In order to be a manager, ones shall, indeed, have the most potential knowledge and skill as well as leadership. However, those attributes might not be enough to make others or subordinates acknowledge them. Although people share different thoughts about the expected traits of their managers, we would like to present to you 7 attributes an ideal manager should have.

1. Plan and delegate

The ideal manager chooses the best style to adopt in the right situation. He/She chooses to direct when in crises, coach when they want to add a challenge and support when necessary. In addition, an ideal manager possesses foresight and skills to understand the relevant capabilities of team members, and then scheduling tasks and delegating to the right people to get tasks done within deadlines. It is important to realize that amanager is a guide, not a commander.

2. Handle pressure well

One of the key qualities of a manager is to be able to handle pressure well. Particularly, a manager is held accountable for the performance of others, and there will be days where he/she feels they have gotten a target pinned to their shirt. According to a study at the Norwegian School of Economics, emotional stability is considered as a top on a list of essential management traits. The ability to take good care of one’s self and withstand work-related pressure will keep ones thinking clearly during periods of stress.

3. Build Honesty and Mutual Trust

Generally speaking, today’s managers live in glass houses. Everything that a manager does is seen by his employees. If a manager says one thing and does another, in other words being a hypocrite, employees obviously see it. Thus, managers must be straightforward in all words and actions, especially recognizing own weaknesses and admitting mistakes. Adding up to honesty, mutual trust is a major element when it comes to working as a team. If your employees are going to feel safe coming up with possibly risky experiments, they have to be confident that you are open to their ideas. Productive teams know that mistakes are just milestones on the road to the next great innovation.

4. Recognize and Reward Good Work

The ideal manager immediately recognizes team members, publicly or privately, when they complete something successfully or show initiative. Most employees are not motivated by money alone. Therefore, ideal managers should know that employees want regular recognition that their job is being done well. A research study points out that offering employee rewards and recognition is a golden opportunity for managers that is often overlooked. Equally important, employee recognition not only boosts individual employee engagement, but it also has been found to increase productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention.

5. Assertiveness

The ideal manager chooses the best time, place and manner for feedback. Additionally, he/she recognizesthat not only is the quality of feedback instrumental in driving performance, but also the feedback is a necessary and influential part of the whole communication process between themselves and their team members.

6. Communication

The ideal manager knows the best way to communicate with their team members. They do not treat all team members the same yet recognize that each one is influenced by the style the manager chooses to adopt in dealings with them. A report from Harvard University found that "Subordinates felt they could always count on straight answers from their leader." In general, employees possibly have trouble improving if they don't understand exactly which behaviors are problematic.

7. Sense of humor

People of all ages and cultures respond to humor. The majority of people are able to be amused at something funny, and see an irony. One of the most frequently cited attractions in great personal relationships is a sense of humor. The ideal manager needs sense of humor to develop as well as strengthen the intimacy between manager and subordinates.