A Leadership Checklist for Managing People Well

An executive coach told the creator he was one of the best managers she had ever worked with. Google has an internal survey they give their managers to evaluate management quality, and he scored near the top. In this video, he shares the checklist he uses to manage people, covering the specific behaviors that keep his team performing, happy, and accountable.

What the Checklist Covers

The checklist is a structured set of actions for staying on top of the people you manage. It is not a philosophy document or a set of principles. It is a practical list of things to do on a regular basis to make sure your direct reports are:

1. Doing what they should be doing. Tracking deliverables, checking alignment with priorities, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks.
2. Happy and engaged. Having regular conversations about how people feel about their work, their growth, and their role.
3. Performing at the level they deserve. Holding people to a standard, but also making sure the environment supports them in reaching that standard.

Why Checklists Beat Intuition

Most managers rely on instinct to decide when to check in, when to course-correct, and when to have difficult conversations. The problem with instinct is that it is inconsistent. A checklist forces regularity. It turns management from a reactive activity into a proactive one.

The Google management survey referenced in the video is based on research into what makes managers effective. The behaviors it measures are concrete and observable, not abstract leadership qualities. A checklist that maps to those behaviors gives you a repeatable system rather than depending on natural talent or mood.

Key Takeaways

• Effective management is a set of repeatable actions, not an innate personality trait.
• A checklist forces you to stay consistent across check-ins, accountability, and employee satisfaction.
• Tracking three things for each person (task alignment, engagement, and performance) covers most of what good management requires.