nearly every aspect of your employee experience runs through your managers.

Managers drive employee growth

Employees want to grow. But more often than not, whether that growth actually happens comes down to the manager. They’re the ones having career conversations, identifying development opportunities, and advocating for their people.

Culture Amp research consistently shows that access to learning and development is one of the top drivers of employee engagement and commitment. Your managers are the primary vehicle through which development is (or isn’t) delivered.

Managers support retention

You’ve likely heard the old “people quit managers” cliché (that’s not necessarily true, by the way). But an employee doesn’t necessarily need to like everything about their manager to want to stick around – they just need to know and trust their manager.

Familiarity and trust take time to build, though. And, when they’re disrupted, retention can suffer. Culture Amp research shows that employee commitment declines when people have to get to know a new manager, and the impact is slightly larger when the new manager is an external hire.

It’s proof that keeping good managers in place is just as important as hiring them in the first place.

Managers are often the first to spot problems

Because managers work closest to their teams, they’re often the first to notice when something’s off – whether it’s a performance issue, a wellbeing concern, or a gap in resources. That vantage point makes them uniquely positioned to act early and find a solution, before small problems snowball into bigger ones.

This might mean noting that a high performer has stopped contributing in meetings, flagging a workload imbalance before someone burns out, or picking up on a team dynamic issue that might’ve otherwise flown under the radar. Senior leaders simply don’t have this same visibility.

How do we define a “good manager”?

Defining what makes a good manager has been the subject of serious research for decades. But one of the most influential attempts came from Google.

In 2008, Google launched Project Oxygen – an internal research initiative built around a simple question: Do managers actually make a difference? After analyzing thousands of data points from performance reviews, feedback surveys, and interviews, Google found that not only did managers matter, but the best ones shared a consistent, identifiable set of behaviors. Google has since updated and expanded that original list as the research has evolved.

Culture Amp's own people scientists built on this foundation, identifying additional behaviors that our research showed were equally critical to manager effectiveness.

Together, these efforts lead to a practical, research-backed definition: A good manager is someone who consistently demonstrates the behaviors that help their team perform, grow, and stay engaged. It’s not a personality type. It’s not a leadership style. It’s a set of learnable, measurable behaviors.

10 attributes of a great manager

So, what separates a good manager from a great one? Turns out, it isn’t a mystery. Research – both external studies and insights from our people scientists here at Culture Amp – consistently points to several of the best manager qualities, all of which are covered by our manager effectiveness survey template:

1. Genuinely cares about their team
2. Coaches rather than directs
3. Communicates clearly and often
4. Invests in employee development
5. Leads with emotional resilience
6. Creates a fair and inclusive environment
7. Empowers rather than micromanages
8. Drives results without losing sight of people
9. Has the technical knowledge to add value
10. Sets a clear vision and connects it to work

Learn more about each trait below.

1. Genuinely cares about their team

Great managers take time to get to know their direct reports as employees and as people. They check in regularly, notice if something seems off, and make it clear that their team members’ success and wellbeing matter to them. Fortunately, 58% of U.S. employees already see caring qualities in their bosses. Managers are on the right track, but becoming even more mindful can make a difference in team morale, trust, and engagement.

2. Coaches rather than directs

Effective managers develop their people, not just their output. They hold regular 1-on-1s, ask questions rather than hand down answers, and push their teams to find solutions on their own. This coaching leadership style improves performance, and it also benefits retention. According to a 2023 survey, high-potential employees are twice as likely to leave if they don’t feel their manager is a good coach.

3. Communicate clearly and often

You can’t have good management without good communication. Great managers create space for their teams to speak, share information openly, and connect individual work to the bigger picture. Research here at Culture Amp found that high-performing leaders keep their teams 7 percentage points more informed about what’s happening in the company.

4. Invests in employee development

Employees don’t just want to do their jobs well – they want to grow. Yet, 46% of employees say their manager doesn’t know how to help them with their career development.

Great managers close that gap by having honest conversations about long-term career goals, identifying growth opportunities, collaboratively building development plans, and advocating for their people. Culture Amp research shows that employees who set development goals have more positive perceptions of their development across multiple measures.

This matters more than most organizations realize. Development is one of the top drivers of engagement, and a lack of growth opportunities is consistently one of the top reasons people leave their jobs. Managers who take development seriously help their people grow and help to keep them around.

5. Leads with emotional resilience

According to Harvard Business Publishing’s 2023 Global Leadership Development Study, social and emotional intelligence, empathy, and the ability to listen well were among the most in-demand leadership skills for addressing business challenges. Resilient managers stay cool, calm, and collected during challenges, navigate change without panic, and protect their teams from unnecessary stress.

6. Creates a fair and inclusive environment

Great managers allocate work thoughtfully, make decisions transparently, and build psychologically safe teams where different perspectives are genuinely encouraged. They’re also conscious of bias in performance reviews, task assignments, and who gets access to opportunities. Employees care not just about the outcomes, but also whether decisions are made consistently and explained clearly. This fairness is important, especially when 80% of workers say they want to work for a company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

7. Empowers rather than micromanages

While employees want to turn to their managers for guidance and support, studies show that feeling like someone is constantly looking over their shoulder actually raises their stress hormone levels. In one study, workers said being a micromanager was the worst trait in a boss – even above being overly critical or disorganized. Effective managers know how to help their teams (such as setting clear expectations), while still giving them autonomy in their work.

8. Drives results without losing sight of people

Manager effectiveness is directly linked to team effectiveness. According to Culture Amp research, underperforming leaders are three times more likely to have underperforming employees on their team – and employees are more engaged when working under a high-performing leader. Strong managers lead by example and help their teams reach their full potential, while still maintaining the empathy, balance, and connection that workers want.

