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The Connector Manager: Why Some Leaders Build Exceptional Talent - and Others Don't
There are four distinct types of managers. One performs much worse than the rest, and one performs far better. Which type are you?
Based on a first-of-its-kind, wide-ranging global study of over 9,000 people, analysts at the global research and advisory firm Gartner were able to classify all managers into one of four
Although the four types of managers are more or less evenly distributed, the Connector manager consistently outperforms the others by a significant margin. Meanwhile, Always-on managers tend to see their employees struggle to grow within the organization. Why is that?
Drawing on their groundbreaking data-driven research, as well as in-depth case studies and extensive interviews with managers and employees at companies like IBM, Accenture, and eBay, the authors show what behaviors define a Connector manager, and why they are able to build powerhouse teams. They also show why other types of managers fail to be equally effective, and how they can incorporate behaviors of Connector managers in order to be more effective at building teams.
Based on a first-of-its-kind, wide-ranging global study of over 9,000 people, analysts at the global research and advisory firm Gartner were able to classify all managers into one of four
Although the four types of managers are more or less evenly distributed, the Connector manager consistently outperforms the others by a significant margin. Meanwhile, Always-on managers tend to see their employees struggle to grow within the organization. Why is that?
Drawing on their groundbreaking data-driven research, as well as in-depth case studies and extensive interviews with managers and employees at companies like IBM, Accenture, and eBay, the authors show what behaviors define a Connector manager, and why they are able to build powerhouse teams. They also show why other types of managers fail to be equally effective, and how they can incorporate behaviors of Connector managers in order to be more effective at building teams.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published September 17, 2019
113 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 22, 2023
I don't know if I agree with the fundamental premise of the book that there are four types of managers (teacher, always on, connector and cheerleader) but nonetheless there are some good tips about being a more effective manager and I am motivated to build a network of peer support in my own work group. My take-aways:
-Institutionalize and ritualize the sharing of information, strengths and needs
-Use "contribution of success of others" as a performance metric
-Spend more time in the diagnosis portion of your job managing people through asking thoughtful questions and really listening
-Institutionalize and ritualize the sharing of information, strengths and needs
-Use "contribution of success of others" as a performance metric
-Spend more time in the diagnosis portion of your job managing people through asking thoughtful questions and really listening
November 21, 2024
if this had been a blog post, i would’ve thought, wow, this is a great perspective. it makes sense, and it’s something i could work on. i’d even think about sharing it with people around me. but as a full book? it didn’t give me the same feeling. the more it tried to go deeper, the more it felt like it was losing focus. at times, it didn’t make sense at all.
in the end, it left me with just one question: am i giving too much feedback to my team? i really enjoy giving and receiving feedback. it has never been too much for me because i always take it seriously, act on it, and try to fix things. but then i wondered—what if i couldn’t fix something? would i feel terrible? and do i ever make my team feel that way?
maybe following up properly would solve this. but other than that, this book didn’t give me much. so sorry.
in the end, it left me with just one question: am i giving too much feedback to my team? i really enjoy giving and receiving feedback. it has never been too much for me because i always take it seriously, act on it, and try to fix things. but then i wondered—what if i couldn’t fix something? would i feel terrible? and do i ever make my team feel that way?
maybe following up properly would solve this. but other than that, this book didn’t give me much. so sorry.
December 31, 2021
Falling into the prescriptive column of management books, "The Connector Manager" can help a new or inexperienced managers figure out a way to define themselves and provide a plan to improve. An easy to use system with four types of managers and well defined opinions on which is the best, the overall narrative is simple. With the simplicity, some nuance is lost, there are a few assumptions made and edge cases glossed over. However, overall, if you are looking for a how-to be a better manager and are not sure where to improve, you could do worse than this book.
Keep in mind, people are not static and interactions are fluid. I prefer tools and references with more why, information and less how. "The Connector Manager" can help down the path, but find a book with more concentration in overall communication and performance feedback would be a good addition.
