Why Middle Management is the Hardest Job | Simon Sinek

Summary

The transcript highlights the challenges faced by middle managers, who often lack proper leadership training and are caught between strategic and tactical responsibilities. It emphasizes the importance of training for effective leadership and communication, and suggests being the leader one wishes to have as a solution when senior management prioritizes earnings over people. The narrative illustrates how good leadership can transform a team and attract others within an organization.

Takeaways

• 😕 Middle management is often overlooked and lacks proper training in leadership skills, which is crucial for their role.
• 🎓 Junior employees receive training for their job roles, but as they get promoted to middle management, they face a gap in leadership training.
• 🔄 Middle managers are caught between being strategic and tactical, needing to translate between senior management and frontline staff.
• 💡 The disconnect between visionary leadership and frontline experiences often occurs at the middle management level, causing issues.
• 🛠 There is a need for robust leadership training for middle managers to fill the knowledge and skill gaps in areas like communication and feedback.
• 🚫 The absence of training can lead to the promotion of managers who may not have the necessary leadership qualities.
• 📚 Self-taught middle managers who seek out knowledge and mentorship can still struggle if senior management prioritizes quarterly earnings over people.
• 🤔 Middle managers are encouraged to be the leader they wish they had, focusing on the well-being of their team despite upper management's focus on profits.
• 💼 Quitting is presented as an option for middle managers who face a lack of support from senior management, but it's not the first recommendation.
• 💎 The script highlights a case study where a focus on leadership development in a group of 150 people led to improved performance and became a sought-after workplace within a larger company.
• 📈 The success of the leadership initiative in the case study led to increased interest from other employees, demonstrating the positive impact of good leadership.

Q & A

Why is middle management considered the hardest job in an organization?

Middle management is considered the hardest job because they are responsible for translating strategic goals from senior management to the tactical actions of junior staff, often without proper training in leadership skills.

What is the primary issue with the training provided for middle managers?

The primary issue is the lack of training in leadership skills. Middle managers are often promoted based on their technical abilities without being taught how to lead, communicate effectively, or give and receive feedback.

What is the role of middle management in an organization's hierarchy?

Middle management serves as a bridge between senior management's strategic vision and the day-to-day operations performed by junior staff, ensuring that the company's goals are effectively implemented.

Why do some middle managers struggle to align with senior management's focus on quarterly earnings?

Some middle managers may feel that senior management's focus on short-term earnings overlooks the importance of long-term growth, employee well-being, and ethical leadership, leading to a disconnect between the company's values and its actual practices.

What is the impact of poor leadership in middle management on the rest of the organization?

Poor leadership in middle management can lead to miscommunication, low morale, and a lack of direction among junior staff, ultimately affecting the organization's performance and culture.

What advice is given to middle managers who feel unsupported by senior management?

The advice given is to be the leader they wish they had, focusing on leading by example and caring for their team, even if senior management prioritizes financial results over people.

What is the importance of self-taught leadership for middle managers?

Self-taught leadership is important as it allows middle managers to develop the necessary skills to lead effectively, despite the lack of formal training, by reading books, attending conferences, watching TED Talks, and seeking mentorship.

What is the potential consequence of not providing proper leadership training to middle managers?

The potential consequence is the creation of managers rather than leaders, who may be unable to inspire and motivate their teams, leading to decreased productivity and a negative work environment.

How can middle managers create a positive impact despite the challenges they face?

Middle managers can create a positive impact by focusing on their immediate team, providing support, clear communication, and a positive example of leadership, which can lead to improved team performance and morale.

What unexpected outcome occurred when a group of middle managers was provided with leadership training?

An unexpected outcome was that other employees from the larger organization began seeking opportunities to join the group, as word spread about the positive leadership and work environment within that specific team.

What is the significance of the 'be the leader you wish you had' approach?

This approach is significant because it encourages middle managers to take control of their leadership style and create a positive influence within their sphere of influence, regardless of the broader organizational culture or senior management's priorities.

Outlines

00:00

😖 The Challenges of Middle Management

The script discusses the difficulties faced by middle managers, who often lack proper training for their leadership roles. They are expected to be both strategic and tactical, translating the vision of senior management to the frontline workers. However, the disconnect between leadership levels can lead to communication breakdowns and dissatisfaction among employees. The speaker emphasizes the importance of training for middle managers, who are often promoted without being taught essential leadership skills such as communication, confrontation, and feedback. The lack of leadership training results in managers rather than leaders, which can hinder an organization's effectiveness.

