Good managers have a blend of different skills that enable them to lead and support their team effectively. In addition to knowing and understanding the tasks that their team are expected to deliver, what sets truly great managers apart from the rest are what is known as their "soft skills". They use these skills to deal with everyday interactions and decisions that allow them to get the best out of their people and win their respect.
Here are some of the most important skills you need to be a great manager, along with some top online courses to help you develop them.
Communication
Good managers don't just need to know what needs to be done. They also need to be able to communicate those requirements clearly and effectively to each member of their team as well as knowing how to listen.
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Leadership
Good managers know how to to influence and guide their team toward a common goal. This means providing a clear direction on how each team member can achieve success in their tasks.
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Decision Making
Managers have to make important decisions on a daily basis and the result of the choices they make can be key to the success or failure of their department or organisation. Good managers make the right decisions at the right time.
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Support and Motivation
Good managers know how to encourage employees to want to work hard and offer support whenever needed. They also give praise when tasks and goals have been successfully achieved.
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Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand or feel what another person is experiencing or feeling, and empathetic managers know how to deal with workplace disputes, team conflicts or an individual's personal issues sensitively and effectively.
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Here are some of the most important skills you need to be a great manager, along with some top online courses to help you develop them.
Communication
Good managers don't just need to know what needs to be done. They also need to be able to communicate those requirements clearly and effectively to each member of their team as well as knowing how to listen.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work - FutureLearn
Boost your communication and interpersonal skills for effective workplace communication with this online course from Institute of Coding and University of Leeds.

Improving Communication Skills
Offered by University of Pennsylvania. Learn how to communicate more effectively at work and achieve your goals. Taught by award-winning Wharton professor and best-selling author Maurice Schweitzer, Improving Communications Skills is an essential course designed to give you both the tools you...


Teamwork Skills: Communicating Effectively in Groups
Offered by University of Colorado Boulder. Effective teamwork and group communication are essential for your professional and personal success. In this course you will learn to: make better decisions, be more creative and innovative, manage conflict and work with difficult group members...


Leading With Effective Communication (Inclusive Leadership Training)
Develop communication skills that bring out the best in you — and in others.

Effective Communication for Today's Leader
Identify and develop the most important communication skills: assertiveness and empathy.
Leadership
Good managers know how to to influence and guide their team toward a common goal. This means providing a clear direction on how each team member can achieve success in their tasks.

Growing as a Manager - Online Management Course - FutureLearn
Explore the foundations of successful management and take your first step towards Chartered Manager status in this Open University and CMI’s online course.

Leading a Team - Online Management Course - FutureLearn
Develop a business plan, build a team and take your next step towards Chartered Manager status on with this online course from the Open University and CMI.

The Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work
Offered by University of London. The aim of this course is to give you a practical guide to managing people at work. It does not matter whether you are a first time manager in a shop or a middle manager in an office environment; the same skills apply to every work place. In the course you will...


Foundations of Everyday Leadership
Offered by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this course you will learn about the “head and heart” of everyday leadership, individual decision making, group decision making, and managing motivation. The objectives are to understand why and how leadership skills are so critical to...

Decision Making
Managers have to make important decisions on a daily basis and the result of the choices they make can be key to the success or failure of their department or organisation. Good managers make the right decisions at the right time.

Choose the Right Problem to Solve - Online Course - FutureLearn
Build problem-solving skills for the workplace and learn how to use software to solve workplace problems with this course from the IoC and the University of Leeds.

Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
Offered by University of California, Irvine. Critical thinking – the application of scientific methods and logical reasoning to problems and decisions – is the foundation of effective problem solving and decision making. Critical thinking enables us to avoid common obstacles, test our beliefs...


Making Successful Decisions through the Strategy, Law & Ethics Model
Offered by University of Michigan. Successful decision making is based on three key pillars: strategy, law and ethics. After taking this course you will be able to use a practical framework based on these three elements to make successful business, personal and leadership decisions. This...

Support and Motivation
Good managers know how to encourage employees to want to work hard and offer support whenever needed. They also give praise when tasks and goals have been successfully achieved.

Inspiring and Motivating Individuals
Offered by University of Michigan. In this course, you will learn how to create a shared vision for your team and effectively communicate it to your teammates. You will also learn how to set effective goals and expectations in a way that best enables your team to attain the shared vision...


Influencing People
Offered by University of Michigan. This course will improve your ability to influence people in situations where you cannot use formal authority. You will learn about effective ways to build, develop, and sustain a power base in your organization. You will also learn influence tactics that...


People Management Skills Course - FutureLearn
Get an introduction to people management, and build the tools to develop your own management style with this online people management course from CIPD.

Well-being and Welfare at Work - Online Course - FutureLearn
Develop and support the well-being of your staff and take your first step towards Chartered Manager status with this online course from the Open University and CMI.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand or feel what another person is experiencing or feeling, and empathetic managers know how to deal with workplace disputes, team conflicts or an individual's personal issues sensitively and effectively.

Diversity Training - Online Course
Understand what diversity is and how to create more inclusive environments with this online diversity course from Purdue University.

Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Offered by ESSEC Business School. Mediation is a crucial means to reaching peaceful and agreed solutions in today’s world – on an international, political, industrial, peace-keeping or social level. With the course you will be able to choose and lead a mediation process. You will gain a deeper...


People Management
Learn to be a better manager by developing leadership and communication skills designed to turn first time managers into great team leaders.