Middle Management Isn’t the Problem. Removing It Might Be.

Is Middle Management Making a Comeback?

The management layer may shrink, but turning strategy into local decisions is becoming more valuable, because AI can increase the supply of ideas faster than an organization increases its capacity to judge and implement them.

Jay and Steve, two captains (a.k.a. middle managers), talked at Jay’s outpost near Asmar, Afghanistan. The communities wanted prosperity; we wanted young men to have alternatives to fighting. Their solution was brilliant: a trade school. The school produced 1,250 skilled people per year, boosting the economy and the quality of local construction. That effort helped motivate the insurgent groups in the area to stop fighting and reconcile with their communities.

I think about the ongoing trend to eliminate management layers and wonder: Could I have led 800 paratroopers in combat successfully without the layers between me and the frontline? We were spread across seven locations, some only accessible by helicopter, in Afghanistan’s deadliest region. Jay led close to 100 troops, and Steve was an engineer. Their brilliant innovation would never have crossed my mind, or theirs individually. I could provide the strategy, but needed the Jays and Steves to determine the best ways to implement it on the ground. [See Break the Bottleneck].

In short, these two mid-level leaders interpreted the vision, combined local knowledge with expertise, and owned implementation. This level of disciplined initiative is what you miss when you cut too much mid-level leadership.

Companies can reduce payroll by cutting middle management, and moving ideas from the front line to senior leaders might speed up. The risks are less obvious, such as bottlenecks, burnout, and employee drift, and the penalties are likely to compound as AI proliferates. How can you maintain the right balance and recognize when something is off?

Three Questions to Ask Repeatedly

• Decision Flow: How well are ideas turning into decisions? Middle management can serve as an important filter in reducing the number of decisions coming to your level, either by approving the idea at their level or sending not-ready-for-prime-time ideas back to the drawing board. If your plate is overloaded with decisions needing your approval, you need an empowered layer below you.
• Implementation Capacity: How well are decisions being executed? Mid-level leaders organize the work so decisions translate into appropriate action at the right standards. When you are consumed in orchestrating implementation, you reduce your capacity to create the future.
• Learning and Adapting: How do we spot problems early, learn from them, and develop people? Mid-level leaders are often the first line of defense in solving problems, addressing employee performance, adapting to unexpected situations, and keeping employees engaged and growing. If you find yourself solving problems, telling people what to do next, and keeping employees engaged, then you are firefighting rather than building prosperity.

Pain and Perspective

Jay and Steve did more than carry out a plan. They understood the intent, saw an opportunity I could not see from my position, and turned it into action. As AI accelerates ideas, companies will need that same capacity to decide, execute, and adapt close to the work. The right balance gives people room to lead without sending every decision upward, leaving coordination to whoever has time left, or making employee development and engagement an afterthought.

About Author

Chris Kolenda

I work with leaders who want to build unshakeable business endurance.

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