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Leading from the Middle
Book

Leading from the Middle

A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization

Scott Mautz
Wiley, 2021
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The success of all organizations depends on middle managers. Scott Mautz explains that although most middle managers are overworked and undervalued, they remain essential to any organization’s well-being. Mautz discusses the skill sets and mind-sets middle managers need to succeed and – unlike most middle managers today – to be content at work.

Summary

Companies need middle managers, but most of them are deeply unhappy in their jobs.

The typical middle manager is like a small fish swimming in the middle of a fishbowl, all eyes on it every minute. It feels pressure – the unyielding weight of water – at all times and from all sides. It watches other fish zoom by, busy on their rounds, while it quietly attends to its own business. 

This is also, metaphorically, the life of a manager who leads “from the middle.” Such a manager must walk a fine line, performing as a boss and answering to a boss – meeting the expectations of those above and below. As if that weren’t enough, middle managers often must deal with impossible workloads, tight resources, stress and a lack of appreciation. 

Middle managers are the beating heart of most companies. Research indicates that they are responsible for 22.3% of their organization’s “variation in revenue,” three times more than employees in “innovation roles.” Companies that replace poor middle managers with high-quality middle managers experience a 12% increase in productivity.&#...

About the Author

Scott Mautz teaches at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for Executive Education.

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