You’ve worked your whole life for this. You’ve made it. You’re a manager. That’s right, dust off those strong shoulders that have been holding your team up! You have a shiny office. Close that door and do your victory dance. Take a deep breath. Open the door. You are poised, sitting at your desk. And no one ever has to know about that dance. Ah, the perks of the coveted corner office!

You open up LinkedIn — like a good manager does. You know the industry trends. Because that’s how you start your day. Every morning. Your eyes are scanning the feed and you see something that almost makes you spit out your perfectly brewed artisan coffee. 57% of employees quit because of their boss. You immediately scoff at that statistic. It doesn’t concern you. You already know how great you are. The daily, excited “good morning” waves you get from your team. They love you. You’ve been captain of your company’s undefeated softball team three years in a row. Go Mavs! You’re unstoppable. In fact, you should be leading seminars on how to manage a team. 

Success means doing your best to be prepared, even when you’re performing at the top of your game. Yes, even though you’re in the running for Best Manager of All Time, you still know that great managers believe there’s always room for improvement. So, here are some insights into what makes a successful manager, so you can add ‘em to your list.

  1. Listen to your team. Yes, this might sound a bit obvious. But when you’re in the thick of juggling 500 different deadlines with the CEO requesting hourly updates, listening to your team might not be on the top of your priority list. Make yourself available to your team. A little goes a long way.
  2. Hire top talent you can learn from. Just because a team member might know more than you do on a certain topic, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be their manager. It means you did an amazing job hiring them! What’s the point in having a team if you can’t learn from one another and push each other towards success?
  3. Don’t just manage, lead. The greatest managers are true leaders who hold integrity, honesty, passion, and humility at the forefront of everything they do. They support their team and lead with clear direction and open communication. 
  4. Strive for work/life balance. Take care of your people. Work is only one component of a happy, fulfilling life and it’s important to create that balance within your team.
  5. Communicate clearly and often. Communication is key. Always. Create open channels of communication daily with your team and make sure each person knows that your door is open if they ever need to talk.
  6. Set achievable goals. Many use the SMART system. Whatever your preferred goal-setting method, it’s important to make goals measurable and to always break large goals down into individual tasks. Communicate both expectations and updates daily with your team. Don’t forget to celebrate the victories along the way! 
  7. Acknowledge your team. Recognition is the number one reason employees leave companies. You lead a talented, hardworking team. Make sure they know how much you appreciate everything they do for the company each and every day.

Being a great manager isn’t always easy, even if you make it look that way. Working toward making these seven habits a part of your managing style will not only help you become the manager you want to be, but will also make you the manager your team needs. Now go walk into that office and lead your hardworking, brilliant team to success!

Allie Demopoulos is a Content Copywriter at Surprise.com. A writer and producer, she believes that humor is the greatest tool and that the best of anything–comedy, music, stories–are experienced in basements. When she’s not creating, you can find her in the electric streets of Manhattan, a place she feels lucky to call home.