Managers in the middle are a critical, but unreliable link between business strategy and strong results. They are the “working leaders,” the vital glue that holds the organization together and makes it hum. These managers are capable of driving change at the front line, where it counts. Senior leaders need to engage them and give them the accountability they need to excel. Middle managers are capable of doing more.

A manager in a professional services firm compressed a bureaucratic process by 16 months. He explained his approach this way:

“While it usually takes 18 months to get the necessary reviews and approvals on a large, highly visible project, I knew we had only 8 weeks. I persuaded my colleagues to re-set their priorities because the firm’s reputation was on the line. We met the new schedule and everyone owned the outcome. It was quite remarkable.” Continue reading…

There is a huge gap between talking about leadership in the abstract and putting the ideas into action. Leadership is a powerful idea – crucial to success, yet squishy. So how does a leader transform hope and new directions into tangible results?

David Gergen of Harvard describes comtemporary leadership this way: “Command and control leadership has given way to a new approach, [which is] often called the influence model. The essence of leading others is to develop empathy with them and to develop the social skills that will persuade them to work toward shared goals.”

Many authorities, like Gergen, focus heavily on leadership style. But perceptions of style are often superficial and short-lived:   Continue reading…