I’m an individual contributor: Here’s what I look for in a good manager

As an intern, the thought of reporting to a new manager meant an anxiety-inducing, sleepless night. I was part of a rotational internship program, which meant a new lead — and renewed anxiousness — every couple of months.

But that was eight years ago.

Since then, I’ve reported to 15 managers, mentored juniors, hired new team members, and formally and informally led teams of my own. I’ve come to find as many styles of management as there are managers. My leads have differed across levels of formality, degrees of micro-management, organization, and attitudes toward work-life balance. I’ve gained a lot of (much needed) perspective along the way. Now the thought of a new manager comes with excitement for new possibilities and connections; thankfully no tears or sleepless nights involved.

The qualities role modeled by my best leads significantly and positively impacted team morale, the quality of the work we shipped, and how much fun we had along the way. Based on their example, I’ve summed up my favorite leadership archetypes below. Whether you’re a new or seasoned people-lead, I hope you find some inspiration from them.

Managers who help you ruthlessly prioritize

These leads think beyond the ins-and-outs of design craft. They have an outstanding sense of the company’s business needs and they use it to ruthlessly prioritize the team’s design roadmap. They’re not here for distractions or superfluous make-work. Under their leadership, there’s never any confusion about what’s being built and why.

Alignment is the name of the game for this type of priorities-first manager, and work-life balance is a nice byproduct of their management style.

Managers who empower their direct reports

These are managers who won’t coddle or handhold you. They won’t have meetings on your behalf, gather context for you, hog work, or withhold leadership design feedback from you. In other words, they don’t take on the role of being your overbearing work-parent or shit umbrella.

They will guide instead of prescribe. They will prep you with the right skills, context, and knowledge and trust you to deliver impact. You can really grow and stretch under this type of manager, as they give you the autonomy to explore and have your creativity shine. On their team, you’ll likely get to lead more end-to-end projects, defend your design decisions to stakeholders, and make more adventurous design decisions. You might make more mistakes along the way, but you’ll be a more resilient, resourceful, and self-reliant designer because of it.

Managers who are fair and objective

People leads face an undeniable amount of hard decisions. They navigate a considerable amount of “gray area” involving politics, people problems, and incomplete data points. My favorite leads tackle this with an unwavering sense of doing the right thing — even when it is hard or inconvenient.

They’re aware of their biases and they look to do the right thing by the company and its humans, both customers or employees. They also don’t play favorites (or at least they never show it). They value merit. They don’t let politics get in the way of work, the way it’s done, or who it’s delegated to. I admire them for their principle and integrity.

Managers who actually care about team culture

Have you ever noticed how the most impactful teams are also often the happiest? It’s likely thanks to a team culture where trust, collaboration, and leadership support all are present.

Managers leading such teams really get the big picture impact of leadership roles. They understand that they may not be designing pixels, but they’re designing teams and cultures. These managers lead with trust to create an atmosphere of psychological safety. They make 1:1’s feel like a safe space, one where you could equally share wins and challenges — judgment-free. Their ultimate goal is to create an environment where everyone can be themselves and do their best work. They prioritize their teams’ happiness because they know that a happier designer is more engaged, more collaborative, and more impactful.

Managers who are intrinsically motivated

These leads know why they chose to go into managing people and it’s not because they thought of it as a shiny achievement on their resume or a way to climb the corporate ladder.

They are the first to remind you to publicly share your wins and might even amplify them on your behalf. They bring up your name and advocate for you when you’re not in the room. They’re not threatened by their direct reports’ achievements because they know that your success is their success and their team’s success.

Managers who give real talk

These types of leaders are not afraid to challenge your ways or assumptions — and they’re comfortable with being challenged back. They show up to work whole-heartedly, unafraid to tackle the hard stuff, whether it’s a tangled design decision or a tricky people problem. They could choose to take the agreeable route (it’s way less friction after all) but they care to help their people level up to a higher standard.

There’s never a reason to read in between the lines with this type of lead; their communication is free of vagueness or corporate fluff. They balance their directness with empathy, consequently motivating their teams without diluting their message. They treat you like an adult and a fellow peer — not someone who’s a level “below”. Their teams are no strangers to candor and open communication; suggesting ideas is not a hierarchical faux-pas. Titles, levels, and formalities are not over-rotated on.

Somehow these leads strike the perfect balance between compassion and action. As a result, work under them feels collaborative and organic, never instructional.

This post was written by Ibrahim Hasan and edited by LaDonna Witmer.

Are you a new manager? Our Design Leadership Fundamentals I workshop was created to give you the support and guidance you need as you transition from maker to manager. We’ll help you assess your leadership skills and learn the fundamentals of managing a team.