There are good bosses, there are bad bosses. Then there are also the crazy ones, the ones we wish we never met. There are also those who changed our lives – for the better. These were the ones whom we learned so much from. Each of them seemed to have certain qualities, the kinds that only exist within them.

So what are these qualities?

When we’re talking about a person strengths and weaknesses, what are they really?

Is it selling skill? administration? negotiation? or is it something less straightforward?

Maybe it is a combination of all of the above?

What it is that make a great manager able to withstand pressures and perform better than most people?

There are different types of managers, each managing their own departments. Some are called sales managers, the others logistic managers, or operational manager, then there’s the administration manager, and etc. Each has his/her own specialty. The big question is off course, would you appoint an administration manager to be a sales manager? or vice versa? Maybe not, but why?

Surely a sales manager must be good in selling, unless he/she wouldn’t have a clue what the sales people are doing. The same thing goes for administration manager, or any other type of managers. Which is why it’s not a good idea to get them to do each other works.

So, we have an idea here. Specialty. A good sales manager is also a good sales person. A good admin manager is also a good administrator. If anyone is wondering why they are not performing as well as other people, maybe the answer is here. Maybe they’re working in the wrong department.

Now, here’s the important part. In order to be a good sales manager, he/she must have other qualities, not just selling skills.

In fact, your specialty is only the tip of the iceberg. It is the one everyone is looking at, the one showing all the time. However, the real damages come from your secondary strengths.

A good analogy is the iceberg that crushed Titanic. The tip of the iceberg only accounts for about 15% of the total mass. Without the other 85% the tip will just be floating away, carried by the ocean wave, crushed by large ships. Your secondary strengths are the 85%. They are the ones that carry the tip of your strengths (or your specialty) so you could perform better.

Another analogy is the tip of a pencil. Your specialty is the tip of a pencil, the little graphite things that sticks out. It is the one that is used to write, to draw, etc. Without the tip, the pencil is useless. However, without the body of the pencil you would have a hard time doing anything with the tip. The better the body of the pencil is the better the writing will be.

A sales manager, while must be good at selling, must also have other qualities. He must have good leadership quality, high level of organization skills, and also able to connect to different levels of people. These are hidden strengths that are not easily visible yet they are so powerful they can take people to places they can only imagine.

On the other hand, what if a manager has all these fantastic qualities, yet lack specialty? Well, think of it like a pencil with good strong body but without the tip. It has potentials, but he/she needs to find specialty to focus and make a real difference. In other words, the pencil needs sharpening.

Happy Managing!