There is no substitute for effective communication. If you don't know how life is for your employees, you can't know how they're doing. And if employees feel like you're not in tune with their needs, they'll soon come to distrust and even resent you. This can be the kiss of death for a manager; you don't want to look around one day only to find that all the members of your team have quit. You must roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, metaphorically speaking, to stay connected to the daily grind.

While it sounds rough, this job is not as thankless as you might think. In fact, the rewards are pretty impressive. For starters, your employees will respect you. They'll work more efficiently and effectively, not just because they know you're watching but also because they want to earn your respect. While they might never name their firstborn after you, they will go the extra mile for you because they know you'll do the same for them. When your employees do well, you do well. And when they look good, you look good. It doesn't get any better than that.