We believe that every employee deserves a GREAT leader, but what does it look like in practice?
During a recent “Meaningful Conversations” webinar, Michelle Day, our SVP of Talent, posed an important question to over 230 managers: “How would you describe what a great manager does?”
The responses were insightful and inspiring. Many participants emphasized the importance of leading by example. Words like decisive, inspiring, engaged, caring, authentic, available, empowering, and multiplier came up repeatedly. Integrity, empathy, and genuine care were seen as foundational.
Great leaders were described as “action takers.” They listen actively and create space for dialogue, provide constructive feedback (both positive and negative), coach and mentor to support growth, treat people with respect, and foster psychological safety through regular communication.
Others highlighted the importance of challenging and pushing teams to achieve their best while helping them grow as individuals and future leaders. This requires building trust and partnership, understanding roles, talents, and motivations, creating a sense of belonging and purpose, offering vision and alignment with clear expectations, and supporting career development. When leaders do this well, teams thrive.
Leadership is a journey, and continuous development is key. Unless we evaluate ourselves and seek to improve, we risk standing still. We are committed to developing leaders The Novanta Way. Learning and development, both for managers and self-leaders, is a core value and high priority because we truly believe that every employee deserves a great leader.