On a blue pixelated gradient background, white trophy silhouettes flank the centered SAM logo at the top. Below that, bold white centered text reads “Manager of the Year,” and at the bottom small white letters spell out “Society for Advancement of Management Social Impact Awards.”

Many people are managers, but few truly meet the challenge with the necessary skills, determination, and drive to positively influence and motivate others to contribute meaningfully toward the efficient and effective accomplishment of established business goals. With the confidence to stand up for what is right, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen and adapt to meet the needs of their subordinates, being a manager is, at times, thankless.

This award acknowledges and honors the contributions of a manager who has excelled at supporting their employees and their organization’s goals while being an inspiration to their teams. Successful nominees are those who align their teams with their organization’s vision while creating individual leadership approaches that emphasize employee wellbeing while maximizing performance, growth, productivity, and profitability.

Nominees for this award must have a minimum of three years in a management role within an organization.

Open to individuals operating in the public, private or non-profit sectors, this Award will go to the outstanding individual who:

  • Has demonstrated a commitment to employee development both personal and professional,
  • Exemplifies leadership and management best practices,
  • Demonstrates examples of the managers operational innovations and applications for success,
  • Details their personal values and how they have integrated those into their management practices,
  • Shares how they navigate engagement with organizational, societal and global issues through their actions as a management professional.

Nomination Summary

In a summary of no more than 750 words, please identify the nominee and the market in which the business operates. Please include the venture’s key business achievements or success factors that are relevant to the industry or marketplace.

Nomination Details

In no more than 1500 words, please tell our awards committee why the nominee should be named the Manager of the Year. Nominations are primarily evaluated by the criteria listed below. In an effort to maximize the chances of a successful nomination, please make sure to tailor your response to connect to as many of the identified criteria as possible. Our committee understands that no two ventures are the same and a successful nomination will not necessarily contain all of the criteria identified.