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Why Middle Management Needs Reinventing

Middle management has evolved from administrative oversight to a critical engine of organisational performance. As AI reshapes work, middle managers face rising pressure but also new opportunity. Reinvention requires systemic change – combining leadership capability, culture, structure, and ways of working – to unlock higher-value contribution and future-ready leadership.

This article was written by Claire Jones and published by United Minds.

The role of the middle manager has already evolved beyond recognition

Cast yourself back to the early 1990s. No internet, no email, no instant messaging or video calls. Communication was slow and structured which reflected the hierarchical, top-down nature of many organisations. The average middle manager acted as an administrative gatekeeper, controlling the bridge of communication and flow of information between executives, support functions and operational staff.

Technological advancement of the last 30 years has evolved the middle manager role beyond recognition. Now the middle layer takes on an increasingly strategic role in what have become much flatter organisational structures. Responsible for managing up, down and across. Middle managers are the driving force of business. They are the engine of performance and they have become responsible for everything from influencing and shaping the vision to communicating and executing the strategy.

It’s not surprising that as these roles have become less bureaucratic and administrative, ‘softer’ skills have become more important. We all know the best managers are the ones that can connect with you on a personal level and have the meaningful conversations that create a sense of belonging first and foremost, ignite commitment and drive performance. In other words – to be successful, middle managers must now develop their people skills in empathy, active listening, and influencing others.

But we’ve still not got it right. Middle managers cope with high stress and often little thanks.

We are not making the middle manager role easy though, when it’s never ‘enough’ and lacking in meaningful reward. Organisations are increasingly asking middle managers to do more with less as businesses continue to tighten belts and squeeze out efficiency. Middle manager workloads are high, expectations are higher, and both the external and internal operating contexts are often uncertain, changing and ambiguous. While we know that ‘ruthless prioritisation’ is the answer, it’s almost impossible to achieve. It’s no surprise that a global pandemic has forced many to re-consider their priorities, lifestyle and options, and that younger generations are shying away from progression into middle management in search of roles that offer less stress, more meaning.

The advancement of AI and agentic workforces could change everything. Again.

And what’s more we are facing into a very real and imminent scenario of being on the brink of another major shift in the way our workplaces operate. As AI capabilities continue to advance and business continues to de-layer organisational structures, middle managers may once again find themselves in a very different environment altogether. One where they are managing a broader, more cross-functional set of responsibilities, a mix of human and AI agentic teams, and perhaps in many cases even less resource.

Beyond the initial reaction of fear, this future holds an exciting opportunity for middle managers to make higher-value, more meaningful contributions to the business performance. But doing so relies on an enhanced set of capabilities over the ones needed today.

To succeed in the future middle managers will need different skills and capabilities.

If business wants the middle layer of their organisation to succeed, they must look to upskill and equip them in the essential skills of the future. This will become less about being the most applauded subject matter expert operating with the highest technical proficiency. Going forwards, leadership development must focus on a combination of:

the technological competence required to manage workloads in an AI world. This is about understanding AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity and having expert technical proficiency;
the emotional and people competence required to lead, connect and collaborate with other humans. This is about building individual, team and organisational resilience and adaptability to manage through changing environments. It’s about developing a growth mindset that celebrates learning, continuous improvement and the courage to overcome set backs. It’s about creating strong teams built on trust and under values-led leadership. It’s about driving ownership and accountability through organisations to make things happen.
the cognitive competence to think critically and creatively in the face of ongoing disruption. People will continue to play an essential role, always, and even in an AI-first world, the human ability to think critically, with curiosity and a growth mindset will continue to be the essential ingredient to continued success and innovation.

Read this article in full here: It’s time to reinvent middle management and strengthen leadership at the essential core