9. Has the technical knowledge to add value

Understandably, employees want to feel like their boss knows their stuff. Yet, in a recent survey of workers who said they’re currently working for the worst manager they’ve ever had, 46% described their boss as incompetent. This not only makes it tough for employees to turn to their manager for trusted advice, but also to get adequate recognition for their contributions – another 46% of employees said their boss doesn’t actually understand the work they do. Good managers need enough technical know-how to comprehend, corroborate, and celebrate the work their employees are doing.

10. Sets a clear vision and connects it to the work

Classic research shows that employees are 56% more productive, on average, when they align their goals with their company’s needs. Yet, only about 23% of employees say they feel adequately educated on company objectives, and this is an area where a talented manager can make a real difference. Knowing how to clearly communicate a high-level vision and connect it to the team’s daily work is one of the most important managerial skills a boss can have.

How to hire great managers

Even if you know the attributes of a great manager, these qualities can be hard to recognize throughout the hiring process. Fortunately, Google’s former SVP of People Operations, Laszlo Bock, shared insights into Google’s hiring approach in his book “Work Rules!” He distilled it into four practical principles:

1. Set a high bar and don’t compromise: Resist the pressure to fill a role quickly. Hold out for someone who genuinely raises the level of the team.
2. Assess candidates objectively: Use standardized interview questions across all candidates and build a calibration step so interviewers can compare assessments consistently (and reduce the risk of bias).
3. Source your own candidates where possible: Rather than relying solely on third-party recruiters, invest in finding candidates directly. You’ll often find stronger fits.
4. Give candidates a reason to join: The best manager candidates have options. Connect the opportunity at your company to something meaningful – the team, the mission, or the impact of the role.

Structured behavioral questions can help you evaluate whether someone possesses the best manager qualities before they’re hired. Here are a few to consider:

• Tell me about a time your behavior had a positive impact on your team. What was your goal, and how did your teammates respond?
• Tell me about a time you effectively managed your team to achieve a goal. How did you adapt your approach for different individuals?
• Tell me about a time you had to deliver difficult feedback. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?

How to develop great managers

Knowing the traits of an effective leader is only the start. Your organization can also build a culture and a system that develops those traits over time.

Fortunately, management is a learnable skill. Culture Amp’s 2023 State of the Manager report found that new managers experience significant growth in the first two years, proving that early investment pays off. But without continued support, that growth tends to plateau.

Organizations can’t just hire for potential and hope that the person figures out how to be a great manager on their own. They need to invest in development consistently and deliberately. Here at Culture Amp, we see manager effectiveness as a set of skills that can be built over time, rather than a fixed trait. Here’s how.

Start with feedback

Before you can develop managers, you need to know where they stand. What are they doing well? Where is there room for improvement? There’s nobody better positioned to answer these questions than the manager’s direct reports. Offering surveys focused on manager effectiveness – both pulse surveys and more comprehensive ones – gives employees a chance to provide valuable upward feedback about how their manager is doing. You’ll use this information to shape your development efforts.

Pick focus areas

Culture Amp research found that managers who focus on behaviors like 1-on-1s, goal setting, development planning, recognition, and continuous feedback see a significant increase in motivation among their direct reports. If your managers aren’t already doing these things, encourage them to pick one or two areas to focus on, rather than trying to improve everything at once.

Provide personalized tools and resources

Managers benefit most from guidance tailored to their specific needs and situations – not generic best practices and resources. Culture Amp’s AI Coach offers personalized, science-backed coaching to managers. It draws data from your Culture Amp engagement surveys to deliver contextual insights, helps managers develop tailored action plans and custom communications, and even allows them to role-play and prepare for difficult conversations.

Repeat the cycle

Development isn’t a one-time thing – it’s an ongoing effort. Running regular manager effectiveness surveys, frequently reviewing results, and adjusting focus areas over time helps managers prioritize their own growth and make consistent progress.

Better workplaces start with better managers

The good qualities of a good manager aren’t a fixed personality type or a rare natural talent. They’re learned behaviors – and organizations that recognize this see real change.

When managers are supported, developed, and given the right tools, the benefits ripple across the entire company. Teams are more engaged, people stick around longer, and the culture gets stronger at every level.

FAQs about manager effectiveness

What makes a good manager and leader?

Being a good manager and being a good leader aren't the same thing, though the terms are often used interchangeably. Leaders focus on vision, direction, and long-term change. Managers focus on executing that vision through day-to-day decisions, team coordination, and people development. The best managers develop both skill sets, so they know when to zoom out and inspire, and when to zoom in and direct.

Can a bad manager become a good one?

Yes. Management is a learnable skill, and most managers improve significantly when given honest feedback, targeted development, and consistent support. The managers who struggle most are often those who've never received meaningful feedback on how they're actually performing.

What's the difference between a good manager and a great one?

Good managers keep things running. Great managers actively develop their people, earn deep trust, and create the conditions for their team to do its best work. The gap usually comes down to intentionality – great managers are deliberate about the behaviors that matter most.

How do you measure manager effectiveness?

The most reliable method is structured upward feedback through surveys that ask direct reports to rate their manager on specific, research-backed behaviors. Combining this data with performance outcomes gives a much fuller picture than top-down assessments alone.

How many direct reports can a manager effectively handle?

The exact number depends on the complexity of the work and the experience level of the team. But as a general rule, the more direct reports a manager has, the harder it becomes to invest meaningfully in each person. According to Culture Amp research, managers with one or two direct reports were always rated higher than those with more than three direct reports. That’s not a hard and fast rule, though. Here’s the simplest way to think about it: If managers can't make time for regular 1-on-1s and development conversations, they’re likely spread too thin.