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The article points out that good managers don't make decisions based on politics. What I have seen is not only do bad managers make decisions based on politics

The article points out that good managers don't make decisions based on politics. What I have seen is not only do bad managers make decisions based on politics but also ego. I have seen ego destroy startups and big companies alike. Many tech companies interview managers purely from a tech perspective and do not effectively drill down into the management side. A good interviewer can get a sense for someone's ego vs. assertiveness pretty easily, but so many interviewers are looking at experience and skillset over character, personality and style. Experience and skill set are important but the other aspects are often overlooked. As an example, a hands-on development manager needs to not only be screened for the development chops but also if they are mature enough to handle the decisions that need to be made in that management role.

jtbigwoo 13y ago
To add to your point, it's also important to match the manager's character and personality to the role. I have a friend who's a great manager for entry-level folks because he can rally everyone around his vision and he has enough domain knowledge to help with a huge number of tasks when the team doesn't know much. However, as soon as his employees get a few years of experience and want independence, they tend to get frustrated and leave. He's really successful in his situation, but he's not the one you'd have leading a high-performance team of experts.
- runawaybottle 13y ago
  Interesting that you bring that up, because I'm currently suffering from that exact situation (working under such a manager).