Let’s set aside the boring debate about managers vs. leaders for a moment and take a look at daily life for most managers in organizations.
The reality is that middle managers provide real leadership all the time.
Although some middle managers think their job is to manage people, in my post 15 Things Leaders Can Manage (and One They Can’t),  I explained how it’s not possible to manage people. We can manage processes and projects. And if we do it well, people will manage themselves.
But there is more to leadership than managing projects and coaching your team to deliver on their objectives.
Leadership involves making sure projects and objectives make sense, that they support where the company is going, and that they are aligned with objectives of other work groups.
Leadership requires reaching across reporting lines and having conversations about the bigger picture, what makes sense, and what might be needed to ensure success for the enterprise, not just the project.
Leadership requires broad thinking and considering interconnections. It requires a focus on the forest as well as the trees.
Middle managers are perfectly capable of doing all this, and in fact many do!
What about your boss?
You might say that’s all well and good when your boss supports you. But what if your boss is not a good leader? What if you have done your best to establish good communications with your boss, and it just doesn’t work?
Chances are you will come up against this at some point in your career. Most of us have.
This is the point where many managers give up, deciding they can’t provide leadership if their boss doesn’t.
Granted, it’s frustrating and it’s hard to be a good manager when your boss isn’t. But it’s not impossible.
Circle your wagons. Focus on building a strong team. Buffer your team as much as you can from assaults from on high. It might mean taking the heat for your team at times so they are not distracted and can focus on their work.
But when you focus your energies on what you can accomplish within your own circle of influence, you don’t need to wait to provide leadership.
Pushing too much outside your own sphere of influence can be risky business in some company cultures. So be smart. You need to understand the culture, work within your circle of influence, and yet don’t let your team become isolated. Focus your energies within your sphere of influence but keep your awareness expanded.
9 Ways Middle Managers Provide Leadership
Providing leadership as a middle manager requires an expanded understanding of your role and a willingness to take the risk to think and act more broadly.
1. Don’t be simply a mouthpiece for pushing the company agenda. If you agree with the agenda, share your views on what is important. If you hear challenging views, make sure you really understand them before trying to convince others they’re wrong.
2. Support your direct reports so they can accomplish their work. Do the management stuff well.
3. Have discussions with your direct reports about the bigger picture and how their work fits. Get their input on what is needed for improvement or change. Be willing to change your views if they make sense. Be willing to implement changes that are within your realm of authority, and be willing to go to bat for your team when necessary.
4. Ask questions that provoke big picture thinking like, “How will that help us get where we want to go?” and “If we decide to do this, what are the things we need to consider and take into account?”
5. Understand your direct reports’ career goals and provide opportunity for them to develop their skills and competencies.
6. Help your team become a high performance team by shifting the focus and flow of energy on your team.
7. Build relationships with your peers and people in other departments. Understand their perspective.
8. Be willing to let go of control. The best way to ensure success is to allow other to help shape the direction and plans. Remind people of where you’re going and ask big picture questions to provoke their thinking, but attempting to control everything is a waste of your energy and demoralizing to your team.
9. Perhaps the most powerful way you provide leadership is by developing leadership capability in others. You don’t need to have all the answers. Look for opportunities to support other’s leadership efforts. And as your team develops into a high performance team, you will need to step out of their way so they can fly.
Photo credit: Bigstock/pritsadee How Middle Managers Provide Leadership
Another home run, Jesse. I especially like #9. I am reminded of the John Quincy Adam’s quote: If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
One of my favorite quotes. Although if JQA were around today, I would suggest to him to add the word “support.” I believe leadership is not just about inspiration but also action. Thank you for your kind words.
I love #8. I have had so many micro-managing bosses. I’m sure I have, at times, also been one myself. But when you let go of the reigns a little, it can be surprising to see just how much others bring to the table when they know their contributions will be welcomed.
Couldn’t agree more! “it can be surprising to see just how much others bring to the table when they know their contributions will be welcomed.” Thanks for adding to the conversation, Deborah.
Very good advice – and not just for middle managers. Every CEO also realizes that he/she is still in the middle. Funding sources, customers, competitors often feel like “bosses” and your advice on how to deal with your team/organization is right on.
Indeed! With the mindset that leaders at the top are in control and leaders in the middle are only responsible for implementation, no wonder so many organizations are sluggish and disengaged.
One of my previous managers reported to someone who was not a very good leader. And as you suggest in your post – he buffered his team. The end result for him was two-fold. First, his team truly fired on all cylinders, creating a department that was admired by many throughout the organization. Secondly, he created a legacy in the industry which continues on to this day, even though he has since moved on from the previous company. Not certain whatever happened to his manager – never heard much about him afterwards.
A wonderful example that illustrates what it looks like to lead from the middle. Thanks so much for sharing, Bill!
A couple of things jump out at me from this exceptional post: you referenced “making sense” 3 times, and clearly, that is of utmost importance to those we lead. It’s like making sure the “WHY” is satisfied. Second thing: “risky business” as it relates to culture, a concept I have been obsessed about for a few months. One of the things we can do is assess the risks to the organization that our particular culture inherently presents, and then go about building an intentional culture (attribution: S. Chris Edmonds). For example, if the fire department ignores or denigrates the value of a diverse workforce, sooner or later the issue will come up in a court of law, and the organization is likely to lose the lawsuit. In addition, the risk is high that community trust will be seriously eroded. I think all 9 really help leaders choose a culture that minimizes risk and builds trust. Can you tell I’m obsessed?
I hadn’t noticed I used making sense 3 times. But not surprised because I do believe it is so important – meaning, understanding, and trusting your judgment. Risk is part of good judgment – being aware of the culture you are operating within, identifying the risks, and minimize it when possible. Great example for how this applies to a fire department. I agree that when all managers are providing leadership, you will have a powerful culture. One more thought on risk – providing real leadership is always risky because leadership is about going somewhere new. Thank you for deepening this conversation, Dave.
Great piece Jesse. I know that any list has to leave a few things out so I’ll add one I think falls under #2 support direct reports. One essential way managers need to do that is to engage in the political process of the organization. Many people have an aversion to organizational politics. I like to define politics as the dialogues and discussions by which decisions are mad about how the systems resources are used. To support direct reports the manager needs to engage to get folks what they need. People are counting on the manager as their representative, not unlike local, state or national politics.
I was hoping that others would add to the list or elaborate on it. Thanks for adding your insights, Stewart!
Great post, Jesse.You had me from #1. Don’t just be a mouthpiece. That’s not leadership, and not authentic.
Some managers think it means they’re being good corporate citizens. But as you point out, it’s not perceived as authentic and erodes team trust. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights, Skip!