Keep in mind, people are not static and interactions are fluid. I prefer tools and references with more why, information and less how. "The Connector Manager" can help down the path, but find a book with more concentration in overall communication and performance feedback would be a good addition.
June 24, 2023
Book of the Day – The Connector Manager
Today’s Book of the Day is THE CONNECTOR MANAGER, written by Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde in 2019 and published by Portfolio.
Jaime Roca is a Senior Vice President at Gartner, managing the global research and advisory team that serves and advises HR executives.
Sari Wilde is a Managing Vice President at Gartner, managing global teams focused on creating research and products on leadership and talent management.
I have chosen this book as I was interested in the research made by the authors in their professional activity with Gartner.
The two authors have written this book analysing the data they collected from more than 9,000 people during their global study.
Effective management practices play a critical role in fostering employee engagement, productivity, and overall organizational success. Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde share with their readers their innovative points of view about a management style that combines personal knowledge, experience, and social skills to empower teams and drive exceptional results.
At the heart of The Connector Manager lies the concept of the role that a connector manager has a huge positive impact on talent development and team success by acting as a bridge between individual growth and performance and the needs and opportunities within the organization.
The research made by the authors found 4 different types of managers:
Teacher managers — who develop employees’ skills on the basis of their own expertise and direct their development along a similar track to their own
Cheerleader managers — who give positive feedback while taking a hands-off approach to employee development
Always-on managers — who provide constant, frequent feedback and coaching on all aspects of the employee’s performance
Connector managers — who provide feedback in their area of expertise while connecting employees to others on the team or in the organization who are better suited to addressing specific needs
The book shows how the last of these four types of managers is the one who builds better, more effective teams, thus achieving extraordinary results. Connector managers are the ones who prioritize building relationships, fostering collaboration, and leveraging the strengths of their team members. They actively facilitate connections between employees and experts, mentors, projects, and resources, allowing individuals to expand their knowledge, skills, and networks.
The authors underline the importance of training and coaching managers to embrace this approach, equipping them with the necessary skills to empower their teams and drive exceptional results. By emphasizing the significance of connections and collaboration, the book challenges conventional hierarchical structures and encourages a more inclusive leadership style.
Roca and Wilde demonstrate along the pages of this interesting book how connector managers create a ripple effect throughout the organization by empowering employees and enabling cross-functional collaboration so as to improve innovation, problem-solving, and overall organizational agility.
Connections between team members are pivotal for enabling learning, collaboration, and growth by fostering the unique needs and aspirations of individual team members who need just tailored guidance and support. This approach not only enhances employee satisfaction but also optimizes team performance by aligning goals with organizational objectives.
Connector managers demonstrate empathy, active listening, and the ability to foster psychological safety within their teams. They excel at understanding and leveraging the diverse strengths and perspectives of team members, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute their best work.
The Connector Manager provides a practical roadmap for implementing the authors’ suggested management style. It offers real-life case studies, actionable tips, and reflective exercises that allow readers to assess their current management practices and develop the necessary skills to become effective connector managers. The authors also address common challenges faced by managers and provide guidance on overcoming them.
In summary, this book demonstrates how connector managers foster a culture of collaboration, growth, and empowerment. The Connector Manager is an indispensable resource for anyone aspiring to enhance their leadership skills and cultivate high-performing teams.
Today’s Book of the Day is THE CONNECTOR MANAGER, written by Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde in 2019 and published by Portfolio.
Jaime Roca is a Senior Vice President at Gartner, managing the global research and advisory team that serves and advises HR executives.
Sari Wilde is a Managing Vice President at Gartner, managing global teams focused on creating research and products on leadership and talent management.
I have chosen this book as I was interested in the research made by the authors in their professional activity with Gartner.
The two authors have written this book analysing the data they collected from more than 9,000 people during their global study.
Effective management practices play a critical role in fostering employee engagement, productivity, and overall organizational success. Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde share with their readers their innovative points of view about a management style that combines personal knowledge, experience, and social skills to empower teams and drive exceptional results.
