My best manager did this

> My best manager let me really dig in and do my job without interference.

I also had a manager who was really hands off and just let me do my thing. He was my favorite at the time. However, years later, I had a manager who was much more actively engaged. We discussed a lot of problems and solutions on a weekly basis. In those conversations I would also get a very clear sense of the team's and company's priorities. He must have doubled my value as a developer; at least. That wasn't just good for the company, but also felt great.

So while micro-management is clearly bad, I now know that there is something better than a hands-off manager.

My best manager: I don't recall him ever telling me (or anyone) to do something. He would say something like "Can we add something like this?" Or "It would really helpful if it could do this." Instead of telling us what to do, he acted like a "target designator" so the engineers knew the target we were trying to hit. Once we knew what he wanted we would do our best to make it. The guy was also a talented hands-on engineer and fun to work with.

Common thread: does the manager prioritize himself or put the team ahead of his interests.