What does it take to be an effective general manager?

Well, there is no single pill. Leadership is not defined by one trait - it’s a blend of skills, much like an artist mixing colors to create a masterpiece.

I see general managers performing across different aspects. Yesterday I visited my younger son’s football club. While the 10-year-old boy and his team were shooting hard, the coach from the sidelines was overseeing the game and guiding the team with necessary instructions. To me, the coach in his own area acts as the general manager of the team. 

Last week I visited my elder kid’s school to join the ‘parents-teachers’ meeting. I met the class teacher and the principal of the school. To me, the class teacher acts as the general manager of the class, while the principal takes the hat of the general manager of the school. Nights back while having dinner with my beautiful wife in a restaurant, I found the chief chef acting as the general manager of his crew as they served the guests.

As the field of general management is vast the recipe for being an effective general manager may look different, but there are common traits that effective general managers follow. Let me explain with an analogy of a rainbow with the help of a ‘prism’ and lenses both concave and convex. 

To me, a general manager is like a palette of seven vibrant colors, each representing a key skill or quality that, when blended, creates the masterpiece of effective leadership. Just like an artist who expertly mixes colors to create depth, texture, and harmony, an effective general manager balances these qualities to paint a compelling vision, lead their team, and drive business success.

Blue – Visionary Thinking:

Let me start with blue, the color of the sunny sky and the ocean - wide, vast, and full of possibilities. In the general manager’s palette, blue represents visionary thinking, the ability to see beyond the horizon and inspire others with a clear direction. 

Nelson Mandela, to share an example of a legendary “general manager”, embodies blue with his powerful vision for a free, democratic, and united South Africa. For an effective general manager, embodying Mandela’s visionary thinking practically symbolizes setting a transformative vision that inspires and unites teams across different functions and perspectives. It requires looking beyond immediate gains, toward a lasting impact that resonates with employees, customers, and communities alike. 

A general manager with "blue" thinking, just as Mandela’s leadership helped South Africa move forward, leads the organization towards unprecedented success by gluing diverse teams with a shared, ambitious goal.

Green – Empathy and People Management:

Green, symbolizing growth and renewal, represents empathy and people management in a general manager's skill set. A general manager with "green" traits fosters team growth and creates a collaborative environment, much like a gardener nurturing plants to help them flourish. 

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, is a perfect example, representing green through his “growth mindset” approach at Microsoft. An effective general manager with green values ropes the seeds of open communication, empathy, and invests in people’s well-being, cultivating a positive, high-performing culture that drives business success. This "green" approach to empathy and people management is a foundational trait of effective general management.

Yellow – Operational Discipline and Efficiency: 

Yellow is the color of energy, precision, and efficiency. A general manager with "yellow" traits brings a sharp focus to operational excellence - ensuring that a project or an operation runs smoothly, resources are wisely managed, and processes are optimized. 

Tim Cook at Apple and Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo are classic examples of yellow in action. A general manager with “yellow” builds a robust well-oiled machine where teams perform seamlessly. This commitment to operational excellence boosts productivity, reduces costs, and ultimately strengthens the foundation for a sustainable growth.

Red – Decision-Making and Accountability: 

Red stands for action, passion, and decisiveness. In the palette of an effective general manager, it represents the ability to make tough decisions wisely on time and hold oneself accountable for the outcomes. 

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, is a prime example of red. He famously used his “70% rule” encouraging his team to make decisions when they had about 70% of the information, allowing Amazon to move fast and stay competitive. This decisiveness, paired with a culture of accountability, fueled Amazon’s rapid growth and innovative edge. 

General managers with a “red” quality symbolize being confident in choices, accepting responsibility and holding accountability for outcomes. This builds trust within the team, keeps momentum high, and helps the organization adapt quickly in a fast-paced world.

Purple – Financial Acumen:

Purple, often linked with wisdom and wealth, represents financial insight in a general manager’s toolkit. A general manager with "purple" traits understands the numbers, makes smart investments, and allocates resources wisely. 

Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is a classic example of purple. Known for his deep financial insight and disciplined approach, Buffett invests in companies with strong fundamentals and long-term potential, consistently delivering value to shareholders. For a general manager, having "purple" financial acumen signifies not just knowing the numbers but using them strategically. 

This wisdom ensures sustainable growth, smart risk management, and a solid foundation for the company’s future.

Orange – Adaptability, Resilience, and Resourcefulness:

Orange is the color of adaptability, energy, and resilience - a general manager’s ability to adjust to new challenges, turn setbacks into opportunities, and lead their team with optimism. I remember my old days being a SCOUT. 

To me, Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement, exemplified adaptability and resourcefulness. His “orange” adaptability allowed him to transform obstacles into opportunities for learning. We also observed effective general managers led with “orange” to tackle unforeseen difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

General managers, embracing "orange" have a common trait of being flexible and resilient in the face of change. This adaptability helps the team navigate setbacks, seize new opportunities, and stay energized through tough times, ensuring continued success.

White – Integrity and Ethical Leadership: 

White, formed by all colors combined, represents purity, integrity, transparency, and ethical leadership. A general manager with "white" traits leads with honesty and sets a strong example for others to follow, building a culture of trust.

Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, is a humbling example of integrity and ethical leadership. General managers with “white” promotes that business isn’t just about achieving success - it's about doing so with moral clarity, integrity and a deep commitment to ethical principles. This ethical approach fosters trust, loyalty, and a culture where people feel valued, helping to build a strong foundation for sustained success.

Conclusion

An effective general manager, like an artist with a sophisticated prism, knows when to focus on specific details and when to step back to see the big picture. The “concave” lens helps them dive deep into operational, financial, and people management aspects, while their “convex” lens allows them to expand their vision, understand market trends, and align toward a unified goal. 

Using “convex” lenses bringing together these colors, an effective general manager can craft a vision, motivate their team, ensure operational efficiency, and adapt to new challenges - all while leading with integrity. 

The result? A vibrant, sustainable organization that thrives under skillful leadership.