What Makes A Great Boss?

Unpacking the competencies that make leaders extraordinary

Everyone has had a great boss and a terrible boss. What makes the difference? Some think it is personality, but our research shows that competence, not personality, separates the good from the bad managers. Often individual contributors are promoted for their outgoing personalities and technical skills, but many terrible bosses are assertive and smart. 

Are good bosses born or made? This enduring question has spurred much debate and research. If you ask eminent scholar and author Warren G. Bennis, “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born – that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” Others agree that there are in fact, “natural born leaders.”

So, who’s right? The reality is that there is some truth to both sides of the argument. One scientific study suggests that leadership is 30% genetic and 70% learned). Another study on heritability (i.e. innate skills you are born with) and human development (those skills you learn) estimated that leadership is 24% genetic and 76% learned.

In the end, the answer isn’t cut and dry. People can be born with some natural leadership capabilities but lack other critical competencies that make a great leader. While assertiveness or high intelligence are often considered “natural born” leadership traits, many smart and assertive leaders struggle with empathy or emotional intelligence – a critical aspect of being a great leader.

Our Comprehensive Research Study: Competencies for Great Bosses

To address this premise, we conducted a study of 1,800 leaders in 10 countries to assess personality, competency, and performance factors. We found the bottom 15th % of leaders (based on scores on effectively supervising others) showed personality characteristics that predicted their relative performance. For example, the ones who were naturally more assertive performed better than those slower to act.

However, when examining the top 15th %, we found no significant association between personality and effectiveness. In other words, the bottom group relies on their natural style to manage, while the top is effective regardless of personality type. This tells us that skills trump style.

We next examined competency differences between the top and bottom-performing leaders. They are:

A Great Boss Strives for Results

A good leader proactively identifies the best way to achieve their key results with confidence and determination, monitoring progress and course correcting as needed. This transformational behavior allows good leaders to improve team innovation and performance by painting goals as both important and achievable.

A Great Boss Holds Others Accountable

Good leaders actively hold everyone accountable to clear performance standards and dare to get in front of performance problems while leading the conversation with empathy. Empathy builds stronger relationships as higher-quality manager-direct report exchanges are characterized by trust, liking, and mutual respect (Erdogan & Bauer, 2014).

A Great Boss Prioritizes Coaching and Developing Others

The better the coach, the better the performance of the coachee (Dahling et al., 2016). A great boss makes themselves accessible for assistance and individualized connection. This improves job satisfaction, mood, and performance while reducing withdrawal behaviors and turnover.

A Great Boss Leads Courageously

Displaying initiative, confidence, and authority, a great boss willingly takes control and responsibility during difficult situations. They welcome opposing perspectives and maintain an objective and enterprising attitude toward business during conflict.

A Great Boss Exudes Executive Presence

This is analogous to gravitas, which research has shown to be consistent with transformational leadership (Jackson, 2020). Those with gravitas can draw in others; they present themselves convincingly and compellingly. A key factor enabling this compelling presentation is the ability to lead with genuine integrity and care – care for the business, care for the brand, and care for the team.

Here are some of our recommended best practices and development suggestions for the skills we’ve discussed.
   

Competency	Skill       Ranking*	Development Suggestions
Strives for Results	1	Focus on both performance and execution. Think about how your performance goals link to business goals. ID the criteria that you will use to assess results. What do you expect to change when you have successfully reached your goal? This will help you understand how your efforts affect organizational success and enable you to more accurately gauge your progress. When starting a new project, do not just follow the procedures that have been done before. Spend time thinking about alternative approaches and encourage others to do the same. Take on a challenging project and work synergistically with others. Work in an area less familiar to you where you are forced to learn something new.
Holds Others Accountable	2	Clearly state what you will expect from others' performance so they understand where you will hold them accountable. When you encounter an employee with performance issues, proactively address the issue and take steps toward fostering improvement. Refresh on the principles of giving feedback. Make sure it is specific, frequent, and timely, highlighting the impact of the individual's behavior on the team/company. Don't forget the importance of applying these principles to positive feedback as well as negative. Your silence can be construed as acceptance. Confront performance issues immediately as they occur.
Coaching and Developing Others	3	Establish a development plan with 2 – 3 growth objectives with each employee. Meeting regularly to review progress. Use delegating as a tool to develop others. Identify strengths and development opportunities for each employee and delegate responsibility that aligns with growth objectives. Hone the techniques that will make you an effective coach. Seek out opportunities outside of the organization, such as mentoring, to further develop your coaching skills.
Leads Courageously	4	Consider the differences between assertive and aggressive. Identify situations or people that fall into both categories. Assertive leaders are effective because they look for win-win solutions and show respect for others (even when they disagree). Create a list of leaders whom you admire and ask yourself why you admire them. What themes keep recurring? This will help guide you during challenging situations. When facing a tough decision, consider the alternatives, identify and confront risks, and prepare to deal with other people's reactions.
Exudes Executive Presence	5	Work with your supervisor or a trusted advisor to identify your strengths and areas for growth to be seen as a knowledgeable and commanding leader. Compile the list and then identify sources that can help with the development of each area for improvement. Read the book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There and identify 3 actions that you will take to exude more executive presence. Focus on being your personal best, being present and in the moment.

                     
*Largest differentiation between high and low performers

Conclusion: Great Leaders Are Made

While personality can help someone land a leadership role, it’s what happens next that will separate the great bosses from bad ones. Bad bosses rely on their personality. Great bosses recognize that a deep commitment to cultivating these five leadership competencies is the key.

Katherine Graham-Leviss is the President and Founder at XBInsight. She is a leading expert and voice in the burgeoning talent analytics field and the era of Big Data in HR. In 2002, she founded XBInsight (formerly XB Consulting), an advanced talent assessment company that gives executives the actionable information they need to make smart people- decisions. Kathi is the author of The Perfect Hire: A Tactical Guide to Hiring, Developing and Retaining Top Sales Talent and High-Maintenance Employees: Why Your Best People Will Also Be Your Most Difficult…and What You Can Do About It.