At the heart of The Connector Manager lies the concept of the role that a connector manager has a huge positive impact on talent development and team success by acting as a bridge between individual growth and performance and the needs and opportunities within the organization.
The research made by the authors found 4 different types of managers:
Teacher managers — who develop employees’ skills on the basis of their own expertise and direct their development along a similar track to their own
Cheerleader managers — who give positive feedback while taking a hands-off approach to employee development
Always-on managers — who provide constant, frequent feedback and coaching on all aspects of the employee’s performance
Connector managers — who provide feedback in their area of expertise while connecting employees to others on the team or in the organization who are better suited to addressing specific needs
The book shows how the last of these four types of managers is the one who builds better, more effective teams, thus achieving extraordinary results. Connector managers are the ones who prioritize building relationships, fostering collaboration, and leveraging the strengths of their team members. They actively facilitate connections between employees and experts, mentors, projects, and resources, allowing individuals to expand their knowledge, skills, and networks.
The authors underline the importance of training and coaching managers to embrace this approach, equipping them with the necessary skills to empower their teams and drive exceptional results. By emphasizing the significance of connections and collaboration, the book challenges conventional hierarchical structures and encourages a more inclusive leadership style.
Roca and Wilde demonstrate along the pages of this interesting book how connector managers create a ripple effect throughout the organization by empowering employees and enabling cross-functional collaboration so as to improve innovation, problem-solving, and overall organizational agility.
Connections between team members are pivotal for enabling learning, collaboration, and growth by fostering the unique needs and aspirations of individual team members who need just tailored guidance and support. This approach not only enhances employee satisfaction but also optimizes team performance by aligning goals with organizational objectives.
Connector managers demonstrate empathy, active listening, and the ability to foster psychological safety within their teams. They excel at understanding and leveraging the diverse strengths and perspectives of team members, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute their best work.
The Connector Manager provides a practical roadmap for implementing the authors’ suggested management style. It offers real-life case studies, actionable tips, and reflective exercises that allow readers to assess their current management practices and develop the necessary skills to become effective connector managers. The authors also address common challenges faced by managers and provide guidance on overcoming them.
In summary, this book demonstrates how connector managers foster a culture of collaboration, growth, and empowerment. The Connector Manager is an indispensable resource for anyone aspiring to enhance their leadership skills and cultivate high-performing teams.
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December 15, 2020The world is uncertain today. Especially amidst fear and with ever expanding technology and AI, the human connection is more important than ever. That is why I picked up this book.
“The Connector Manager” focuses thinking about what would be the most successful leadership "strategy". It is based on a Gartner study of 9,000 managers and employees. The study concluded that one type of manager triples employee performance: the connector manager. This means those who take an employee-centric coaching approach and use their broader network to meet employees’ coaching needs. They provide feedback and connect employees to others in the organization who can address specific needs.
The book compares leadership strategies; for example, how the connector manager consistently outperforms the others (like always-on manager) by a significant margin and digs into the reasons.
I like the outlook of this book, because leadership is not about climbing up the corporate ladder: it´s about helping others succeed. But I need to note that it´s not just about affecting employee performance, it’s about increasing employee happiness. But then again; happiness usually increases performance so it’s a win-win.
In my own book I have researched the power of empathy in leadership and found out massive benefits from it – therefore I know that also this book is on point with its focus The power to create connections and unity in today’s hectic and unstable business world is a power tool that we should not ignore. It is not “soft skills”, or if it is, then it is a soft skill with hard impact.
“The Connector Manager” focuses thinking about what would be the most successful leadership "strategy". It is based on a Gartner study of 9,000 managers and employees. The study concluded that one type of manager triples employee performance: the connector manager. This means those who take an employee-centric coaching approach and use their broader network to meet employees’ coaching needs. They provide feedback and connect employees to others in the organization who can address specific needs.
The book compares leadership strategies; for example, how the connector manager consistently outperforms the others (like always-on manager) by a significant margin and digs into the reasons.
