In my 20 years of career life, I have worked with bosses of different nationalities and background. I do not know if I am lucky or unlucky, but there was a period where I reported to a new manager every year. On hindsight, it was good training and enabled me to adjust to different styles of management and working demands quite easily. Over these years I have made some observations on what qualities a good manager should have and would like to share my views.

It takes years of actually toiling around people and being in tune with customers, co-workers, and other managers to be an effective and good manager. The size of the company doesn't matter, it is important that you be a productive and positive manager. Being a manager is not just about having a title but actually acting the part.

It is interesting that the formal definition of management includes the word "art", because in some respects, it is an art as much as a science. Just about anyone can learn the basic mechanics of becoming a manager. However, there is a certain amount of mystery in defining that extra dimension of skills and traits that elevates certain people to a status of good manager. What is it? The following is my take on this.

Adopt a learning attitude even towards subordinates. No matter how smart we think we are as managers, we certainly don't know everything. Many of the very best ideas come from the people on the front line of the day to day business. We need to have a way for people to express those ideas and get rewarded and appreciated for their contributions.

Delegate tasks and responsibility. Delegating decisions in no way undermines the manager's authority or responsibility. Remember this: If people have enthusiastic ownership of an idea, especially if it is their idea, they will make it work.

Always put into practice what you preach. An example I recall from an experience some years ago illustrates this. The company I worked in then was going through some tough times and decided to cut back on expenses. A large contribution to expenses came from travel. So as a solution all business travel was cut to a minimum. At this time the CEO of the company decided to visit Singapore from Europe on business matters. Despite the fact that he was a large person on a long flight, he flew on economy class from Europe in line with the policy to cut cost. This gesture was much appreciated and respected by the staff in Singapore.

Good communication is also a mark of a good manager. Communication is at the core of all processes within any business. The basics of communication require that roles and responsibilities are discussed and assigned within the team and that information is effectively shared. I have heard of managers who think that information is power and who thus withhold relevant information from their team. This only leads to frustration among team members as they receive relevant information from third parties rather than from their own manager. Trust is the key to effective teamwork and helps ensure that results are positive.

A good manager needs to function in an orderly and purposeful manner in situations of uncertainty. People look to the leader during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and find reassurance and security when the leader portrays confidence and a positive demeanor.

And always treat your staff with respect. I have a very bad experience with a senior manager during a staff review session. The session was conducted in the manager’s office, which is fine. However, the door was left open and he allowed anyone to just walk in to speak to him in the midst of the session. He also interrupted the session with telephone calls. I felt very insulted as it was apparent that he was not interested in my welfare and I lost all respect for him.

There is no magic formula for becoming a good manager and the points listed above are certainly not exhaustive. Some of it is instinct, but it mostly stems from the gut-level understanding that the most important thing in an organization is its people. Treat people with respect and dignity and you will be reciprocated.