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In the dynamic landscape of today’s workplace, the role of managers has undergone a metamorphosis in leadership management. It is the drive towards transformation to achieve organizational excellence and growth. Managers today must transition to be smart managers if they want to thrive in this unprecedented times.

Research found that those new to managerial roles often struggle at making the identity shift needed as they transition from being an individual contributor doing the work themselves, to a leader of others in doing their work.

Traditional notions of hierarchical authority have given way to a new approach. The organizational transformation has become multi-dimensional; primary and secondary management skills that are more adaptable and versatile are needed to be integrated to reach to a successful organizational transformation.

This article explores the shift in the role of managers to smart managers or people of their ilk to fit in today’s contemporary organizational environment to have a positive impact on employees and business success.

In the Harvard Business Review article “What Does It Mean to Be a Manager Today?”, the authors, Brian Kropp, Alexia Cambon and Sara Clark sheds light on the characteristics and responsibilities of managers in the workplace. The article emphasizes the transformation from a top-down management style to a more facilitative and coaching-oriented approach.

Managing people has never been more challenging in any organization today. It demand managers to become smart managers to perform the juggler’s act between the complexities of managing the constant evolving competitive business landscape, hybrid workplace model, generational gap, and leading people performance to align with corporate goals.

What is a Smart Manager?

A smart manager in an organization today is not strictly limited to an individual who possesses a combination of intellectual capabilities, effective leadership and management essential skills.

As much as they have the skills to efficiently manage limited resources, motivate teams, and contributing towards organizational success, smart managers exhibits the persona and characteristics of an effective leader, cultivates trust, accountability adaptability, empathetic, collaborative and decisive.

They are effective communicators, posseses emotional intelligence, result-oriented, practice empowerment, gives attention to the well-being of team members.

Smart managers believes in continuous learning, they are digitally savvy, and leverages on employee’s strength from diversity of people. They ultimately play an instrumental role in driving organizational success and creating a positive and productive work environment.

Here are 15 Ways how to become a Smart Manager:

1. Effective Leadership

The role of a smart manager requires effective leadership that possesses various qualities and practices that contribute to their success in overseeing a team or organization. They have the ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve a common goal.

They exhibit cognitive skill to think strategically. It is not about setting strategy done well. They spend time on tasks that makes the biggest difference to the organization’s success that is a critical part of getting and staying ahead.

Smart managers demonstrates the capacity to foster a sense of trust and rapport within the team, facilitating seamless collaboration in problem-solving and overcoming obstacles. They delegate tasks more effortlessly to suitable team members while possessing the insight to communicate effectively and assisting them in overcoming their individual work challenges. This, in turn, paves the way for successful teamwork and the attainment of collective objectives.

Smart managers practices ethical conduct for it is simply the right thing to do in the role as a manager. It is not just good for business alone, but it builds trust, improves morale, enhances the company’s reputation, attracts talent, and protects the company from legal liability.

2. Cultivates Trust

By cultivating trust and fostering a supportive environment, they become the go-to person for their team members, providing guidance and assistance when needed.

They are respectful, approachable, a good listener, and treating everyone fairly, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or any other personal characteristic.

Trust is the glue that holds teams and organizations together. Smart managers who prioritize building trust create a positive work environment that drives collaboration, communication, engagement, retention, and adaptability. In the face of a tough business landscape, trust becomes even more critical for achieving organizational and business success.

3. Accountability

Smart managers take responsibility for their own actions and decisions, as well as, the actions of their team. They hold themselves and their team members accountable for meeting objectives and maintaining high standards of performance.

They lead by example and foster a culture of accountability and celebrates the successes of their team members and recognize their hard work and dedication and show their appreciation for their contributions. It creates a positive work environment where team members feel valued and respected.

4. Adaptability

Smart managers can develop and practice adaptability in the workplace by being open to change, being flexible to adapt to new situations and new challenges.

Generation gap in the workplace is real and common today. This can lead to variances in communication styles, work ethics, and expectations, which may result in misunderstandings and conflicts in the workplace. A positive attitude towards feedback from younger generation joining the workforce would engender an enthusiastic and lively work culture.

Smart managers adjusting their leadership style based on individual and team needs would create an environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and continuous learning to develop team dynamics.

5. Empathetic

One key finding from the article “What Does It Mean to Be a Manager Today?” is that managers who display empathy have three times the impact on their employees or team compared to those who don’t.

