Everyone loves to talk about leadership, but people rarely venture into the weeds of management. It’s like leadership is the favorite, eldest child, and management is the forgotten middle kid. However, an organization will not make it very far without a good manager!

The word management goes way back to ancient Rome. They coined the term and first applied it to hand-training wild horses. The Romans understood that they could leverage the power of horses to do work more efficiently. For example, if the job called for moving a large number of materials, the manager could use horses to move larger loads faster. Or, if the job required someone to move from one place to another, the worker could move more quickly by utilizing horsepower. This meant that the person had to size up the job, select the right horse for the job, and train it to perform properly.

Over time, the word management evolved to describe using people, rather than horses, to get a job done. Oddly enough, you can improve as a manager by mirroring the same practices that the horse managers of old did—know how to step back and evaluate needs, put systems in place to meet those needs, and pick and train the right people to work within those systems.

A lot of times, entrepreneurs will have to juggle the roles of leader and manager when they’re getting started. This is normal, but when you’ve grown enough to where delegation is possible, it should be done. Here are seven indicators that you’re a good manager (or, that you have a good one on your team!)

[Related: 3 Steps to Developing Business Systems]

1.You Don’t Try to Do it All Yourself

We all have different gifts and talents for a reason. A diverse organization is a growing and healthy organization. Not only that, but doing everything yourself is a recipe for burnout. You won’t have space to actually capitalize on what it is you do best. Good managers know how to implement a vision through delegation. Then, they are free to create more systems that enrich the organization.

2.You Know How to Size Up a Job

A good manager thinks through every step of the task they desire to achieve. They define clear objectives, make plans, and write everything down. They then study the objectives and plans. Good managers know exactly what they want to do, and they have an idea of how they will do it and what they will need to implement their goals.

3.You Provide Direction in Writing

If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t count. People need a reference they can consistently return to. It helps for accountability as well. Putting directions in writing enables those who read it to run with an idea. In the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, the Lord instructed the prophet to, “Write the vision and make it plain.” Most people think that direction is the same as vision. However, we need to make it plain. Real direction comes with clear expectations, processes, and systems that are put in writing.

4.You Select the Right People

People make or break an organization, and a good manager knows that. One reason so many people have difficulty managing is that they have the wrong people assisting them. You may not be able to directly select the assistance you need, but you can at least insist that they be selected on the basis of qualifications that you help establish.

5.You Have a Communication Schedule

Good managers keep tabs on everything that’s going on in their organization. They have established a core dialogue schedule that sets a regular pace of when their team reports back to them. This could look like a weekly or monthly meeting to go over key performance indicators and goals.

6.You Know the Value of Training

A good manager knows that training is absolutely critical. Unless people are trained for the job requirements and procedures, they will not work efficiently—no matter how capable they may be. It is up to management to unleash their employees’ potential through proper training.

7.You Use People Wisely

A good manager takes the time to get to know their employees. They know their strengths, weaknesses, and capacities. It is important to execute a balance of neither overworking nor under-employing your team. Use their talents and abilities wisely. To do this, you need to plan, communicate, and consult with them on work expectations—both their expectations and yours.

Effective leadership and management boost an organization’s morale and harmony. If content about leadership and management interests you, I recommend checking out my 3-part series about the Leader Manager on the WealthBuilders Podcast. You can access it here, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts!