Today, managers are expected to behave more like leaders than they have done in the past. Good managers are effective at setting expectations, motivating their teams and developing people. Great managers fulfil these responsibilities with emotional intelligence. In 2024, 64% of managers said that they would “look for another job” if their organization failed to support their professional development. Concerningly, organizations are struggling to identify meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.
In March 2024, we partnered with YouGov to survey more than 2,000 managers in the U.K. Our findings unearthed opportunities for organizations to develop and support their management populations better, and to build managers who have a greater impact on the business and its people.
What makes a good manager?
In order to improve, managers asked for reliable ways to measure their capabilities – but first they must know what those capabilities are. In the report, we have introduced a new framework for assessing manager skills, developed in line with research evidence showing the relationships between manager capabilities and people outcomes, manager outcomes and business outcomes.
The report explores:
- What it takes to be a good manager in a modern business context
- The extent to which managers predict organizational success
- How organizations can support managers to get the best out of them.
Meet our researchers
Dr Anna Barnett, CPsychol
Senior Insights Analyst, Mindtools
As a Chartered Psychologist with a strong background in academic research, Anna specializes in skills measurement and evaluation. At Mindtools, she leads primary research projects to uncover best practice guidelines for organizations that care about management and leadership development.
Gent Ahmetaj, PhD
Head of Insights & Analytics, Mindtools
Gent is Head of Insight and Analytics for Mindtools. He’s a mixed-methods specialist focusing on how learning and organizational development can have real positive impact on key business metrics. Gent and his team are responsible for improving decision making through data and analytics, writing research reports, building interdisciplinary research partnerships, and working with clients to solve complex measurement problems.
Stats you can trust
The data presented in this report was collected in partnership with YouGov (fieldwork undertaken between 13th and 22nd March 2024). A total of 2,001 managers across the U.K. completed the survey online. Managers were mid-level in their organizations and responsible for at least one other person at work, either within a single team or across multiple teams.
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Mindtools helps you equip your managers and leaders with critical skills and capabilities.
Together, we can cultivate resilient managers and leaders who lead with skills, insight and empathy.
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