When I think about the difference between great and terrible managers, it really comes down to how they see people and how they shape the environment around them.

The best leaders create strong psychological safety: they thank people for raising concerns, reward the messenger of bad news, remove petty controls that signal distrust, and make it feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and admit mistakes.

They see their primary job as coaching and developing people rather than directing and controlling them. They ask good questions, give room to try and fail, and often help most by getting out of the way and trusting competent professionals to get on with it.

At the same time, they have real technical credibility and humility. They stay close to the work, talk to the people doing it, and know enough to recognise good ideas without pretending to have all the answers. They use small, visible wins to shift stuck narratives and rebuild trust.

Above all, they hand over ownership. They design mechanisms so decisions are made at the right level, with people who have the context and expertise, and they treat colleagues like responsible adults, not children who need to be monitored.

Underneath all of this is a basic belief that people are naturally motivated, creative, and want to do meaningful work. Great managers act like social architects who build a culture where people feel safe, valued, and able to grow, and they treat that cultural work as a core part of their job, not a side activity.