I like the outlook of this book, because leadership is not about climbing up the corporate ladder: it´s about helping others succeed. But I need to note that it´s not just about affecting employee performance, it’s about increasing employee happiness. But then again; happiness usually increases performance so it’s a win-win.
In my own book I have researched the power of empathy in leadership and found out massive benefits from it – therefore I know that also this book is on point with its focus The power to create connections and unity in today’s hectic and unstable business world is a power tool that we should not ignore. It is not “soft skills”, or if it is, then it is a soft skill with hard impact.
January 27, 2020
The book mainly talks about the idea of “connector manager”. That is management type for providing feedback on performance and coaching. The idea is that you can’t teach your team everything so you should rather connect them to people who can teach them different skills. Has some interesting ideas - especially the appendixes with some questions. Otherwise the whole book should have been an article. The writing style is a bit boring so was a bit hard finishing the book.
According the book there are 4 types of managers in terms of coaching and development (which are being compared throughout the book but mainly concentrate on the connector and always on manager):
Teacher - develops their team using personal expertise and experiences, provides advice oriented feedback
Always on - gives continuous frequent coaching and provides feedback across variety of skills
Connector - introduces their team to people who can help them out and coach them and provide targeted feedback
Cheerleader - hands off approach, empowering positive feedback and enables employees to take development in their own hands
According the book there are 4 types of managers in terms of coaching and development (which are being compared throughout the book but mainly concentrate on the connector and always on manager):
Teacher - develops their team using personal expertise and experiences, provides advice oriented feedback
Always on - gives continuous frequent coaching and provides feedback across variety of skills
Connector - introduces their team to people who can help them out and coach them and provide targeted feedback
Cheerleader - hands off approach, empowering positive feedback and enables employees to take development in their own hands
January 31, 2022
The book’s overarching thesis is that managers serve as the key link between the company and its people, turning organizational strategies into tangible action. They serve as Connectors. The writers feel that “connection” is the key to good management. Based on that belief, they describe a “Connector” manager as someone who introduces employees to other individuals for coaching and growth, as well as someone who fosters a pleasant team atmosphere by offering focused feedback to employees. Connector managers tailor development to the needs and interests of their employees. They are concerned with understanding a person’s needs and encouraging two-way development dialogues to go underneath surface-level behaviors. According to the authors’ findings, every manager falls into one of four unique profiles when it comes to coaching and development. They wrote this book to give managers the critical coaching and development knowledge they need while working with coworkers and employees. The book is intended to be a step-by-step guide that explains what makes Connectors so unique.
April 27, 2021
The book narrates ways to become a better manager with its connector manager approach. it also presents use cases and illustrations of different manager. I was able to connect myself in different scenarios described in the book and thus learned some good techniques to improve myself to the next level in managerial skills.
On the cons side, the book kind of stresses that this is the only way which I believe isn't the case. So readers need to focus on getting the good advice from the book.
On the cons side, the book kind of stresses that this is the only way which I believe isn't the case. So readers need to focus on getting the good advice from the book.
July 29, 2020
Refreshing and novel view about leading a team. Instead of having to provide continuous feedback, be ‘always on’ feverishly working to create mini-me’s, the research suggests the best managers are Connectors, diagnosing the employee’s needs and helping connect them to folks who can help. Liberating concept in a snappy, quick read.
August 14, 2022
I have given 3 star only for the fact that it contained some good questions which can be used as a part of discussion. The book seemed to force certain qualities into connector manager and justify them with some stories. The narration was very uninspiring and pretty boring. None of the analogies seemed to generate interest while reading. A long article would have sufficed with links to questions.
April 22, 2020
I generally love the idea of being conscious and be a connector manager. It is effective simply because a manager can’t never be the single one coach to everyone in every situation. Therefore the idea of “leveraging connection” to coach rather than “coaching on ones own” is definitely rational.
September 18, 2021
*bias disclosure I have an affiliation with the company who completed the research
Recommended read for people managers based on real life data and proven practices. Improve effectiveness and scale your coaching by incorporating the strengths of others.
