New research: The top five traits of good (and bad) managers

When CMI’s CEO Ann Francke OBE recently appeared on the Working It podcast, hosted by the FT’s Isabel Berwick, talk turned inevitably to the subject of good leadership. Ann said it’s “worth billions to the economy. The impact is enormous.”

Indeed, quality management can make a huge difference to everything from achieving business objectives to talent retention and working environments. It can make people more productive, better organised and more engaged. In the context of a rapidly changing economic and social tides, such traits can make the difference between sailing and sinking. 

The wrong approach can be just as impactful. Bad management can erode people’s job satisfaction and motivation, and even drive them out of the door. CMI’s Better Managed Britain report, a groundbreaking look into the state of management and leadership around the country, found that 50% of employees with ineffective managers are planning to leave their role within the next 12 months.