manager It makes sense that a manager is someone who manages, or takes charge of something. A baseball team manager is in charge of running the team, while a business manager oversees finances, scheduling, and the everyday operation of the business. The probable origin of the word manager comes from the Latin manus, meaning hand.. A good manager provides the necessary hand, guiding others. The Italian maneggiare means to control, and was especially used with reference to training horses, a job for which certain managers you've worked for might be better suited.