Recommended read for people managers based on real life data and proven practices. Improve effectiveness and scale your coaching by incorporating the strengths of others.
May 10, 2022
One of the dumbest books of all time and a power point would’ve sufficed. If you like corporate slop barraged onto you again and again this might be your speed. If I wouldn’t have been told to read this by my boss I would’ve used it to light the fire place after reading 60 pages of this sleeper.
May 29, 2023
Another Tool to add to your Toolbox
This books provides you with solid research and information on how the Connector Manager is the most superior to other approaches. Provides good examples on how to apply to the workplace.
This books provides you with solid research and information on how the Connector Manager is the most superior to other approaches. Provides good examples on how to apply to the workplace.
September 26, 2019
The Connector Manager challenges conventional wisdom and outlines a powerful, practical new approach for managers to accelerate the success of their team members. Highly recommend.
May 25, 2020
This narrative explores another mode of management and personality. There is introvert and extrovert. There are the Meyers Briggs four quadrants that cover a mix of personalities. There is think fast and slow with 1st and 2nd order thinking. There is growth and fixed mindsets. There are other management styles like Directive, Authoritative, Affiliative, Participative, Pacesetting and Coaching. There’s are many leadership styles to include; Transactional, Transformational, Servant, Democratic, Autocratic, Bureaucratic, Laissez-Faire, and Charismatic.
There are generations management challenges across millennials, x, baby boomers, and y. The millennials want more feedback and seem to desire an always on management mode. But, the pace of change is such that most management cannot be a good teacher of the current skill as it has been succeeded by the last update.
This book highlights four types of mindsets of management that include teacher, always on, cheerleader, and connector. Another mental framework for analyzing a situation. Industry is asking us to be always on, teacher, and cheerleader. But, the author suggest data does not support the other modes. There is more benefits from applying the connector.
The book suggest that research highlights unlike other mindsets and leadership styles the art of the craft of this is less about adjusting oneself to the situation, but actively seeking to apply the ‘connector’, framework. It outperforms they other four.
It is a quick read. Greatly appreciated the Lincoln passage in the first lines, but overall expect the book did not go as deep into the studies.
There are generations management challenges across millennials, x, baby boomers, and y. The millennials want more feedback and seem to desire an always on management mode. But, the pace of change is such that most management cannot be a good teacher of the current skill as it has been succeeded by the last update.
This book highlights four types of mindsets of management that include teacher, always on, cheerleader, and connector. Another mental framework for analyzing a situation. Industry is asking us to be always on, teacher, and cheerleader. But, the author suggest data does not support the other modes. There is more benefits from applying the connector.
The book suggest that research highlights unlike other mindsets and leadership styles the art of the craft of this is less about adjusting oneself to the situation, but actively seeking to apply the ‘connector’, framework. It outperforms they other four.
It is a quick read. Greatly appreciated the Lincoln passage in the first lines, but overall expect the book did not go as deep into the studies.
May 30, 2020
Would have been great as a blog post. Not enough material and nuance for a full-length book.
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August 23, 2020Why some individuals are like catalyst...
October 22, 2020
A great book with useful data and tools to get in the right mindset and become an effective manager.
December 26, 2021
Great read for aspiring and new managers
April 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book! I think the advice that the authors give is sage and actionable, and I look forward to implementing these ideas at work!
February 18, 2022
เปิดเรื่องด้วยสถานการณ์ของผู้ว่าหมูป่าจากประเทศไทย เนื้อหาแบ่งประเภทของ manager ออกเป็น 4 แบบ หนังสือคล้าย เป็นคุ่มือ คือมี questionnaire สั้น ๆ ท้ายเล่มให้ลองทำและนำไปใช้เป็นตัวอย่างคำถามได้ อ่านง่าย มีสรุป executive summary ให้ทุกบท (อ่านแค่นี้ก็พอ) แต่เนื้อหาในเล่มไม่ได้มีอะไรมากไปกว่าหัวข้อของการเป็น connector manager และ type นี้ดีกว่า manager type อื่นอย่างไร
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