First, Break all the Rules

What do the world's best managers do differently? They understand that managing people doesn't mean reshaping them—it means capitalizing on what makes them unique.

1. Employee Satisfaction Drives Business Success

Satisfied employees form the foundation of a strong business. When employees feel happy and engaged, they contribute more effectively to a high-performing workplace.

Employee satisfaction leads to higher productivity. Workers who feel valued and fulfilled are more likely to go the extra mile for a company. For example, they may take greater care to save resources, provide outstanding customer service, or negotiate effectively in business transactions.

Retention rates are also higher in companies with satisfied employees. Loyal employees not only save companies from high recruitment costs but also build trust and consistency with customers. This continuity fosters a loyal customer base, which in turn sustains the company’s growth.

Examples

• A hotel employee going out of their way to ensure a guest’s satisfaction, boosting customer loyalty.
• A sales team member securing long-term clients by developing strong interpersonal relationships.
• A worker actively conserving resources at their organization because they care about its success.

2. Managers Shape Employee Happiness

Managers, not company policies, have the greatest influence over employee satisfaction. A great manager transforms a job into a fulfilling opportunity.

Employees thrive when their managers connect the company’s ethos to clear, actionable goals. For instance, managers can turn an abstract strategy, like improving customer experience, into clear guidelines for employees. A sales manager might instruct their team to highlight product compatibility to customers, translating company vision into daily practices.

Managers can also redefine roles to create meaningful growth within company structures. Consider a manager who invents a new, rewarding position when traditional job paths fail to reward talented employees. By fostering purpose and self-expression, these adjustments lead employees to feel engaged and inspired.

Examples

• A sales manager focusing the team on clear customer-centric goals, increasing sales and morale.
• A project lead creating a hybrid role to reward skilled workers without forcing them into ill-fitting management duties.
• A supportive manager mitigating strict company policies by advocating for and backing team members.

3. Managers Are Mediators, Not Leaders

A manager’s main work lies in mediating—not in leading. They focus inward, ensuring employees’ talents meet business needs, while leaders look outward toward vision and strategy.

Managers are like catalysts, facilitating the “reaction” between individual employee needs and company goals. They bring together seemingly separate elements—business demands and personal fulfillment—to create alignment and productivity.

By doing this, great managers create conditions for employees to succeed. They don’t dictate the path forward but instead act as the connecting force that keeps things running smoothly for the company and its people alike.

Examples

• A manager ensuring accounting standards are met while creating flexible schedules for accountants needing work-life balance.
• A tech manager aligning a software team’s differing approaches to achieve project milestones.
• A retail manager handling employee concerns while keeping the store profitable.

4. Everyone Has Unique Talents

Every person possesses a unique set of behaviors that define their strengths and weaknesses. Managers must understand this to place employees effectively.

Talents aren’t reserved for a select few like Einstein or Mozart. For example, someone who is friendly and outgoing would naturally excel in customer-facing roles. On the other hand, non-talents—absence of recurring productive traits—don’t necessarily mean someone won’t succeed, as long as they are in a fitting role.

Different categories of talents include striving talents driving motivation (like competiveness), thinking talents shaping work styles (such as focus), and relating talents affecting interpersonal dynamics (like avoid or confront tendencies). Recognizing these talents is the first step in getting the most out of every employee.

Examples

• Assigning outgoing employees to a sales team where their communication skills thrive.
• Placing highly-focused individuals in analytical roles where deep concentration is key.
• Pairing a conflict-averse worker with a partner who thrives in negotiations.

5. Match Roles to Talents

Matching work demands with talents is critical for outstanding performance. Great managers make it a priority to do this thoughtfully.

Talent drives performance more than experience or knowledge. For example, while a nurse might improve technically the more injections they give, they won’t excel in patient care if they lack an empathetic demeanor. A deep alignment between talents and job duties ensures success.

Managers can identify talents and structure jobs accordingly. Techniques like asking open-ended interview questions during hiring reveal not just skills but also personal drives—whether someone excels in analysis, socialization, or innovation.

Examples

• Recruiting athletes with competitive spirits for sales jobs to channel their drive.
• Creating tech development teams with individuals varying from creative thinkers to operational starters.
• Assigning empathetic workers to customer support roles for harmonious client handling.

6. Redefine Career Paths

The conventional career ladder doesn’t guarantee the right fit as employees advance. Great managers craft alternative paths for employees to stay in their best roles.

Promotions focus too heavily on climbing up the ladder while ignoring whether employees are suited for leadership roles. Instead of forcing star performers into unsuitable leadership jobs, managers can create parallel paths rewarding individual excellence.

Graded achievements or broadbanded pay scales reward employees for excelling in their existing positions without climbing a hierarchy. This way, employees are recognized, earn more, and remain aligned with their strengths.

Examples

• A law firm using tiered levels of pay and prestige for lawyers moving into senior roles.
• Expanding teaching careers with “lead teacher” roles without pushing for administrative work.
• Allowing high-performing technicians to earn leadership pay while staying in technical specializations.

7. Focus on Desired Outcomes Over Rules

Great managers prioritize setting clear goals rather than dictating how employees must achieve them, freeing workers to find their best path.

Employees perform better when they are trusted with autonomy. Instead of micromanagement, managers define the results they expect and let employees choose the methods.

This approach improves efficiency, encourages responsibility, and unlocks talents. Employees work towards meaningful goals, grow through trial, and push boundaries to achieve more.

Examples

• A creative team given deadlines for deliverables but free to craft their own workflows.
• A retail floor worker choosing unique, personal sales approaches—provided goals are met.
• A tech worker trusted to find optimized coding tactics, improvising as a self-governed innovator.

8. Rules Are Essential—But Should Be Minimal

Core rules ensure accuracy, safety, and compatibility, but shouldn’t become micromanaging tools that limit employees’ ability to innovate.

Rules for industry standards or internal guidelines are non-negotiable. Great managers focus only on what’s necessary to meet customer expectations and ensure compliance.

Still, employees should be free to excel beyond the baseline, pairing their own creativity with company guidelines to delight customers or solve problems in unique ways.

Examples

• A safety officer ensuring machinery operators follow essential protocols.
• Coders applying secure practices but free to design out-of-the-box solutions delivering quicker results.
• Maintenance workers adhering to basic operational checklists but innovating adjustments for efficiency.

9. Learn From the Best, Not the Average

To improve outcomes, managers must analyze and support excellent employees rather than average performers or mistakes.

Drawing lessons from underperformers often misrepresents what works. While failures highlight problems, successes provide a clearer view of effective practices. Knowing how high-performing employees thrive demonstrates achievable excellence and inspires others.

Managers should also maintain personal connections with top employees—rewarding and guiding them based on their individual aspirations rather than a generic approach.

Examples

• Observing the best sales employee’s communication style as a model for onboarding others.
• Defining nursing care from results of the emotionally-attuned caregivers, rather than broad mandates.
• Supporting high-value programmers’ preferred learning workshops rather imposing rushed lessons.

Takeaways

1. During recruitment, ask open-ended interview questions to uncover not just skills but true motivations.
2. Regularly analyze outcomes to focus management efforts on achieving results rather than detailing methods.
3. Build alternative advancement paths—grading leadership quality horizontally or exploring digital competitive pay overlaps prevents talent-misaligned promotions.