Management skills: 12 keys to business success

March 30, 2024

The managers or superiors of a company are key figures for the proper functioning of the company , because their actions have a determining role in the results.

In addition, as many investments indicate, their behavior affects the rest of the workforce and health, which has a strong impact on their performance, productivity and, therefore, the results of the company.

The difference between being a boss or leader

Being a successful manager is not about being a boss but about being a leader . A boss has authority over his team, but that does not mean he knows how to manage it. To be a good manager it is necessary to be a good leader, and that is achieved by mastering a series of managerial or managerial skills, which not all managers possess.

The actions of a manager, as I said, affect the productivity of the organization and the productivity of employees. Also to your health at work, because if the supervisory-employee relationship is toxic, it can provoke in the latter phenomena as harmful as stress, burnout and even boreout. Good leaders trust in themselves, convince and do not impose, guide and listen to the opinion of their employees and know that these are the true capital of the company.

If you want to know more about this difference, you can consult our article: "The 10 differences between a boss and a leader"

The most important managerial or managerial skills

But, What are the most important managerial skills? What attitudes or skills should good leaders possess?

In the following lines we answer these questions.

1. Self-knowledge

One of the necessary management skills is self-knowledge, that is, knowledge of oneself , your goals, your emotional experience and how you relate to others. Self-knowledge is the basis for being able to regulate one's emotions and having a successful deal with your employees and collaborators begins in oneself. You can not be a good leader without leading yourself, and to do that, you need to know yourself thoroughly.

2. Problem management

The difference between boss and leader has a lot to do with how both figures manage conflicts . Conflicts and problems can arise in the day to day of the organization, but how they are dealt with has a great impact on how they are solved. While the boss can signal who has committed the error, punishing, screaming and pointing to the culprit. A good leader invests his time trying to solve the problem and, if necessary, helping the person who may have caused it.

The management of problem solving, like the other managerial skills, are trainable. Therefore, it is important that managers receive training in the knowledge of processes and strategies for the optimization of solutions. Within a team and the company, the problems will arise, from the leaders it depends to solve it in a more appropriate and operative way.

3. Decision making

Managers and managers must, as one of their functions, make business decisions (both economic and strategic personnel management) for good performance or organizational behavior. Mastering this skill is necessary for your own success and that of the company.

Related article: "The 8 types of decisions"

4. Self-confidence

Self-confidence is key in any interpersonal relationship, and especially when you have to direct groups of people. Not only is self-knowledge important and know what our strengths and weaknesses are, but the confidence in ourselves and in our possibilities is fundamental to successfully face our objectives in the company.

While a boss can see with fear, distrust and even a threatening attitude the problems that are happening, a person who trusts in herself has the ability to better manage the threatening environment that can surround her .

5. Resilience

Resilience is the ability to cope with changes, that is, the ability to adapt to them and how to return to normal after this process. Resilient people grow during the change and take advantage of it to develop and improve aspects of themselves. In other words, they bring out the best in each situation they face.

6. Assertiveness

Assertiveness is a communication style that every leader must possess , because it is the ability to express one's opinion correctly, defending one's point of view while respecting the opinion of others.

To learn more about assertiveness: "Assertive people: 10 characteristics they have in common"

7. Emotional regulation

Good managers know how to control their emotions, because they are aware of how decisive this is when relating to others.Leaders who master this skill and understand and properly manage their feelings and those of other people. This allows them to adapt their behavior, their tone and the message depending on the circumstances.

8. Ability to delegate

One of the most important skills that a manager should possess is the ability to delegate to others their work . Many bosses want to have everything so controlled that they are unable to delegate less important functions and that they take away valuable time. It is important to know the priorities of the tasks to be able to give in some of them. The leader must surround himself with competent people to help him improve the quality of his work.

9. Social and communication skills

Social and communication skills are essential to practice as a manager , then, in the professional field, they can determine that the company grows or not. Knowing how to relate to others, with active listening, with openness of mind, with emotional validation, etc., and knowing how to say well what we need to transmit to the rest of the team is fundamental for the good running of the company.

Related article: "The 14 main social skills to succeed in life"

10. Vision and strategic thinking

Managers are strategists and should have a clear vision of the company: where it is and where it is going . He is responsible for the success of this road, and it depends, to a large extent, on whether or not the objectives are achieved. Therefore, the skills of self-knowledge are also useful if they are applied to the organization (to know the environment and the moment in which the company is), know how to interpret the current information and have the visionary and anticipatory capacity is necessary to perform a good I work as a manager.

11. Empathy

Empathy is also essential to relate to others and to be a good leader. It is one of the keys to emotional regulation and an indispensable skill if we want to understand not only the needs of our employees, but also of our clients.

12. Leadership

Leadership skills are a set of skills that a leader must possess to influence the minds of the members of your team, causing the group to work with motivation towards the objectives or goals. Not all leadership styles are positive in any context, they depend on the type of company, the personalities of the group and many other variables.