"What, for you, is a Good Manager?"

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Recent events in mr p's workplace compelled me to remember a recent interview question I needed to answer (honestly of course!), "What for you is a Good Manager?"

and with conviction, I remembered saying that a Good Manager is someone I can look up to and work with.  That person is a leader, a team player and a good example.  (apologies for this post that would be peppered with "good".)

first, s/he leads --- has purpose, with direction and delegates efficiently; handles situations, especially those sticky and problematic ones with grace and a clear mind; makes sound decisions, no matter how unpopular and risky; may not be the most brilliant but is strategic and madiskarte;  accommodating to suggestions and criticisms; humble enough to admit mistakes and is generous to give praises but is not patronizing.

second, s/he is a team player --- hindi nangiiwan sa ere, hindi nanlalaglag ng subordinate;  is accountable and displays command responsibility (i know of several bosses, who gloats when praised as if all the entire work was solely done by him/her and then does not take the flack and passes the buck to his team when everything f**ks up.  walang ka-balls-balls if you ask me.)

lastly, s/he is someone who motivates and inspires;  "walks the talk";  is punctual and conscientious of deadlines;  knows that there are such things as "personal life", "work and play" and "outside office hours."  (usually, good managers are products of effective mentors, and i am thankful to have a few, who helped me.)

these are things one does not learn entirely from management books or from all those business schools.   often, these are learned over time, over some hits and misses but always with an open mind and heart.

i was also asked whether i am a good manager, and i replied that i always strive to be one.  no one is born perfect for a particular task or position.  i rose from the ranks, and it was hard work and not sheer luck.  a good manager is not God nor should s/he try to be.  his/her imperfections are always present and could possibly create problems or inconsistencies here and there but these are not without solutions.  which makes a good manager forever optimistic but is grounded in reality.  no trying time should faze him/her, no task should be insurmountable but when there is the need to terminate or make dramatically drastic and life-changing decision, that decision has to be done.  which leads to another trait --- wisdom.  a good manager is wise, and it is only with discernment that one can be.

of course, you can always accuse me of being naive or uber idealistic but you cannot say that there is no one, who has all these (or most!) of these.   because there is one for sure.

and naturally, to balance the Universe, there are also those bad managers.  but i decided to not write about them because just thinking about their ways make me puke. 

any experience with a bad Manager?