Learn the 7 traits that make a good manager, from real lessons I learnt working under some of the best managers in my career.
Senior Content Marketing Specialist
April 28, 2025
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9 Mins read
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When I got hired at Talstack in March 2023, I was elated. It was my first formal management role, and I was determined to repay the trust my co-founders had placed in me. By then, I had about seven years of experience and had seen first-hand how much a manager could influence a team’s success.
From day one, I was committed to being the kind of manager who delivers results. For the company, that meant consistently hitting our goals. For my team, it meant creating an environment where everyone could grow, thrive, and do their best work.
So I asked myself a question I couldn’t ignore:
Instead of diving into leadership books or Googling theories, I did something simpler. I reflected on the people who had managed me (my former bosses, mentors, and team leads) and pulled together the best traits I saw in them.
This article is a collection of those lessons. It’s not about one person. It’s about the traits I learned from the best managers I’ve had. It’s an ode to the people who helped shape my leadership style and the way I manage today at Talstack.
It’s important to acknowledge that none of them were perfect.They each had their flaws, just as I have mine. But by embracing what I saw as their greatest strengths, I hoped to live up to the example they set, and maybe become even better.
Whether you’re in HR, leading operations, or building your company’s leadership bench, I hope these lessons serve you as well as they’ve served me.
Mayowa was my first-ever manager, leading the Graphic Design team at Co-Creation Hub. He’s always been talented, but he’s never coasted on talent alone. What stood out to me was his visible, relentless work ethic. He was constantly pushing himself, learning new skills and refining what he already knew. He lived far away, but he’d come in early and often stayed late.
As someone new to the corporate world, Mayowa’s work ethic set the standard for me. As a leader, it’s crucial to understand that more than listening to what you say, people will emulate what you do.
I worked with Seyi Adisa during an election campaign. It was high-stress, high-stakes, and fiercely competitive. Many times, morale could have crumbled but Mr. Adisa’s belief in the mission never wavered.
He believed with everything he had, and that belief became contagious. Even when things looked bleak, his conviction kept us showing up and giving our best.
Mr. Adisa made me understand that it’s a manager’s job to drive the vision. If it looks like you don’t believe in it, your team won’t either.
Beyond being inspiring, Mr. Adisa also had a knack for knowing his people. He understood our individual strengths and weaknesses, and because of that, he structured our work in a way that allowed each of us to contribute meaningfully.
No one was stretched thin trying to be someone they weren’t. Everyone had a role, and we played it to the best of our ability. Managers who understand their team’s strengths build better-performing teams.
Kofo was the kind of manager who delegated without micromanaging. While at She Leads Africa, she often put me in charge of complex projects and showed incredible belief in my abilities. She was invested in my success.
More often than not, I didn’t have the full skillset for the task but Kofo’s trust was like fuel. I pushed myself to prove her right, and in the process, I grew faster than I ever had before.
As a manager, challenging your direct reports is one of the best ways to accelerate their development. When they grow, you grow.
As Vice President of Content, Kofo was under constant pressure. She was balancing investor expectations, executive demands, financial projections, and high-stakes goals. Now that’s a lot for just one person.
Yet she absorbed that pressure and shielded us from it. She set clear (and often demanding) goals, but always explained why they mattered without passing on her stress.
Anxiety might drive short-term results, but it’s not a sustainable strategy. Good managers protect their team’s focus because they know people can’t do their best work when they’re constantly anxious.
I worked at Cavista for a little over a year. Roy, though three levels above me and with over 25 years of experience, was the most approachable manager I’d ever met. You could talk to him about anything. He was always open to a quick chat, and we often gisted whenever we stayed late at the office.
That kind of relationship built real trust. During crunch periods, everyone was willing to go the extra mile, because none of us wanted to let our “friend” down.
Friendliness and approachability are powerful tools for building trust. And when people trust you, they’ll go above and beyond for you.
Bosun wasn’t my direct manager at Co-Creation Hub, he was the CEO. But I learned a lot from his leadership style.
When you made a big mistake, Bosun might call it out in a general meeting or comment directly on Slack. Also when you did something exceptional, he celebrated it just as publicly.
With Bosun, it was always clear what was expected of you. I remember being publicly called out once when I dropped the ball, I was down trodden for a bit but it was obvious to me that I had to improve myself. A couple months later, Bosun praised me on Slack for delivering with excellence on an impromptu project. That public praise made me feel on top of the world.
Public feedback creates team clarity. It saves you time and energy from repeating the same correction to many team members. On the other hand, public praise creates momentum. When everyone sees what quality work looks like, it’s easier for them to rise to it.
A good manager brings out the best in their team while delivering value for the organization. They balance vision with execution, support with challenge, and relationships with results.
If you’re looking to strengthen your leadership pipeline, Talstack offers contextually relevant manager training courses. Want to see how it works? Speak to a Talstack expert today.
