Middle Management - Not All it's Cracked Up To Be

It seems to me the group of leaders in the most need of development, mentoring, and coaching are those that are stuck right in the middle - mid-level managers.  Most organizations seem to know the front line supervisors need training so they place a lot of effort in making sure that group of people know what they are doing.  And Sr. Executives appear to have a plethora of opportunities to attend mini-MBA programs, executive leadership training sessions, and have an executive coach assigned.  But the mid-level managers seem to get lost in the shuffle and/or stuck in an era.


What I mean by stuck in an era is mid-level managers often get stuck in the era in which they first became supervisors.  So, if they started supervising in the 60's, 70's, or even 80's - they likely learned that the command and control type of leadership was the only way to get performance.  They are often still trying to use that style of leadership and unless they are in the military, that probably isn't working out so well with our current generation of employees.  This group of managers may take a class every now and then but they are reluctant to change their approach to leadership.


Mid-level managers also get lost in the shuffle.  They get ignored as far as development goes.  Sr. Level leaders believe these people have already been trained, have experience, and know what they are doing which is somewhat true.  First level supervisors are looking up to this group for mentoring and guidance and they aren't getting it themselves so they are passing on information they learned 20 years ago which may not be so relevant today.  The reality is this group is often ignored, not exposed to the latest leadership theories or benefit of coaching and mentoring.  And they often have the most difficult job - the delicate balance between managing the politics and job demands of the organization.


It would seem to me organizations would benefit by making this group of people the target of ensuring the leadership philosophies of the organization are embraced.  Think of the influence of this group of people - they are responsible for mentoring your next generation of leaders (first line supervisors).  Shouldn't this be the group of people the company invests most heavily in developing?


And if you are reading this and you are a mid-level manager, what are you doing to learn and grow more so you can be the best leader you can be?  Are you reading current literature regarding leadership?  Are you requesting training and or coaching?  Have you asked someone who exemplifies great leadership skills to mentor you?  This is your career after all, what are you doing to be the best you can be?