Episode #296 // "Middle management is the engine room of performance. This is where you are closest to the work, and you can make some real inroads into performance improvement."

I produced a podcast episode over 4 years ago, titled “The Curse of the Middle Manager”. So, when I recently came across an HBR article that signaled a resurgence in middle management roles, I figured it was time to take another look!

In many businesses, the role of the middle manager is by far the toughest. If you’re in that position now, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

You’re effectively the meat in the sandwich — the punching bag for both your team (who often don’t want to change the way they do things), and the senior leaders above you (who sometimes just want you to do as you’re told, without discussion).

Middle managers are often the most unloved (and unrewarded) people in an organization. But here’s the essential lens you need to look through: middle management is the petri dish in which senior leaders are identified, developed, and hatched.

I’m dedicating today’s episode to the middle manager, so that you can not just learn how to survive the cauldron, but to grow, thrive, and move onto bigger and better things!

No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast:

Ep.74: The Curse of the Middle Manager

Ep.267: Management vs Leadership

Ep.53: Don’t Overdo Collaboration

HBR Working Knowledge article:

The Middle Manager of the Future: More Coaching, Less Commanding

Clay Christensen books:

The Innovator’s Dilemma

The Innovator’s Solution

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Moment #66 // Leaders who have been passed over for promotion are often told, “You need to be more strategic”... whatever that means!

There could be a number of possible explanations for this… but you can’t always rely on your boss to explain exactly what she means!

In this Moment, I give you a few suggestions for how you might be able to interpret this feedback, and use it to work on the things that will better prepare you for the next level.

You can take a deeper dive into these insights by listening to Ep.134: Being More Strategic.

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FREE QUIZ: I’ve developed a 3-question quiz that’ll give you a free personalized podcast playlist tailored to where you are right now in your leadership career!

Click here to take the 30-second quiz now to get your on-the-go playlist

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You can connect with me at:

Website: https://www.yourceomentor.com

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YourCEOMentor

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Our mission here at Your CEO Mentor is to improve the quality of leaders, globally.

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Episode #295 // “We make mistakes, at each new level that we move to – it's an essential part of our growth and development. But the higher up you go, the bigger the impact that those mistakes have.”

One of my recent social media posts went viral (this one - 2.7mill views as of writing this), as I outlined the three biggest mistakes I made when I was finding my feet in my first few senior leadership roles.

The good news is that, once I was aware of them, I was able to put some strategies in place to fill the holes. This had the surprising outcome of turning some of my biggest mistakes into genuine strengths.

They became part of the rock solid foundations of my leadership repertoire and, for at least one of these weaknesses, it became an unqualified strength, which gave me a competitive edge over my peers.

In this episode, I take a closer look at the three biggest mistakes I was still making when I stepped into senior leadership roles, and how I managed to turn these around.

I’d love you to be able to do the same, without having to get quite as many scars as I did!

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FREE QUIZ: I’ve developed a 3-question quiz that’ll give you a free personalized podcast playlist tailored to where you are right now in your leadership career!

Click here to take the 30-second quiz now to get your on-the-go playlist

————————

You can connect with me at:

Website: https://www.yourceomentor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourceomentor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourceomentor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-moore-075b001/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YourCEOMentor

————————

Our mission here at Your CEO Mentor is to improve the quality of leaders, globally.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.