The 10 Habits You Need to Be a Better Manager

Great managers aren’t born; they’re built through intentional habits that sharpen leadership and drive performance.

If you’re aiming to elevate your impact, create a stronger team dynamic, and lead with greater clarity, start with the daily moves that matter most.

These ten essential habits will help you lead more effectively and set the tone for long-term success.

1. Communicate with Precision

Communication — or lack thereof — impacts your teams’ productivity and satisfaction in a big way. According to a Forbes article on communication in the workplace, nearly half of the survey respondents said ineffective communication impacted their job satisfaction, while more than 40% said it caused them stress. An additional large number noted that poor communication diminished their trust in leadership.

With effective communication, you can ensure team members understand expectations, goals, and priorities clearly, reducing misunderstandings, and enhancing productivity.

2. Listen Actively

As you cultivate the habit of communicating clearly with your teams, remember the importance of listening. Embracing active listening can significantly enhance your comprehension of your team’s needs and boost employee engagement. When team members sense that their leaders genuinely understand and acknowledge their perspectives, it fosters a more collaborative environment.

3. Set Clear Goals

How will your team know what they’re working toward if you haven’t given them a clear goal? To foster motivation and productivity, ensure goals are clear, achievable, and align with your team’s vision.

4. Delegate Thoughtfully

According to an often quoted study by John Hunt of the London Business School, only 30% of managers feel they’re good delegators, and only a third of those managers are actually good delegators, as described by their teams.

Numerous managers find mastering the art of delegation challenging. Some fear delegating will diminish their role, create confusion, or prove suboptimal for their team. Nonetheless, effective delegation is key to getting more done.

When you delegate thoughtfully and judiciously, taking your team members’ strengths and areas for improvement into account, you not only enhance productivity but also give them an opportunity to develop new skills.

5. Encourage Collaboration

Collaboration is a performance multiplier. When paired with a diverse, inclusive culture, it fosters sharper thinking, smarter teams, and stronger results.

Make it a habit to nurture an environment where people feel safe sharing ideas, are aligned around shared goals, and are energized by one another’s contributions. When collaboration becomes part of your culture, engagement deepens—and so does impact.

6. Sign Up for New Courses

Continuous personal and professional development impacts not only you but also your entire team. Commit to continual learning, especially about management and leadership training, to set a standard for growth within your team. Your proactive stance could inspire others to pursue further career growth.

7. Be Transparent

Practice transparency by sharing all information and decision-making to foster an open and inclusive environment where everyone feels informed and involved. Not only will this help you build an overall better workplace culture, but it will also help you retain and attract talent. Research shows that over 80% of workers want transparency in their current roles, and nearly 90% seek transparency in their next roles.

8. Attend Monthly Networking Events

Make it a habit to attend at least one industry-specific event each month. Prioritize relationship-building for yourself and your team. Strong networks lead to meaningful opportunities, deeper growth, and faster progress toward your goals.

9. Better Manage Your Time

Make time management a leadership habit. Start by prioritizing what matters most, structuring your day accordingly, and staying realistic about what you can take on. Delegate when needed—it’s not just efficient, it’s essential.

Then extend that clarity to your team. Set shared priorities, respect their time with thoughtful deadlines, and hold everyone accountable. Clear expectations lead to sharper execution.

10. Work with an Executive Coach

Working with an executive coach can help you determine how best to improve as a leader and devise a customized strategy for progress. They offer valuable insights into the factors that may impact you as you work toward your goals, empowering you to address challenges collaboratively.

The Bottom Line

By developing these ten habits, managers can enhance their leadership skills and improve their teams’ overall success and culture.

Need help sticking to your habits? Sign up for the Habit Manager App for an easy way to set daily, weekly, or monthly habits, track your progress, and receive personalized tips to stay on course!