"What do great managers actually do all day?"
The big seven things
Morning team happy Tuesday,
A while back, I got this question in my DMs:
“I feel like all i’m doing is firefighting, and seriously… what am I actually supposed to be doing every day to be a ‘good’ manager?”
It's a valid question. And one I had no clue how to answer when I first started out.
But over the last 10 years, I’ve worked alongside some of the most brilliant managers you can imagine. From grads fresh out of uni who got promoted within 6 months, to leaders scaling multi-million ££ companies.
I started writing down what I saw: the habits, the systems, the mistakes, the stuff that worked.
And then I started testing it all in my own teams.
So, what are the greatest managers actually doing all day?
Let’s break it down.
1. spending time with their team 1-on-1
Big stat coming your way: Employees who meet regularly with their managers are THREE TIMES more likely to be engaged at work (Gallup study, will link at the bottom)
It’s because in these 1-on-1s, we directly build coaching relationships and become “engagement-creating coaches” versus you-only-bosses.
When done well, 1-on-1s become the heartbeat of your leadership system. Where relationships deepen and problems get solved before they escalate.
No matter your team size, regular 1-on-1s are non-negotiable.
Use them to:
Coach and develop
Spot issues early
Re-align on goals and direction
Remove blockers
Fortnightly at minimum. Weekly if the team is new, stretched, or going through change.
2. Delegating (Properly)
When you cling to the “I’ll just do it myself” mindset, you trade short-term speed for long-term burnout and a team that never levels up.
I get it, I do… Delegating and worrying that the work won’t be done as well as you CONSUMED me as a manager. But it took me years to figure out that ownership is the fastest way for your people to grow skills, confidence, and accountability, while giving you the bandwidth to think and lead.
Delegating is our grestest tool to get there.
How to flip the switch:
Start with outcomes, not tasks. Tell them the why and what good looks like; let them decide the how.
Agree on check-ins, not micromanagement. Schedule one midway pulse and a final review. Nothing in between unless they ask.
Coach, don’t rescue (This is an important one) When they hit a roadblock, ask “What options have you considered?” before offering solutions.
Close the loop. Debrief results and lessons learned. This turns every delegated project into a growth rep.
Do this consistently and you’ll shift from bottleneck to multiplier and your team will thank you with better work and bigger results
3. Working on Systems
A system is just a repeatable way of doing something that makes your life easier. It’s the difference between reinventing the wheel every week vs. running a train on it’s rails.
My fav way to think of a system is the pit stop at the F1. Yes, it slows the team down initially, but only for a short while.
Because what you get in return is precision, clarity, and speed. Every team member knows exactly what to do, when to do it, and how success is measured. No wasted motion. No shouting over each other. No guesswork.
Then? You’re straight back on the track, faster, sharper, and miles ahead of the chaos.
That’s what systems do for managers.
A manager I worked with used to book 1-on-1s ad hoc whenever something went wrong. It meant their team always saw meetings as a bad sign. There was no system.
So we built a monthly 1o1n system instead, with a consistent agenda, a personal goals section, and rolling actions. Very quickly, feedback improved, trust deepened, and her calendar stopped being a crisis zone.
Some of the key systems worth building:
📆 Your 1-on-1 rhythm
When do they happen? What’s the format? Do you follow up consistently?
📊 Your accountability cadence
How are goals tracked? Who owns what metric? Are KPIs visible or buried in slides?
🧠 Your team structure clarity
Does everyone know their role? Their impact? Are responsibilities clearly defined?
💬 Your culture systems
Are values just posters? Or do you reinforce them through rituals, praise, and decisions?
4. Providing Clear Direction
According to Harvard Business Review, 54% of employees say their manager lacks a clear direction for the team.
Direction-setting means:
Translating business strategy into team goals
Repeating those goals until they’re felt
Aligning 1-on-1s, meetings, and feedback around those priorities
Side note for corporate folks: If your senior leaders keep changing their mind, your job is to help buffer the chaos. It’s unfair I know, but filter, clarify, and protect your team’s focus where possible.
5. Investing in Personal Development (for You and Them)
There’s an old story about a woodcutter. He’s hired to chop down trees in a forest. On the first day, he works like mad… Sharp axe, full energy, and cuts down 10 trees.
The next day, he does the same thing. But only manages 8 trees.
By the third day, it's down to 5.
By the end of the week, he’s exhausted… and barely managing 2.
A friend walks by and asks,
"When’s the last time you sharpened your axe?"
The woodcutter replies,
"I haven’t had time. I’ve been too busy cutting trees."
This is exactly what happens when you drop personal development because you’re “too busy.”
It feels productive to keep grinding. But if you never pause to learn, reflect, or grow, you slowly get less effective, even though you’re working just as hard.
Sharpening the axe = Personal Development
Budgeting time and money for team learning
Making growth a shared, measurable goal
And modelling it yourself - Showing them that you never stop sharpening
This is where the best managers are spending their time. Not because they have more of it, because they know they can’t afford not to.
6. Doing Less, Thinking More
You might hate this...
But the greatest managers? They’re not always “busy.”
They’re calm. Intentional. Focused.
They don’t attend every meeting.
They don’t reply instantly to every Slack or Teams message.
They protect their energy and delegate their way out of the weeds.
Because their job is no longer to do the work.
It’s to create the environment where great work becomes inevitable.
Summary: What should you actually be doing all day as a manager?
Holding high-impact 1-on-1s
Delegating with context and trust
Building systems that scale
Reinforcing direction with clarity
Protecting time for learning and growth
Creating space for the unpredictable
Leading with focus, not frantic energy
Which number are you working on first?
Drop it in the comments or reply to this post, I want to hear it.
Also, my book comes out in just TWO days eek, don’t miss your chance to be the FIRST getting it through their letterbox next week. Link to order here.
Peace,
H
Oh and the Gallup Study is here.