Top managers have a huge impact on the success of organizations. They set standards for communication, culture and performance, setting the overall direction for the company. An organization that digs deeper into the essential qualities of leaders and explores leaders' leadership styles and approaches to problem solving can more easily reach their full potential, fostering innovation, resilience and excellence in an ever-changing business environment.

SMART HR is interested in what qualities and their combinations make a good manager and what profile of qualities would best match the profile of the organization, not only in preparing for manager selection, but also in enabling managers to reveal their full potential.

American psychologist, organizational psychology researcher Harry Levenson (1922-2012) was the first to apply psychoanalytic theory for management and leadership of organizations. He contributed to changing the approach to the psychology of leadership and organizations, the impact of work on human emotional health (Diamond, 2003). H. Levenson's concept was adopted and popularized a few decades later by John F. Welch Jr., the former head of General Electric and one of the most influential leaders of American corporations.

H. Levenson divided the 20 characteristics of a good manager into three areas:

  • Thinking
  • Emotional maturity, relationships with others
  • Behavior

Thinking

  • Ability to generalize - can conceptualize, organize and integrate information into a coherent system.
  • Tolerance for uncertainty – can endure the unknown until all is clear.
  • Intelligence - is able to not only summarize complex information, but also apply it.
  • Ability to make decisions - knows when to act.

Emotional maturity and relationships with others

  • Authority - feels that he is suitable for the role of manager.
  • Activity - energetically solves questions and focuses on needs.
  • Achievements - focuses on the success of the organization, not on self-aggrandizement or establishing one's authority.
  • Sensitivity - is able to feel the emotions and subtleties of other people's feelings.
  • Engagement - considers himself an active member of the organization.
  • Maturity - has good relations with other managers and employees.
  • Ability to relate professionally to others - relies on himself, but also uses the competences, knowledge, and expertise of other colleagues without fear of losing authority.
  • Eloquence - makes a good impression in public speaking.
  • Endurance – has both physical and mental energy.
  • Adaptation - tolerates and manages stress well.
  • Sense of humor - does not take himself too seriously, knows how to laugh at himself.

Behavioral features

  • Vision - the consistent progress of his own career, as well as seeing where the organization should go, the ability to have clear goals.
  • Perseverance - can take on a task and overcome it despite the difficulties encountered.
  • Organization - able to manage time effectively.
  • Integrity - has an established value system that has already been tested in many ways. Ability to connect word and action, committed to values and appropriate behavior, responsible practical activities
  • Social responsibility - appreciates the need to take the lead in this responsibility. Recognizes responsibility and sees it as an opportunity. Demonstrates proactive leadership.

Despite rapid economic and technological changes, these leadership qualities refined decades ago are timeless. Thus, H. Levinson's list of characteristics is repeated in the texts of many HR experts today.

In evaluating these qualities, an important question for HR professionals, hiring managers, and those working with leadership development remains: "Which profile of leadership qualities would best match the profile of our organization?"

A holistic approach is necessary here, emphasizing that leadership qualities that are effective in one organization may not necessarily lead to success in another. So to refine the profile of the right manager for your organization, it's important to consider your company's values, culture, business area, strategic goals, and the specific challenges you face.

However, post-pandemic challenges, technological advances such as artificial intelligence, and the increasingly common management of mixed teams (hybrid, remote) have also highlighted the importance of additional leadership qualities for effective leadership. Here are some more features worth highlighting:

Mentoring. Mentoring is indeed a critical aspect of effective leadership, especially in dealing with post-pandemic challenges, managing mixed teams, and harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence. It includes knowledge transfer and development, change management and building stronger teams.

Resistance.  Leaders must lead people through good times and bad times. Working with an employee who is under stress is often not inspiring, but that does not mean that a manager must always show firmness. A good manager should take care of his internal resources and know when he needs a break to recover them.

Innovation and commitment. A leader should show a propensity for innovation and growth, and be committed to diversity and inclusion. Leaders who foster a culture of innovation and creativity can drive continuous improvement and competitive advantage. They encourage experimentation, reward entrepreneurial thinking and embrace new ideas that challenge the status quo.

So by assessing your organization's unique needs, culture, and strategic goals, you can determine which of these leadership qualities are most important to success in your particular context. By collaborating with your colleagues, conducting surveys, research and assessments, you can gain valuable insights into the profile of managers that best aligns with your organization's goals and aspirations.