Some of the following is "team lead" stuff, but sometimes the manager and team lead are one, so... * If they listen. A manager that listens to your concerns, a

Some of the following is "team lead" stuff, but sometimes the manager and team lead are one, so... * If they listen. A manager that listens to your concerns, and actively works to help resolve them. * If they give you agency. You should have the power to do your job and make decisions. * If they help you grow. We all need help, and managers should identify when you need help, and work with you to help you improve. * If they facilitate teamwork. Managers should be able to diffuse friction in a team, lead by example, and help promote more efficient work. A team can often self-organize, but a manager should know when to step in and provide direction when needed. * Keeping an eye on the bigger picture. It's easy for team members to sometimes be lost in minutiae, and a manager should be able to redirect efforts toward making progress sooner. * If they keep a cool head under pressure, don't bad-mouth others, don't intimidate or harass, and generally behave in a professional manner. (I don't know why I have to state this, but sometimes it's lacking) * Helps run interference, mostly for inter-team or managerial issues. Employees should want to defer to their manager to help resolve conflicts. If instead people don't want to involve their manager, something is very wrong.