What Are the Qualities of an Excellent General Manager?

This question originally appeared on Quora.



What does it take to be a great general manager for a web [or tech] company?



Answer by Ian McAllister, general manager of Amazon.

[Based on my experience], below are a few qualities that a great general manager should possess. An excellent manager:

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  Sets the (right) vision: A strong manager thinks about business the right way, and sets the team's true North: He or she gets everyone in the organization pointed in the same direction. Doing this well helps everyone make thousands of small decisions correctly, and the whole team knows that those decisions support the overall vision.

  
  


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  Sets appropriate expectations: A great GM doesn't get bullied by executives into taking on goals that are unattainable. Great managers educate executives on the company's product, the competitive environment, the baseline growth rate of the business and headwinds or tailwinds. They set the organization up [for success]. Read more...

  
  

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