Alive and Well at the End of the Day, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 19LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE

He who walks in the middle of the road—gets hit from both sides.

—George Shultz

Front‐line supervisors, superintendents, and department managers all belong to the wide swath of the organization known as middle management. No matter what the business or operation, middle managers play the vital role of linking those at the top, who set policy and determine direction, with those who perform the work. Strong leadership in the middle—from the front‐line supervisor on up—is absolutely essential to see that everyone goes home alive and well at the end of every day.

Leading from the middle isn’t limited to leading followers who directly report to the leader. There are times when the target for a leader’s influence are peers, customers, and sometimes even the boss. Doing that requires leadership. While the principles of leadership don’t change based on the audience, when the “followers” are peers, customers, and superiors there are obvious practical considerations to be dealt with that makes leading tough.

While the contribution of middle management in leading their followers to work safely has been illuminated in the proceeding chapters, as have best leadership practices, organization power has not. Understanding power in business organizations is essential to wielding influence. The fact is that middle managers seldom understand what kind of power they actually have, where it comes from, and how their power can be effectively used in situations ...