The Connector Manager
The Connector Manager by Jaime Roca and Sari Wilde is a well‑known management book based on Gartner’s large-scale research into what makes managers truly effective.
What the book is about
Section titled “What the book is about”- Four manager types — Teacher, Cheerleader, Always‑on, and Connector.
- Why Always‑on managers underperform — constant feedback actually harms growth.
- Why Connector Managers excel — they diagnose needs and link employees to targeted expertise.
- Case studies from IBM, Accenture, eBay, and others.
- Practical behaviors to adopt if you want to become a Connector Manager.
Core takeaway
Section titled “Core takeaway”The core idea: among four manager types identified in a global study of 9,000+ employees and managers, the Connector Manager consistently drives the highest employee performance. This type doesn’t try to coach everything themselves; instead, they connect employees to the right experts, opportunities, and resources across the organization.
Why it matters
Section titled “Why it matters”The book challenges traditional coaching-heavy management styles and argues that smart, targeted connections outperform constant hands-on coaching.