Manager Influence on Employees

Most companies think good managers motivate. But the best ones do something more powerful: They place talent. A new study analyzing 200,000 employees and 30,000 managers across 100 countries found this: Great managers don’t just inspire performance; they reallocate people into roles where they thrive. The result? 13% higher wages over time Stronger internal mobility Long-term boosts to productivity, even after employees leave their team And it’s not just for top performers. Even low performers benefited from exposure to high-flyer managers. What makes these managers different? They spend more time 1:1 with their team They uncover hidden skills They guide people into roles that fit It’s not about managing output. It’s about managing potential. Smart orgs don’t leave talent placement to chance or to HR alone. They turn their best managers into career architects.

US-based employers: over the next few weeks, you're either working around the clock with your managers to protect the healthy norms you've worked hard to create—or watching in dismay as your workplace falls apart. You might have your norms written down on a wall somewhere, and think that's enough to weather this storm. Not even close. You can say the words "collaboration," "respect," "inclusion," and "kindness" all you want, but it's what happens in every team when those norms are violated that defines what kind of organization you are. ⚠️ When team members refuse to communicate with their colleagues who voted for a different candidate, are your managers prepared? ⚠️ When people denigrate or insult their colleagues in Slack or Teams messages or in the chatbox on a video call, are your managers prepared? ⚠️ When a "high performing employee" decides to express prejudiced, exclusionary, and discriminatory ideas about protected groups, are your managers prepared? In workplaces around the country and around the world, these kinds of incidents are far from novel. But when flashpoints happen, like a major election, the fragile balance of a workplace culture is easily upended. Each and every violation that occurs is a test of the norms that workplace leaders purport to have, and when employers fail that test, the consequences can be disastrous—disrupting everyday work, destroying trust in leadership, poisoning team morale and culture, and more. Managers make or break that possibility. 🌱 Your managers must be prepared to mediate conflict. ⛔ Your managers must be prepared to articulate what behavior is tolerated and what isn't. ⚖️ Your managers must be prepared to hold others and themselves accountable for when harm occurs and norms are violated. ⛈️ Your managers must be prepared to support and manage negative emotions, anger, frustration, and grief among their teams. 🚀 Your managers must be prepared to lead by example, even through their own strong opinions or feelings. 📢 And every executive must be prepared to support their managers by establishing expectations from the top, communicating transparently about resources and support options, and coaching managers who need help reaching that standard. If your workplace has taken this challenge seriously, it's already been preparing in this way for weeks and months. But even if you're only starting today, it's never too late to lead.

Employees don't quit their jobs. They quit their managers. Your leadership impacts retention more than any policy, perk, or compensation package. Your management approach shapes team culture, morale, and productivity more than any corporate initiative ever will. 8 Ways Great Managers Transform Employee Wellbeing: ✅ They protect your psychological safety: ↳ Creating environments where mistakes are learning opportunities, not career killers ↳ Defending team members from toxic workplace politics ✅ They respect your whole humanity: ↳ Understanding your life exists beyond work deadlines ↳ Acknowledging personal struggles without judgment ✅ They provide meaningful recognition: ↳ Celebrating wins publicly and specifically ↳ Ensuring your contributions are visible to decision-makers ✅ They offer growth beyond titles: ↳ Investing in skill development that benefits your entire career ↳ Creating stretch assignments that build confidence ✅ They practice authentic leadership: ↳ Modeling vulnerability and emotional intelligence ↳ Admitting when they don't have all the answers ✅ They defend work-life boundaries: ↳ Respecting your time away from email and Slack ↳ Discouraging burnout culture that glorifies overwork ✅ They cultivate belonging: ↳ Ensuring diverse perspectives are heard and valued ↳ Building genuine connection beyond transactional relationships ✅ They advocate upward: ↳ Fighting for resources your team actually needs ↳ Representing your concerns to higher leadership effectively Leadership isn't just about productivity metrics. It’s the foundation for engagement, innovation, and sustainable performance. Most importantly, it's about the humans you lead and develop. Growth, meaning, and fulfillment potential have the power to become your greatest legacy. ♻️ Share to highlight mental wellbeing. 🔔 Follow Carmen Morin for more.

