Leading from the middle

The Life of a Middle Manager

It’s 7:30 a.m. and Toni’s day was already in motion. She leads five managers, each running their own teams. Her boss just left a senior leadership meeting and wants her to “drive alignment” on a new initiative. The problem? No one has explained what that really means.

By noon, Toni’s in back-to-back one-on-ones, coaching one manager through a staffing issue while calming another frustrated by shifting priorities. At 3:00 p.m., she joins the leadership team call, where the conversation centers on vision and growth. She takes notes, already thinking about how to translate what was said into something her managers can actually execute.

By day’s end, she’s exhausted—not from lack of effort, but from living between competing expectations. Her team looks to her for answers. Her boss looks to her for results.

This is the reality for thousands of people in a manager of managers role who operate at the intersection between sitting on a leadership team of visionaries and leading a team charged with the execution of those visions. These leaders are the connective tissue of an organization, yet often the most under-supported and the most dispensable layer in an organization.

The Hidden Complexity of Manager of Managers Role

At first glance, this leadership level looks ideal, close enough to influence decisions, still close to the people doing the work. But in practice, it’s one of the toughest jobs in the organization.

Middle leaders in this position live in constant tension:

• Strategic vs. Tactical – Expected to think like an executive but act like an operator.
• Advocate vs. Enforcer – Charged with promoting leadership decisions they may not have helped shape.
• Coach vs. Evaluator – Developing other leaders while still judging their performance.
• Loyalty Up vs. Loyalty Down – Protecting senior trust while maintaining credibility with their teams.

It’s leadership under pressure, without full authority or insulation from the impact of change.

The Leadership Proving Ground

This “middle of the middle” is what I call the “leadership proving ground”, where strategy meets execution and friction meets fatigue. Here leaders must demonstrate their capability to lead. The threats here are subtle but serious:

1. Role Ambiguity – Expectations shift daily. Executives want alignment; teams want advocacy. Without clarity, leaders become reactive or inconsistent.
2. Accountability Without Authority – They’re held responsible for outcomes they can’t fully control.
3. Erosion of Trust – When top-level decisions contradict what’s been promised, middle leaders become the face of disappointment.
4. Identity Drift – Trying to fit in above while staying relatable below often dilutes authenticity.
5. Isolation – They’re too senior to vent downward, yet not senior enough to speak freely upward.

The Leader’s Mandate

Middle managers who manage other managers are not simply operational links; they are cultural ambassadors. Their tone, communication, and credibility determine whether an organization’s vision gains traction or falls flat.

To thrive in this space, they must master three leadership essentials:

1. Clarity of Purpose
   Know what success looks like at your level. You are the bridge between strategy and execution, make it simple, clear, and meaningful for your teams, which means senior leaders must provide all the details and not hold back key information.
2. Boundary Management
   Be wise about what you share and what you protect. Transparency builds trust, but discretion preserves credibility.
3. Coach the Coaches
   Your greatest value is not in solving problems, it’s in developing other leaders who can.

The Call to Senior Leaders

Executives must recognize that their middle leaders carry the culture. They interpret the strategic words, model the values, and make the strategy executable. Invest in them. Include them in shaping direction, not just executing it. When they are equipped and trusted, the entire organization moves with clarity and confidence.

The Leader’s Charge

If you’re leading from the middle, remember this: you are not stuck between two worlds, you are holding them together.

Your power is in your balance, your voice, and your integrity. Lead with clarity. Communicate with courage. Coach with empathy. Because leadership at this level isn’t about control, it’s about connection. And without middle managers, even the best strategy goes nowhere. Remember “Leadership in the middle is where strategy becomes reality.”

Click here to schedule a discussion about the health and impact of your middle managers. Let discuss how they impact your organizations strategy execution and cultural engagement.

About Dr. Ollie G. Barnes III
Dr. Ollie G. Barnes III is an organizational performance consultant, keynote speaker, and author of Diagnosing Toxic Leadership: Understanding the Connection Between Personality Disorders and Toxic Leader Behaviors. As the founder of Impact Performance Consultants, he brings over 25 years of experience helping organizations transform workplace culture, improve leadership effectiveness, and build psychologically safe environments. Learn more at ImpactPerformanceConsultants.com