What makes a great manager: 3 dispatches from SaaStock

Last month, our own Jessica Weisz was across the pond in Dublin taking in the sights and sounds of SaaStock! When she wasn’t delivering a killer presentation on eliminating wasted time meetings, she was asking everyone she met one simple question: who is your favourite manager of all time, and why?

We were so excited to hear what people had to say. Because as a manager, you want to feel loved. You want to feel like you’re making a difference in your team’s lives. You want them to remember you. But, learning what makes an employee truly cherish their manager can sometimes feel like an impossible task – what are the super manager skills that truly make an impact? For us, so much of it comes down to regular one-on-ones with the team and open communication (pssst…we can help with that!), but there’s so much more.

Here are three of our favourite answers to the question “who is your favourite manager?” 👇

“They believed in me endlessly”

Kaitlin Pettersen, Global Director, Customer Support at Intercom, shared two of her favourite managers – and gave three reasons why they were so important to her. If you’re truly wondering what makes a great manager, this is a perfect place to start.

“They are protective and aggressive about the culture they want to build.”

Aaron Mutal, Associate Account Executive at Pendo, describes working with two different CEOs, and the core trait that makes both of them amazing.

“They challenge you every time you talk to them.”

Ernesto Ongaro, Senior Data Analyst at Looker, talks about how his favourite manager always challenges his team – and leaves them feeling like better people afterward. 

Now it’s your turn! Visit us on Twitter at @SoapBoxHQ and tell us who your favourite manager is!