Keywords

💡Middle Management

Middle management refers to the intermediate level of management in an organization, situated between senior executives and front-line supervisors or workers. In the video's context, it is described as the hardest job due to the dual responsibility of being strategic and tactical, without proper training. The speaker illustrates this by saying that middle managers are expected to translate and bridge the gap between top-level strategy and front-line operations, which often leads to things 'breaking in the middle'.

💡Promotion

Promotion in the script signifies the advancement of an individual's career within an organization, typically from a junior position to a managerial role. The video emphasizes the lack of training that accompanies such promotions, especially when it comes to leadership skills. An example from the script is the statement, 'if you're really good at it you eventually get promoted to a position where you're now responsible for the people who do the job you used to do but the problem is they don't give us any training how to do that.'

💡Leadership Training

Leadership training is the process of equipping individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to lead effectively. The video script highlights a significant gap in leadership training for middle managers, who are often expected to lead without formal instruction in areas such as communication, confrontation, and feedback. The lack of robust leadership training is identified as a problem because it results in managers rather than leaders.

💡Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking involves the ability to see the big picture and make decisions that align with long-term goals. The script discusses the challenge middle managers face in balancing strategic thinking with the need to be tactically focused on day-to-day operations. The speaker mentions that middle managers 'have to be strategic but not majority strategic,' indicating the complex nature of their role.

💡Tactical Execution

Tactical execution refers to the implementation of specific actions or plans to achieve immediate or short-term goals. The video script contrasts this with strategic thinking, noting that middle managers must also be adept at tactical execution. The speaker states, 'they have to be tactical but they're not majority tactical,' emphasizing the dual demands on middle managers.

💡Communication Skills

Communication skills are essential for conveying information effectively and understanding others. In the video, the lack of training in communication skills for middle managers is highlighted as a significant issue. The speaker points out that no one is teaching middle managers these skills, which are crucial for their role in bridging the gap between senior management and front-line workers.

💡Effective Confrontation

Effective confrontation is the ability to address conflicts or issues directly and constructively. The video script identifies this as a skill that middle managers are not taught, which is problematic given their role in managing teams and resolving issues. The speaker questions why organizations promote individuals to leadership positions without providing them with the necessary skills to confront challenges effectively.

💡Feedback

Feedback is the process of providing information to others about their performance or behavior. The script discusses the importance of feedback in leadership and the lack of training middle managers receive in how to give and receive it. The speaker argues that feedback is a critical leadership tool that is often overlooked in the promotion process.

💡Self-Taught Leaders

Self-taught leaders are individuals who have acquired leadership skills through personal initiative rather than formal training. The video script acknowledges the efforts of some middle managers who educate themselves on leadership through books, conferences, and mentors. However, it also points out the frustration these self-taught leaders face when senior management prioritizes quarterly earnings over people.

💡Quarterly Earnings

Quarterly earnings refer to the financial performance of a company over a three-month period, often used as a measure of success. The script criticizes senior management's focus on quarterly earnings to the detriment of leadership development and employee well-being. The speaker suggests that this short-term focus can lead to a lack of support for middle managers who are trying to do the right thing.

💡Leadership Vacuum

A leadership vacuum occurs when there is an absence of effective leadership within an organization. The video script uses this term to describe situations where middle managers are promoted without proper training, resulting in a gap in leadership capabilities. The speaker argues that this vacuum needs to be filled with robust leadership training to prevent issues from arising.

Highlights

Middle management is often the most challenging due to the lack of training in leadership skills.

Junior staff are trained for their job roles but not for the managerial responsibilities they may later assume.

Middle managers are caught between being strategic and tactical, needing to translate between different levels of the organization.

Many firms experience disconnects between leadership vision and frontline employee experiences.

The absence of training in listening, communication, and confrontation skills contributes to ineffective leadership.

Promotion to leadership positions often occurs without proper guidance on how to lead, unlike technical job training.

Self-taught middle managers are striving to improve through books, conferences, and mentorship despite the lack of formal leadership training.

