--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My definition of a great manager is…" description: "\"“My definition of a great manager is someone with whom you can make a connection no matter where you sit in the organization chart.”\" — Michael Lopp" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg" --- # My definition of a great manager is someone with whom you… ![“My definition of a great manager is someone with whom you can make a connection no matter where you sit in the organization chart.” quote by Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg) > ““My definition of a great manager is someone with whom you can make a connection no matter where you sit in the organization chart.”” [Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A great manager builds genuine connections across all levels, regardless of hierarchy. **In simple terms:** Connect across hierarchy. Key Takeaway Cultivate relationships at every level. Themes leadership communication inclusion Mood inspirational practical Type leadership management When to use this quote - team meetings - cross‑functional projects - remote work Key Concepts organizational dynamics empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you bridge gaps in your organization? - What barriers exist to authentic connection? A Different Perspective Power distances can hinder openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Connection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connection/) [Definition Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-great-731867/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great Manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-manager/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manager/) [Manager Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manager-make-316033/) ## Related quotes > [I only worked with Rafa Benitez for a short time, but he's a great manager, and he showed it from the first moment he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/i-only-worked-with-rafa-benitez-for-a-short-time-but-he-s-a-great/) [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/) > [If you are a great manager you have to have a great personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkay-gundogan/if-you-are-a-great-manager-you-have-to-have-a-great-personality/) [Ilkay Gundogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkay-gundogan/) > [I had a great manager in Jose Mourinho, who really helped me. He was always there when I needed him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mesut-ozil/i-had-a-great-manager-in-jose-mourinho-who-really-helped-me-he-was/) [Mesut Ozil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mesut-ozil/) > [I was once asked what it takes to be a great manager...my response? Great players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-stengel/i-was-once-asked-what-it-takes-to-be-a-great-manager-my-response/) [Casey Stengel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-stengel/) > [He's arrogant, he's vein, he's concieted...What can I say, I think I'm a great manager.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-s-arrogant-he-s-vein-he-s-concieted-what-can-i-say-i-think-i-m-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you have a great manager, you want to pay him very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/if-you-have-a-great-manager-you-want-to-pay-him-very-well/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Pochettino's a great manager, and he puts a lot of trust in young English players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dele-alli/pochettino-s-a-great-manager-and-he-puts-a-lot-of-trust-in-young/) [Dele Alli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dele-alli/) > [Neil Lennon was a great manager; he really got your team in the mood and wanting to play for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teemu-pukki/neil-lennon-was-a-great-manager-he-really-got-your-team-in-the-mood/) [Teemu Pukki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teemu-pukki/) > [“I’m still cringing. 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Brag about their accomplishments in front of others: For years, I have shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/to-polish-the-gold-help-others-shine-brag-about-their-accomplishments/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [When I was with the Giants, I played for Dusty Baker, and I love Dusty to death. I think he's a great manager and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-martinez/when-i-was-with-the-giants-i-played-for-dusty-baker-and-i-love-dusty/) [Dave Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-martinez/) ## More by Michael Lopp > [“growing rapidly teaches you one thing well: how communication continually finds new and interesting ways to break down. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/growing-rapidly-teaches-you-one-thing-well-how-communication/) [Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) > [“I’m still cringing. Someone is already yelling at me, “Managers owning features?!?!” (And I agree.) You are still a manager, so make it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/i-m-still-cringing-someone-is-already-yelling-at-me-managers-owning/) [Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) > [“Every time you say blah blah blah, a creative writing teacher dies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/every-time-you-say-blah-blah-blah-a-creative-writing-teacher-dies/) [Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) > [“What’s important is, who needs to move where? Does the incrementalist need to move closer to the completionist’s view or vice versa? In either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/what-s-important-is-who-needs-to-move-where-does-the-incrementalist/) [Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) > [“The moment I walk into a bookstore, I remember what I love about them. They are an oasis of intellectual calm. 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Meeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/meeting-bail-tip-1-identify-the-type-of-meeting-meeting-bail-tip-2/) [Michael Lopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) [Explore all 10 Michael Lopp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/) ## More Connection quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [I believe that we have a huge problem with the water in America. 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Our communities were built on coming together in physical locations once a week or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/religion-is-no-longer-a-connection-point-for-most-people-our/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [“A man becomes creative, whether he is an artist or a scientist, when he finds a new unity in the variety of nature. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/a-man-becomes-creative-whether-he-is-an-artist-or-a-scientist-when-he/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [“If you cannot wait for time to unearth roots, you must dig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelou-keramati/if-you-cannot-wait-for-time-to-unearth-roots-you-must-dig/) [Nelou Keramati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelou-keramati/) > [“As a species, we are hardwired for connection. We are our best selves when we are sharing and communicating with others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-henry/as-a-species-we-are-hardwired-for-connection-we-are-our-best-selves/) [Tyler Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-henry/) > [“If you feel you don’t know the right people, turn to the next person you see on the street and introduce yourself—that connection could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-davis-jr/if-you-feel-you-don-t-know-the-right-people-turn-to-the-next-person/) [Raoul Davis Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-davis-jr/) > [I'm uninterested in superheroes. I am only interested in real stories, real people, real connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-m-uninterested-in-superheroes-i-am-only-interested-in-real-stories/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [There's a spectrum of those moments of connection and the moments we fail to connect, going from super-large successes to failures. Success would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-bender/there-s-a-spectrum-of-those-moments-of-connection-and-the-moments-we/) [Aimee Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-bender/) > [I think my work comes out of both an intense desire for connection and what it means to feel isolated. There's always going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-my-work-comes-out-of-both-an-intense-desire-for-connection/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I always have this sense of food as triangular, in that one point is nourishment, one point is connection, and one point is pleasure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crescent-dragonwagon/i-always-have-this-sense-of-food-as-triangular-in-that-one-point-is/) [Crescent Dragonwagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crescent-dragonwagon/) > [I don't mind writing so I didn't find that difficult, it's just a question of finding the time to do it. I kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cronenberg/i-don-t-mind-writing-so-i-didn-t-find-that-difficult-it-s-just-a/) [David Cronenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cronenberg/) [Browse all 1,649 Connection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My definition of a great manager is someone with whom you can make a connection no matter where you sit in the organization chart.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Lopp" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-someone-with-whom-you-can-make-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Connection" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-someone-with-whom-you-can-make-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/michael-lopp-41420_connection_my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-some_3152612.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My definition of a great manager is someone with whom you can make a connection no matter where you sit in…” — Michael Lopp", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Lopp", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lopp/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My definition of a great manager...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-someone-with-whom-you-can-make-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lopp/my-definition-of-a-great-manager-is-someone-with-whom-you-can-make-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```