Research on People Manager Effectiveness
The Hidden Behaviours That Quietly Build Better Leaders
(And Why the Best Managers Practice Them Daily)
If there’s one truth every CEO, CHRO, and L&D Head eventually arrives at, it’s this:
Leadership is built in the small things—repeated consistently.
It’s the micro-behaviours managers practice every day that shape culture, retention, capability, and performance.
At Great Manager Institute®, we’ve spent years studying these behaviours across 24 subthemes of our Connect–Develop–Inspire © (CDI) leadership model. And something fascinating emerged:
When managers are nudged to perform simple, specific micro-actions daily… their leadership habits shift—measurably and sustainably.
These nudges are not reminders. They are behavior-design triggers, crafted to build muscle memory around what great managers do differently.
And because thousands of managers actively practice and complete these nudges, we now know which behaviours truly “stick.”
Below are the top leadership actions managers across India are practicing most consistently today—and what they reveal about how leadership is evolving.
1) CONNECT
Where Trust Begins & Team Energy is Built
Care for Individual
- Nudge: “Quiz time! Name one hobby of each of your team members. If you don’t know, find out today.”
- Why it works: Because the fastest way to psychological safety is personal understanding. Teams open up when they feel seen.
Listening
- Nudge: “In meetings, ask colleagues to elaborate before sharing your view.”
- Nudge: “If you interrupt someone today, apologise immediately.”
- Why it works: These two micro-actions reduce invisible friction dramatically. They reset team dynamics by reinforcing respect, patience, and shared ownership of conversations.
Approachability
- Nudge: “Ask your team: What were your learnings this week?”
- Nudge: “Block a 30-minute AMA (Ask Me Anything) session—any question is welcome.”
- Why it works: Approachable leaders reduce hesitation. Hesitation kills speed. Every CEO feels this ripple effect in execution velocity.
2) DEVELOP
Where Capability Grows & Potential Unlocks
Feedback Sharing
- Nudge: “Ask a team member: How do you prefer receiving feedback—frequency, mode, and style?”
- Why it works: Because feedback is not just a skill—it’s a relationship contract. When managers personalise it, performance accelerates.
Development Focus
- Nudge: “Recommend a book to a team member for their professional growth, set up 30 mins to discuss key learning from the book that can be applied in your business context.”
- Why it works: Learning cultures don’t form in L&D calendars. They form when managers show they are invested in growth, even in small ways.
3) INSPIRE
Where Accountability Sharpens & Teams Rise
Recognition
- Nudge: “Share an update with your leadership highlighting the contributions of your team.”
- Why it works: Managers who advocate for their teams create teams that advocate for the work. Recognition fuels motivation; visibility fuels ambition.
The Bigger Insight for CXOs:
Leadership Transformation Doesn’t Require Big Interventions — Just the Right Ones
These nudges are not theoretical. They are real behaviours practiced daily by thousands of managers, giving us a rare window into:
- Which leadership actions drive trust fastest
- Where managers default during pressure
- What behaviours create stronger teams
- And how habits—not knowledge—build great leaders
This is the new frontier of leadership development:
Micro-actions → Habit Formation → Culture Shift → Business Outcomes → Micro-actions
This virtuous cycle creates a positive self-image for the manager which makes micro-actions more likely.
Green Agrevolution Pvt. Ltd. (DeHaat) x Great Managers to Work With®
Celebrating DeHaat and its Managers, recognized as Great Managers to Work With®.
We are proud to recognize the incredible leadership and people management skills of the managers from DeHaat who have been featured on this year’s prestigious list.
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- Great Managers to Work With®,
- India’s Top 100 Great People Managers™, or
- India’s Top 50 CEOs, MDs, and Founders (2026)?
