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Great managers are not born they are created. It is true that some people are meant to lead and some are meant to follow. You must figure out if you have what it takes to lead a team before you jump into the hot seat.

I have managed many businesses and I have had the pleasure of working under some great and some not so great managers. Why would I say it was a pleasure to work under someone that is not so great? They taught me the characteristics that I wanted to avoid. The great ones taught me just the opposite. I can say from my personal experiences that those managers that worked their way up the ladder made the best managers. They knew what it was like to start at the bottom, and how to motivate the beginners. They also made great role models for those of us that wanted to manage someday.

Some of the characteristics that I always looked for and admired included loyalty, integrity, professionalism, and understanding. Loyalty is important because if you are not loyal to your company or organization you should not be in a position of authority there. Those that work under your management will follow your example. Integrity is also important when dealing with all issues whether they be business related or not. If your customers know that you have a manager working for you that breaks the law on a regular basis they will think less of your company. This will hurt your business. If your manager is a person that the employees find it hard to respect they will most likely leave causing you to have a high turnover rate, or have job vacancies that can't be filled. Everyone wants their managers to be highly professional. This is a must when dealing with difficult customers or employees. In this day and time there is too much at stake to have someone treat either of these groups with an unprofessional attitude. This can cause problems that range from loosing good customers to being sued and having to pay legal fees. Last but not least is understanding. Managers should always keep in mind that everyone's situation is different. Single parents are going to be absent when their children are sick. Employees are going to get sick themselves. This is not to say that you need to let someone take advantage of you because of a personal situation, but always try to be understanding. You just might find yourself in the same situation someday.

Learn more about this author, Regina W.
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