Good Managers Get Things Done - Great Managers Do This Instead

Over the past seven years of working at Google, I have had eight managers.

Most of them were great, but the ones who stood out were those capable of navigating everyday ambiguities with ease and grace.

They all had one trait in common: they were great intrapreneurs.

Intrapreneurs embody the entrepreneurial spirit within a corporate setting.

They treat their work as if they are building their own businesses.

More importantly, they are resourceful visionaries who constantly seek to create win-win connections.

I remember sharing with my manager during a PDP (Personal Development Plan) session that I wanted to build my influencing skills.

Some managers might suggest good courses to take or share personal experiences to help.

But my manager saw my motivation as an asset and proactively sought out opportunities that would benefit both the business and me.

Two weeks later, an opportunity emerged that required my team to develop a C-level engagement narrative. It was a challenging project, but it also presented the perfect opportunity for me to build my influencing skills. My manager asked if I was willing to lead it, and I took it on because it aligned with my PDP goals.

It was a win for the team because of the business impact it would deliver.

It was a win for me because I had the chance to develop and practice my influencing skills in a real-world scenario.

And it was a win for my manager because he was able to engage and grow his team members in ways that aligned with their aspirations.

Good managers get things done.

Great managers get things done through win-win leverage.

Have you had a similar experience at work?

Let me know in the comments below!