Every developer is different and the most effective management is rooted in what they need, not what you needed when you were in their position. In my case, as

Every developer is different and the most effective management is rooted in what they need, not what you needed when you were in their position. In my case, as a developer, I was independently very responsible and communicative. I didn't need much attention to do my job well and could sometimes grow prickly under too much oversight. As long as my managers could answer (/dispatch) my questions and explain what they needed, things would just get done and risks/issues would be reported. When I began managing projects, I learned that some developers would totally flounder if I managed them the way I had needed to be managed. Some needed me to anticipate their needs more pro-actively, some needed me to prompt them to report their concerns or to ask questions, some needed regular reporting or frequent deadlines just to stay on track, some needed very detailed guidance to feel confident about what they were doing, etc. There wasn't anything worse about the work they'd do when well managed, but their needs were different. Despite what some books and pundits might suggest, developer/project management is not a one-size-fits-all thing.