What makes a good manager?

There are different styles of management, whichever you use depends on the situation. I'd say generally you need to be firm but fair. Being bossy and aggressive in your leadership only alienates your workforce (in some rare situations that is a valid style of leadership). I think the best style is to be balanced, be paternalistic to the workforce (like a father figure), you reward good work and behaviour and punish misbehaviour and bad work. You tend to guide and advise your workers aswell as giving them direct instructions, its a balance between hands on management and hands off management. In companies that are doing badly though you NEED to be hands on, be tough and be the disciplinarian. Companies that are doing very well can be managed by balanced or hands off approaches.

If your group of workers includes the bosses friends/family you need to get those guys on side, don't single them out it will totally utterly backfire in your face (unless they are serious problems, and in that case you need a word with the main boss).

Everybody prefers a manager who is a cool guy, gets along with you all has a laugh, but still does HIS job and does the manager bits.

The BIGGEST MISTAKE is to wade in all guns blazing laying down the law (unless you have been told to do so, probally if the business is doing badly,)

And finally the biggest mistake is to think being a manager gives you the right to do less work, and just tell others to do everything. You are a manager because you do MORE work, and harder work than the others. Not the other way round. Abusing your power will alienate your workers.

In my past jobs my biggest pet hate were lazy managers who thought they could do no, or little work and just hand out orders left right and center. i have never seen a supervisor/manager who works in that way succeed in their job.