Welcome to Innovative Learning Week – day 3

Does your current role involve managing staff or leading project groups? If not at present, could this be the case in the future?

Leadership ability is an important issue for professionals in all employment sectors and something which many employers place near the top of their ‘wish list’ when recruiting staff.

We all have views on what makes a good leader, but how similar are these views? While some of you may have read extensively around this subject, or have undertaken management training, I suspect that many of you will base judgements on your own personal experience. We can all reflect on how the actions of our line managers and supervisors impact on our motivation, energy and confidence.

So, what in your opinion makes a good manager?

I hope that you will find it helpful to share your views on this on Twitter. But first, here are some thoughts and ideas from the ODL graduates who have been helping us with this week’s event. We asked them the following questions:

What in your opinion makes a good manager?

• A good manager gets involved with your work, is able to discuss options and ideas with you, knows your strengths and weaknesses.
• A good manager shows consistency in making the right decisions and when he/she goes wrong accepts to be corrected.
• Supportive; good listener; fair; decisive.
• A manager who gives leg room to staff, allows staff to exploit their abilities and potential.
• I guess my PhD supervisors are managers of a sort, and they are both excellent. They are receptive to my ideas but lay out possible directions I can take if I get stuck.
• A good manager listens, is understanding, remains calm in a crisis and acts decisively. 
• A great manager is always in control of the situation. Even in difficult times, he/ she never loses temper and is always able to motivate their employees.

 What opportunities have you taken to develop your leadership skills?

• Training and openness to new ideas.
• Volunteering as well as on the job training.
• I’m hopefully about to start a student environmental journal. So that!
• Take the chance to lead when you can – group work with colleagues, leading a workshop or session in a conference, etc.
• Taken several corporate leadership training opportunities while at work, and embracing working with and listening to role models and mentors.

You can take part in the linked Twitter discussion at: twitter.com/uofedcareers   #EdODLcareers

Follow Career Connect to access tomorrow’s Innovative Learning Week blog post.