One of the greatest influences on your professional growth isn’t just the work you do — it’s the person leading you. A strong manager can inspire confidence, unlock opportunities, and foster an environment where you thrive. A poor manager, on the other hand, can drain energy, stall progress, and create a culture of fear.

Let’s dive into the different ways I believe that great and poor managers show up — and why their impact matters so much.

Traits of a Bad Manager

Negative leadership patterns can quietly erode team morale and performance over time:

• Micromanaging every detail: Constantly checking on your “status” shows a lack of trust and creates unnecessary pressure.
• Taking the spotlight for your work: When a manager claims your achievements or speaks on your behalf, it diminishes your visibility and value.
• Leaving you isolated from leadership: Without the chance to be seen by executives or broader stakeholders, career advancement becomes much harder.
• Offering feedback only during formal reviews: Infrequent feedback leaves little opportunity for real-time learning and course correction.
• Dropping vague, anxiety-inducing requests: Messages like “Can we talk?” without any context create unnecessary stress.
• Cancelling or deprioritizing 1:1 meetings: Skipping regular check-ins signals that your growth and well-being are not a priority.
• Reacting emotionally instead of thoughtfully: Quick temper, sarcasm, or dismissiveness can create a toxic, unpredictable environment.
• Focusing only on short-term results: Ignoring personal development and long-term growth in favor of quick wins leaves employees feeling used rather than invested in.

Over time, these behaviors can erode trust, motivation, and ultimately, performance.

If you spot any of the above in your own managing style, don’t panic. There’s no better time than right now to reflect and approach your next interaction with your team members more intentionally.

How Good Managers Make a Difference

In my experience, and anecdotal evidence across industries, exceptional managers actively create spaces where people can succeed, feel valued, and grow:

• Giving credit and creating opportunities to shine: They encourage you to represent your own work and celebrate your contributions openly.
• Building trust and ownership: Rather than micromanaging, they empower you to manage your own time and responsibilities.
• Keeping feedback timely and supportive: Regular, constructive feedback helps you course-correct and build confidence without waiting months for reviews.
• Setting the tone with clear communication: Friendly, upfront messages that explain the purpose of conversations help foster trust and reduce anxiety.
• Prioritizing visibility and connection: They advocate for you to be seen by leadership, creating pathways for recognition and growth.
• Committing to growth-focused conversations: They consistently make time for thoughtful 1:1s that focus not just on work — but on your development.
• Staying calm and solution-focused under pressure: Their steadiness in challenging moments builds psychological safety for the team.
• Investing in your future, not just your current role: They see beyond immediate tasks and help you build skills and experiences that serve your long-term career.

When leadership is intentional, people don’t just perform better — they feel better, too.

If you can tick any of these off your management style then give yourself a pat on the back.

The Ripple Effect of Good Leadership

Good managers don’t just impact the individuals they lead — they shape the culture of entire teams and organizations. Empowered employees are more confident, engaged, and likely to lift others around them. Over time, this creates a ripple effect of trust, high performance, and innovation across the business.

In fact, research shows that employees who feel supported by their manager are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged at work. (Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace report.)

In other words, great leadership isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a strategic advantage.

A Question Worth Asking

Whether you’re leading today or preparing to lead in the future, it’s worth pausing to ask:

Am I creating an environment where my team can truly grow?

The answer to that question can make all the difference — not just for your team, but for your entire organization.

Because at the end of the day, good management changes everything.

And remember you don’t have to be a boss/manager to be a leader.