8 Traits that Highlight Potential Managers

Selecting managers is crucial for any business. They are the once who make or break the team. While the importance of effective managers is well established, 82% of the business gets it wrong. High performing professionals are often promoted to the role of manager. Although an important trait of a good manager, individual performance is not a sufficient parameter to promote an employee to the position of a manager.

The first and very important thing to consider is that manager materials are quite volatile. They do not tend to stick to an organization if their potential is not recognized. It is well established that hiring managers from your own pool of employees is a good idea. They are already acquainted with the objective, idea, and culture of the organization and find it much easier to connect with other employees. While it is not an easy task to predict if the performance of an employee as a manager will be good or not, there are some subtle traits that highlight potential managers.

In this article, we present to you 8 traits that highlight potential managers among your ranks.

1. They are already a de facto Managers

Employees who are manager material has a natural leadership tendency. People look up to them and feel comfortable in speaking to them. While they might not lead a team they are often part of major team activities. However, it is crucial to be careful while identifying such individuals. Being respected by and appreciated by teammates is an important but not a confirming point.

2. Always exceeds expectation

This is the number 1 point that triggers the process of promoting individuals to the role of managers and the most prominent factor that plays during routine appraisals. Potential managers are necessarily people who believe in delivering extra. They are not the ones to stick to what they have to do. Employees with the potential to become future managers often push forward to take up new tasks and roles. Such employees are self-motivated and tend to go the extra mile to achieve perfection in their tasks. It is a famous trend to promote the best performers to the managerial role.

However, these are also the most volatile employee class and they often tend to move out to other places where their potential is recognized and rewarded.

3. Help other team members

A good manager often takes up the role of mentor and works towards helping and uplifting their team members. This is a natural tendency present in all potential mangers. They often tend to help their team members. They are the ones who volunteer to pitch in if any other fellow team member needs to take a day off. Such employees also have a tendency to learn and share their knowledge with other team members.