Intro

One of the most important people for your growth in the organization is your manager.

In my career, I worked with various different managers and some of them were good and some of them were bad.

Experiencing a bad manager made me appreciate good ones!

Also, I’ve grown from engineer all the way to CTO and I’ll share my take on what makes a good manager from both sides → as an IC and also a manager.

This is an article for paid subscribers, and here is the full index:

- I’d rather have a good manager in a bad organization, than a bad manager in a good organization
- 1. They are not just managers, they are also leaders
- 2. They are team players
🔒 3. They provide feedback, even if it might be harsh sometimes
🔒 4.
🔒 …
🔒 8.
🔒 Last words

Let’s go straight into it.

I’d rather have a good manager in a bad organization, than a bad manager in a good organization

The reason is that you’ll have a much better time day-to-day inside your team and with a good manager, things happening outside of it won’t affect you that much.

Also, the growth opportunities will be there and your manager will advocate for you.

With other case, unless you change teams and find a good manager, it’s not a great time day-to-day and it will be hard to get opportunities.

That’s why I like to say:

If you have a good manager, make sure to appreciate them!

But how do you spot a good manager? Let’s start with the first sign!

1. They are not just managers, they are also leaders

Being a manager and a leader are two different things.

Manager is a title, while being a leader is a mindset.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many great leaders who weren't managers, but they inspired others with their actions, communication and showed that they care.

The best managers are also leaders. They are the ones that you would look up to and follow even without a title. They make your day-to-day better and they do both → what is necessary and also have people in mind.

They are using their social capital to help people around them succeed and not tear others down.

2. They are team players

They understand that Software Development is a team sport and without great teams, it’s impossible to also build great software.

And great collaboration between people and teams is crucial to achieve that.

They inspire great teamwork by being great role models, providing frequent feedback and setting correct expectations.

They focus on building good relationships with people → with their team and also across teams and stakeholders and they treat everyone with respect.

They always look for what is best for the team and the overall organization → that is the essence of their focus.

3. They provide feedback, even if it might be harsh sometimes...