The definitive playbook for driving impact as a middle manager
Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization delivers an insightful and practical guide for the backbone of an organization: those who have a boss and are a boss and must lead from the messy middle. Accomplished author and former P&G executive Scott Mautz walks readers through the unique challenges facing these managers, and the mindset and skillset necessary for managing up and down and influencing what happens across the organization.
You’ll learn the winning mindset of the best middle managers, how to develop the most important skills necessary for managing from the middle, how to create your personal Middle Action Plan (MAP), and effectively influence:
- Up the chain of command, to your boss and those above them
- Down, to your direct reports and teams who report to you
- Laterally, to peers and teams you have no formal authority over
Anyone in an organization who reports to someone and has someone reporting to them must lead from the middle. They are the most important group in an organization and have a unique opportunity to drive impact. Leading from the Middle explains how.
Table of Contents
Introduction ix
1 The Unique Challenges of Those Who Lead from the Middle 1
2 The Mindset for Leading Effectively from the Middle 27
3 The Skillset for Leading Effectively from the Middle 51
4 Leading Your Boss 81
5 Leading Those Who Report to You 103
6 Leading Teams 125
7 Influencing Peers 149
8 Leading Change 161
9 Creating Your Personal MAP (Middle Action Plan) 187
Acknowledgments 193
About the Author 195
Index 197
