Learn to Lead from the Center

Learn to Lead from the Center

Not everyone can deal with so many—often inconsistent groups—but good middle managers ensure employees perform tasks, support senior management, all the while tackling their own list of duties.

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Leading from the center is complex. Middle managers are jugglers who tackle their own duties while making sure employees perform daily tasks well and senior management can focus on the bigger picture.

In fact, middle management has been described as being tougher than senior leadership roles because of the pressure to appease so many different groups of people.

But good middle managers can find great satisfaction in their jobs.

“The biggest thing is that you can’t do it all yourself,” said Jason Gallaugher, principal founder of Three North Consulting in Ottawa, Ontario, who has been sought out for his ideas on mastering middle management. “From a happiness standpoint, it’s all about balance and time and leverage. Burnout comes when responsibility and obligations are very high, but the level of control or time available is very low.”

Gallaugher and Casey Bernhard, mechanical discipline leader for LaBella Associates in Rochester, New York, share their tips for how best to handle the juggling act:

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