Leadership: Top 7 Secrets of Highly Successful Managers

Why do some managers make managing look easy and enjoy major success while others never seem to figure it out?

Effective management is no accident. The best managers have studied success and have learned the secrets.

See how you match up against these seven:

1. Ask lots of questions. Listen, and then listen some more. Great questions open up dialog that you otherwise might have missed. When you listen, really listen. You'll be amazed at what you'll hear and your staff will be thrilled you care.
2. Practice 360 degree learning. Learn something from everyone and everything, inside and especially outside your own industry and business. As Tom Peters says, when you wander around you're sure to find out what's really going on.
3. Be slow to hire, fast to fire. Having the right staff in place is your most important managerial responsibility.
4. Accept less of the credit and more of the blame than you deserve. Enough said.
5. Focus. Pay attention only to high impact issues that matter most. Delegate or eliminate everything else.
6. Lead. Your staff wants to know where you're taking the business. Most of them will follow in you share your vision and values.
7. Recognize and reward. Be lavish, public and prompt with praise and awards for work well done.

BONUS SECRET: Stay humble. You may have the power and the title, but nothing good happens without the dedication, commitment and hard work of your staff.