1.

Cultural Affinity

We talk to our prospective new hires about our culture, and how it directs
everything that we do. We know our managers are great leaders, coaches and high
achievers, but I need to make sure they are 100 percent invested in the culture that
makes us different than any other firm in our industry.

- Kuba Jewgieniew, Realty ONE Group

2. A Positive Attitude

Excitement can be contagious. If a manager exudes a positive attitude and a

passion for his/her work, that will help keep morale high. I find that satisfied and
happy employees are more productive. A manager that can motivate people while
keeping them on task is a great asset.

- Michael Quinn, Yellow Bridge Interactive

3. Prioritization

Lack of focus is the reason many small companies fail. The best managers solve
that problem through ruthless prioritization. They identify the three most impactful
projects from a list of ten and focus their team on those three. They help keep their
employees proverbial plates just the right amount of full.

- Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Inc

4. Warmth and Competence

Research out of Harvard Business School found that the best leaders have two
unique qualities: warmth and competence. They followed leaders from around the
world and discovered that these two characteristics set the best bosses apart.
Managers need both of these qualities to lead with their head and their heart.

- Vanessa Van Edwards, Science of People

5. Empathy

Strong managers work with their teams to set priorities, and then encourage their
direct reports to go execute them. Things will always go wrong, whether it's
because the goals were wrong, or the junior person just screwed up. At a startup,
things are always in flux. It's critical that a manager cares about her team -- and
that the team knows this -- to keep everyone positive and working together.

- Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches

6. Accountability

Accountability is critical and matters more than simply getting the job done. A
manager with strong accountability qualities will take action and responsibility for
their goals and objectives. They report why something didn't go according to plan
and work toward solutions. Most of all, this quality will rub off on the rest of the
team and they too will be accountable for their role and results.

- Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Technologies, Inc.

7. Honesty

Lots of traits are important in a great manager, but honesty trumps them all. From
the first interview onward, I'm looking for someone who will tell it like it is. Honesty

is important whether it's a manager letting me know when I'm doing something
wrong, holding up their hands when they make a mistake or simply saying, "I'm too
busy to do this now." I want straight shooters who have integrity.

- Grant Gordon, Solomon Consulting Group

8. Patience

The art of patience is something that takes years to control and perfect. I look for
managers who can exercise a deep understanding and awareness of patience with
team members, clients, vendors and sometimes even with themselves! While I can
teach all aspects of the job the one thing I can't teach is someone's gut reaction -whether they will take a step back and assess or hastily engage.

- Kim Kaupe, ZinePak

9. Character

If you don't trust their character then nothing else really matters. There are many
key attributes of a good manager that are derivatives of legitimate character and
integrity. Managers that can't be trusted are dangerous and, more often than not,
end up being a cancer to the organization that is painful and costly to remove.

- Seth Talbott, CEO and Startup Advisor

10. Flexibility

Great managers need to know how to think quickly on their feet, and they must also
alter their management techniques for each employee, rather than expecting all
employees to respond in the same manner to one broad management style.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

11. Effective Decision Making

When I look for a great manager, I look for someone who can take in a lot of
information and make a decision. Who can then execute on it without much handholding.