Here's why 3 out of 10 people don't disclose their neurodivergence to their managers: 👉 the risks outweigh the benefits 👉 once they've shared it, they can't take it back 👉 there's no reasonable adjustments policies in place 👉 there's no guarantee of what happens next 👉 they don't know what their rights are or what help they need 👉 there's no mandatory neurodiversity training for managers at work 👉 they don't know how to explain their condition to anybody else 👉 they're on a years-long waiting list for an assessment 👉 they've had to fight incredibly hard to get to where they are, so why would they risk it? Instead, they may struggle in silence until there's a problem - which can easily end up in the employment tribunal. The legal obligation for employers to make reasonable adjustments arises when they know or should have reasonably known about a disability - they don't need to be told. 🙃 (And managers can be held personally liable for acts of disability discrimination.) In contrast, early & open conversations can benefit everybody - but there needs to be trust. Here's how managers can become neuro-affirmative: ✅ pro-actively seek out & share support & policies around disability and neurodivergence ✅ seek out specialist education and training (e.g https://lnkd.in/eFePQRzD) ✅ provide reassurance, kindness, and vulnerability (as simple as saying 'quick chat - good thing!' when requesting meetings) ✅ express a desire to listen, learn & support employee's lived experiences ✅ provide options & flexibility for people who think differently to you ✅ advocate for yourself & others, such as by recording reasonable adjustments & communicating these against external pressure. Here's what I wrote about it for WeAreTheCity: https://lnkd.in/esFFwjZG Does this resonate with you? What would you add? Join our Neuro-Affirmative training in October here: https://lnkd.in/eajnkYCu Become an ADHD Coach in November here: https://lnkd.in/e7mMDDru #neuroaffirmative #managers #neurodiversity The Book Publicist

"I'll just wing it. I'm good on my feet." A Managing Director said this before walking into a $50M budget approval meeting. He walked out empty-handed. After 25+ years watching high potential executives crash and burn in "the room where it happens," I've learned something most people miss: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺. Influence isn't about charm. It's about preparation. Here's an approach you can put into practice today to immediately up your influencing impact. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝟭. 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 (𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁) • Who really makes the decision? (Hint: Not always who you think) • What keeps them up at night? • Who do they trust for input? One client discovered the "junior" person in the room was the CEO's former chief of staff. Guess whose opinion mattered most? 𝟮. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝘁 The worst time to make allies? When you need them. Smart executives plant seeds months before the harvest: • Coffee with the skeptics • Informal temperature checks • Strategic information sharing By the time you're pitching, you already know who's with you. 𝟯. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 Match your message to their metrics: • Revenue-focused? Show growth • Cost-conscious? Show savings • Risk-averse? Show mitigation Same idea. Different frame. Completely different outcome. 𝟰. 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 The meeting isn't where you sell. It's where you confirm. If you're introducing new information in the room, you've already lost. The best executives I know follow this rule: 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. That person who always seems to "get lucky" with approvals? They're not lucky. They're doing 10x the advance work you are. While you're perfecting your slides, they're having strategic hallway conversations. While you're rehearsing your pitch, they're addressing objections before they're raised. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: Your ability to influence has very little to do with your charisma in the moment. It has everything to do with the relationships you've built, the intelligence you've gathered, and the groundwork you've laid. Stop counting on spontaneous charm. Start investing in strategic preparation. Because in the C-suite, there are no successful surprise attacks. 🎯 When was the last time you walked into a crucial conversation truly prepared—not just with data, but with deep insight into every person in that room? Be honest. Your next promotion might depend on it. ------------ ♻️ Share with someone who needs to stop winging it and start winning it ➕ Follow Courtney Intersimone for more truth about what really drives executive success

Coaching has a ripple effect in organizations. Managers that GET coaching are more likely to GIVE coaching. 💡 When managers receive effective coaching themselves, combined with training, they become better coaches to the people on their teams. 👁️🗨️ This is one of the best ways to create a coaching culture...a culture where developmental conversations become a natural part of every working day. ⚠️ Creating a coaching culture is not difficult but there are several barriers that get in the way. The biggest barrier in my experience is lack of participation and practice at senior leadership level. Without strong endorsement and active participation from senior leadership, coaching initiatives struggle to achieve the desired ripple effect. 🚦 Leaders set the tone for any new cultural shift, and their visible commitment to their own coaching signals its importance to the entire organization. 💭 When senior leaders are transparent about their own coaching journeys, it helps the people reporting to them to see the value in it from the beginning. ✔️ This transparency helps break down any resistance or skepticism, demonstrating to the people around them that coaching is more than a buzzword—it’s a valuable tool for individual, team and organizational growth. 🛠️ Another critical step here is ensuring that all leaders and managers are equipped with practical coaching tools and techniques. As well as receiving coaching regularly, managers need training on how to actively listen, ask open-ended questions, and provide constructive feedback. ❔ To really drive the culture, managers should look for feedback on their coaching abilities- which is easily gained by building in a feedback question at the end of every session. In this way, the entire organization gets used to getting as well as giving direct feedback. ⏲️ There are more tips in the visual below... and yes all of this takes time and effort but it's worth it when you see coaching transition from an isolated activity to a powerful cultural movement that drives growth and engagement across the entire organization. ⚡ Don't forget to set aside structured time for coaching to help reinforce the ripple effect. Coaching often falls to the wayside due to immediate demands. Setting aside dedicated time for one-on-one coaching sessions or team coaching moments sends a message that coaching is a priority. What are your thoughts on creating a coaching culture in organizations? What has worked for you? What has held you back? Leave your comments below 🙏 #coachingculture #coachingskills #coachingprogram #leadershipdevelopment #leaders #managers #organizationalbehavior

