They absorb the pressures of constant change while striving to maintain stability and high performance, often without due recognition Middle managers, often seen as linchpins for strategy execution, are expected to align frontline teams with organisational priorities and keep them motivated. However, many feel over-promoted, underprepared, and out of sync with the rapid changes in strategy, people, and problem-solving demands.

Studies show that middle managers are among the most stressed and overworked in the post-Covid landscape. To top it all off, they’re expected to keep the troops motivated, informed, and aligned to continue executing for high performance. If your middle management feels like a weak link, consider these questions: How did we get here? Who should have prepared middle managers for their new set of expectations? Who should coach them now to help them win? If we’re hiring middle managers externally, have we failed to hire for the skills we need most?

Top leadership must take responsibility when middle management struggles to meet expectations. Leadership and management aren’t just about achieving goals; they’re also about managing the energy of others, ensuring clarity in roles, and fostering alignment with organisational objectives.

Evolving Role: Middle managers are no longer just intermediaries between leadership and employees. They serve as strategic translators, bridging long-term plans with daily execution. Their responsibilities include aligning next-level talent with organisational strategy, fostering collaboration, and promoting accountability, problem-solving, and customer orientation—all while ensuring psychological safety, empowerment, and employee contribution.

Middle managers are pivotal in driving agility, engagement, and problem-solving in fast-paced environments. They are uniquely positioned to adapt organisational vision into actionable goals amidst constant change.

• Coaching: To unlock the potential of middle management, intentional coaching is essential. Leaders must equip middle managers with tools to navigate their dual responsibilities: meeting leadership expectations and empowering frontline teams. When middle managers receive consistent coaching and positive role modelling, they can, in turn, become powerful mentors for their teams. This creates a virtuous cycle of growth, ambition, and transformation, strengthening the entire organisation.
• High Performance: Middle managers can shape high-performance cultures by fostering smart execution and encouraging teams to “fail fast, learn fast.” Their role as connectors—between strategy and execution, leadership and teams, and multigenerational employees—is crucial for talent retention. Aligning work with employees’ interests enhances engagement and loyalty.
• Path Forward: Organisations must recognise middle management as the tipping point group for cultural transformation. When empowered with coaching and leadership support, middle managers can drive alignment, transparency, and cohesion across teams. For leadership, adopting a “Leader as Coach” approach strengthens middle management and helps them retain frontline talent. With this investment, middle managers can transition from bottlenecks to catalysts of agility, engagement, and high performance.

Organisations can unlock their full potential and thrive in a rapidly evolving business environment by reimagining and reinvesting in the middle management role.