Empathy, the ability to understand and share others’ feelings, plays a crucial role in building strong relationships, fostering collaboration, and supporting employee’s well-being in a team, as well as, in an organization. Managers’ motivation to be empathic increases when organizations invest in roles designed to support them.

6. Collaborative

Smart managers practice collaboration by creating a culture of teamwork and cooperation. They are adaptable, continuously learning, and skilled at delegation and fostering accountability. Collaboration, results-oriented focus, and adaptability are also key aspects of their leadership approach.

It’s important to note that leadership styles may vary depending on the nature of the business or industry, and a smart manager adapts their practices based on the specific needs of their team and organization.

7. Decisive

Smart managers are skilled decision-makers. It allows them to make quick and informed decisions, even when faced with uncertainty at times. They mostly gather as much information as possible. They talk to their team, stakeholders, and experts, consider all of the options and potential consequences, and make informed choices in a timely manner.

They are also comfortable taking calculated risks or unpopular choices. They learn from failures and accept feedback from the team, and willing to change course. Smart managers are not afraid to admit when they were wrong and they always looking for ways to improve. Decision-making skill is not a natural human trait. It is a continuous practice.

8. Effective Communicator

Effective communication is essential for smart managers. It allows them to share their ideas, motivate their team, and resolve conflicts. They should be able to clearly articulate expectations, provide feedback, and foster open dialogue within the team.

Active listening skills are equally important for understanding and addressing the needs of team members. The way we communicate is constantly changing. Smart managers are willing to adapt their communication style to the situation.

9. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Smart managers are self-aware, and understand how to manage their emotions, as well as the emotions of others. They exhibit self-control and are empathetic in difficult and tense situations.

They are able to build strong relationships with their team members, motivate and inspire them, and resolve conflicts effectively. Emotionally intelligent managers can be more creative, thinking out of the box and come up new ideas, and be more innovative.

10. Result-Oriented

Smart managers are focused on achieving specific goals and objectives. They are not afraid to set high standards and hold themselves and their team accountable for meeting those standards. They are more likely to improve customer satisfaction because they focus on meeting customer needs from feedback, and use it to improve their products and services.

They set clear goals, monitor progress, and make necessary adjustments along the way. They motivate their team members with a sense of urgency and excitement around achieving goals, and celebrate team successes and provide support to overcome challenges to accomplish individual and team’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

11. Empowerment

An effective smart manager today is no longer solely focused on assigning tasks and monitoring performance. Instead, they are encouraged to empower their teams, enable growth, learning and development, and create a positive work culture. This requires a shift from a command-and-control mindset to one of trust, communication, and emotional intelligence.

Smart managers understand the importance of delegation. They recognize the strengths and capabilities of their team members and assign tasks accordingly. They provide clear instructions, support, and trust their team to deliver results.

12. Employee Well-Being

The role of a smart manager today extends beyond traditional responsibilities. They are expected to prioritize employee well-being, promote work-life balance, and support individual growth and career development.

The most impactful development happens not through formal programs but through smaller moments that occur within the workplace. By displaying empathy and understanding, smart managers can positively impact employee satisfaction, engagement, and overall performance.

13. Continuous Learning

Smart managers have a growth mindset and a thirst for knowledge. It allows them to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices to help them make better decisions. They actively seek opportunities to learn and develop their skills.

They encourage their team members to do the same to improve individual and team’s performance, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development to achieve organization’s goals.

14. Digitally Savvy

Effective smart managers today embrace technology and leverage data and analytics to make informed decisions.

They use these tools not to micromanage, but to gain insights, streamline processes, and provide necessary resources, such as, business intelligence (BI) and customer relationship management (CRM), to optimize functional role performance.

Smart managers leverage on technology to improve communication, collaboration with internal and external customers for positive outcome in the digital world.

15. Leverage Employee’s Strength

Research shows that employees who have the opportunity to use their strengths at work are more engaged, perform better, and experience higher levels of job satisfaction.

Leveraging on employees’ strengths, smart managers are able to drive individual and team success instead of focusing solely on fixing weaknesses. Smart managers create opportunities for their team members to use and develop their strengths to increase work skill and competency.

In conclusion, managers today are faced with insurmountable challenges at different levels in diverse environment. Smart managers seeks to identify and understand the unique talents and capabilities of their team members weaving them for organizational and business success.

By aligning tasks and responsibilities with these strengths, smart managers can create a healthy and an enthusiastic work environment that promotes growth and unleashes the full potential of team members to deliver stellar work performance to achieve organizational and business goals.