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Develop the Leadership Skills of Your Middle Managers

Help managers successfully navigate the squeeze between hands-on management and leadership and put the organization’s strategy into action.

  • Middle managers are often squeezed between introductory management and senior leadership tasks, leading to poor team and organizational performance.
  • Despite their critical role, middle managers face significant challenges including power struggles, a desire to stick to the status quo, and stress, anxiety, and depression.

Executive Summary

Critical Insight

  • While the squeeze between traditional people management and senior-level leadership is one of the most notable challenges that middle managers face, effectively managing this squeeze is also the most important skill to master, as it will allow them to effectively put the organization’s strategy into action.

Impact & Result

  • An effective middle manager development program strengthens traditional management skills and starts to build senior leadership skills.
  • Middle management programs that focus on strengthening skills in talent management and people development and begin to zero in on skills in change management and strategic vision.

Research & Tools

1. Establish middle manager expectations in your organization

Determine manager expectations in your organization.

2. Assess the current state of your middle manager development initiatives

Assess the effectiveness of existing initiatives to identify gaps and establish goals and metrics for the manager development program.

3. Design your manager development program

Plan development program initiatives, create a manager learning path, and build content using McLean & Company’s Manager Training Decks.

4. Implement the program and measure success

Evaluate and finalize program roll-out method.

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