Journal of Management Development

Purpose – Management means “getting things done effectively through people”. This implies the importance of leadership and people skills in management practice to achieve optimal results. Great managers usually succeed for a number of reasons. They usually possess nine common management practices. This paper aims to identify these common denominators in their character and management practice that define them.

Design/methodology/approach – Case examples are used to illustrate the application of those management practices. Successful managers from well-known industry giants such as IBM, Nestle's, P&G, Apple, Loews', GE and PepsiCo are profiled to demonstrate how their success can be traced back to those practices.

Findings – The paper demonstrates that every manager can easily apply the nine management practices daily to achieve a successful outcome. While some of these traits appear to be personal habits, it is these simple management habits that influence subordinates to perform their best.

Originality/value – Most good managers are trained, not born. The nine personal practices identified in this paper can be easily adopted on a daily basis. With consistent practice, the nine personal traits help train managers to become more effective leaders in driving optimal performance and motivating subordinates to “get things done effectively”.