Senior management's focus on quarterly earnings can conflict with middle managers' efforts to prioritize people and processes.

Quitting is an option for middle managers facing unsupportive senior management, but it's not the first recommendation.

Being the leader you wish you had is a recommended approach for dealing with unsupportive higher-ups.

Control what you can and focus on leading those around you effectively, regardless of the organizational challenges.

Creating 'pockets' of good leadership can have a positive ripple effect within an organization.

A case study of a technology company shows how a focused leadership development effort improved a group's performance and attracted attention company-wide.

Word of mouth about effective leadership can lead to increased demand for positions within well-led groups.

The story of an 80,000-person company illustrates how a small group of 150 people can influence the entire organization's perception of leadership.

Leadership development can start at any level and has the potential to transform an entire organizational culture.

Transcripts

middle management is the hardest job in

any organization because when you're jr.

your only job is really to do your job

that's it and you get trained how to do

your job I mean you all have to be

licensed and go to school and learn how

to do the job of being an accountant and

if you're really good at it you

eventually you get promoted and you

eventually get promoted to position

where you're now responsible for the

people who do the job you used to do but

the problem is they don't give us any

training how to do that you know and

senior people are thinking about

entirely different things they're

thinking about the firm thinking about

strategy and the problem is so you have

this middle group that's in this sort of

weird mix where they're not there they

have to be strategic but not majority

strategic and they they have to be

tactical but they're not majority

tactical and they have to translate

what's going up here to down there and

down here to up here and and most things

break in the middle because I'll meet

firms where the leadership is amazing

and they're visionary and they care

about people and they want to do the

right thing and then I go down to the

frontline and they're like yeah this

place is the worst

and so I'm like what happened between

here and there and it's the middle most

things break in the middle and so I

think there are two there are two there

are two factors one is we don't train

people how to lead right so as I said

before when you were junior we're we

have to know what to do we just do our

jobs we'd be good at it and as we become

leaders in this middle management we're

now transitioning to this job we're now

responsible for the people who do the

job we used to do but nobody is teaching

us listening nobody's teaching us

communication skills nobody's teaching

as effective confrontation nobody's

teaching us how to give and repeat

receive feedback nobody's actually

teaching us leadership so this is why we

get managers and not leaders and like

you would never ask somebody to do

anything in accounting without showing

them how to do it

ever bad idea all right

so why on earth do we think that we can

just promote someone to a leadership

position and expect that they know what

to do without showing them how to do it

so that's problem number one is is that

is the rule is the total vacuum in some

cases or just really minimal amounts of

leadership training

and it needs to be robust the other

problem that I come across very often is

I get some really wonderful self-taught

leaders of middle management they're

reading books they're going to

conferences themselves they're watching

TED Talks I mean there's students of

leadership they have mentors I mean

they're really making a go of it and

they complain that the that the senior

management all they care about is is the

quarterly earnings and so that problem

we have there is they're trying so hard

to do the right thing but management

really doesn't care so that's the

opposite right and in those cases I

recommend that they the right thing to

do

I mean quitting is always an option but

that's not the not necessarily the best

option or the first option but I always

recommend to be the leader you wish you

had which is they'll I get the question

it is one of the if not the most common

question I get which is what do I do

when I'm trying to do the right thing

and and my boss for my boss's boss or my

boss's boss's boss just don't get it you

know all they care about is money before

people and and the answer is you can't

control what you can't control so

worried about the people around you

worried about the people to the sides of

you the level below you even a level

above you and you be the leader you wish

you had what you start to find in those

pockets is these magical little diamonds

in the rough up here we we worked with a

large a large technology company and we

worked with a group where that's exactly

what we did we we developed this whole

leadership thing just for this little

group in the middle and yes they started

to do better and their numbers went

better and the group expanded and blah

blah blah all the things you'd expect to

happen but one thing we didn't expect is

that the phone started ringing off the

hook from other people in the firm

asking can I get a job in your group

because when the people who worked in

this group would go out for lunch with

their friends who works in other groups

you know how's work today amazing

different stories different stories and

all of a sudden words spread across this

80,000 person company and this was only

a group of 150 people word spread across

this 80,000 person company that

everybody was trying to get into this

group which is because it was they

wanted to work in it because he had good

leadership

[Music]