9 Subtle Ways Bad Bosses Sabotage Their Best Talent (Without realizing they're the problem): Great people rarely quit companies. They quit toxic leadership. 1. "Praise Poverty" ↳ Treating excellence as the expected minimum ↳ Saving recognition for perfection that never arrives 2. "Responsibility Without Authority" ↳ Assigning accountability without decision-making power ↳ Blaming outcomes while controlling the process 3. "Feedback Ambush" ↳ Saving criticism for formal reviews rather than real-time guidance ↳ Creating surprise moments of judgment vs growth opportunities 4. "False Urgency" ↳ Making everything a priority, which means nothing is ↳ Creating artificial deadlines that burn out top performers 5. "Growth Gatekeeping" ↳ Hoarding opportunities to maintain control ↳ Keeping stars dependent rather than developing successors 6. "Idea Theft" ↳ Repackaging team suggestions as your own insights ↳ Taking credit upstream while distributing blame downstream 7. "Selective Availability" ↳ Being accessible only during crises, not prevention ↳ Creating a culture where problems must escalate to matter 8. "Emotional Inconsistency" ↳ Mood swings that force teams to manage your feelings ↳ Unpredictable reactions that make people hide information 9. "Comparison Trapping" ↳ Pitting team members against each other rather than standards ↳ Using one person's strengths to highlight another's weaknesses Talent doesn't leave bad companies nearly as often as bad bosses. Your leadership style creates the ceiling or the springboard for everyone you manage. What have you seen done badly? ♻️ Share this with someone whose leadership impacts others' careers ➕ Follow Helene Guillaume Pabis for more insights on leadership that unleashes potential

Below are the highlights of five dangerous qualities of a manager that can harm team productivity and morale: Five Dangerous Qualities of a Manager 1. Lack of Empathy - Fails to understand team members' perspectives and emotions - Unwilling to listen to concerns or feedback - Creates a culture of fear, not trust 2. Micromanaging - Excessive control over every task and decision - Stifles creativity, innovation, and autonomy - Demotivates team members, leading to turnover 3. Favoritism - Plays favorites, creating unfair treatment and bias - Damages team cohesion and morale - Fosters resentment and jealousy 4. Inconsistency - Changes priorities or expectations frequently - Lacks clear communication and transparency - Creates uncertainty, stress, and confusion 5. Defensiveness - Refuses to admit mistakes or take responsibility - Blames others or makes excuses - Stifles growth, learning, and accountability Consequences of These Qualities: - Low team engagement and motivation - High turnover rates - Decreased productivity and performance - Poor communication and collaboration - Toxic work culture To Avoid These Pitfalls: 1. Develop emotional intelligence and empathy 2. Empower team members with autonomy and trust 3. Foster open communication and feedback 4. Set clear expectations and priorities 5. Embrace accountability and continuous learning Effective Management Priorities: - Build strong relationships - Encourage growth and development - Foster a positive work culture - Drive results through collaboration - Lead by example

Who's got "potential"? A new study finds that: 🔹"women receive substantially lower potential ratings despite receiving higher job performance ratings." 🔹"Women’s lower potential ratings do not appear to be based on accurate forecasts of future performance or attrition: women subsequently outperform male colleagues with the same potential ratings, both on average and on the margin of promotion." 🔹"Despite this, subsequent potential ratings for women remain low, suggesting that firms persistently underestimate the potential of their female employees." 🔹The study also shows that these "subjective assessments of worker potential contribute to gender gaps in promotion and to an inefficient allocation of talent across roles." "Differences in potential ratings account for approximately half of the gender promotion gap." Read the full study here: Alan Benson, Danielle Li, and Kelly Shue (2025), “Potential” and the Gender Promotion Gap, American Economic Review, forthcoming: https://lnkd.in/eDaKa7xx (gated) https://lnkd.in/eRfyWhpD (ungated)

One of the fastest ways to lose top talent 👇🏼 Try to manage people through control. Micromanagement rarely looks dangerous at first. It can look like being “involved.” Like being “detail-oriented.” Like wanting to “keep everything under control.” But in reality, it often signals something else: A lack of trust. And people feel it immediately. Not only in the constant checking. But in the tone. In the lack of space. In the message behind every interaction: “I don’t trust you enough to handle this without me.” That is where motivation starts to drop. Because strong people don’t want to be managed at every step. They want clarity, responsibility, autonomy. The ability to think, decide, and contribute at a higher level. Micromanagement does the opposite. It creates hesitation instead of initiative. Dependence instead of growth. Obedience instead of engagement. And over time, your strongest people stop bringing their best. Some emotionally disconnect. Some become passive. And some simply leave. Not because they cannot do the job. But because no strong person wants to stay where they are constantly controlled. Trust is what builds long-term results. If you want a strong team, stop controlling every step. Create an environment where strong people can work without feeling watched. Have you ever worked with a micromanager, and how did it affect you? _ ♻️ Share this if you believe trust builds stronger teams than control. ☝️ For more valuable content, follow Victoria Repa | BetterMe CEO & Founder