After countless hours of conversations with MBA students about moral and ethical leadership, what emerges is a strong, consistent cadre of unsung heroes in middle management who push their teams and organizations to seek principled decision-making and choose the right thing over what is simply the most expedient.
– Brooke Vuckovic
Leaders can feel the pressure of being stuck in the middle. This is especially true of middle management, which balances the expectations of upper management with the empowerment of project management with their direct reports. However, I have also seen this in C-suite leadership, as they balance stakeholders’ expectations with the direction of execution of their reports and the overall company. How do you sometimes see yourself in the middle?
Brooke Vuckovic’s insightful article in Harvard Business Review discusses this dilemma. When we experience these tensions, I find it helpful to step back and gain awareness of what is happening. Vuckovic does this by surveying some young leaders, who provide interesting insights showing how we lead in these tensions can determine how well others follow.
Two Traits of How We Manage in the Middle that Lead to Others Following
Commitment to the Team through Empathy
Vuckovic states, “To the young leaders surveyed, moral leaders show a strong commitment to their direct reports, individually and collectively. This was the single-most cited attribute. The most overt expressions of this commitment involved acts of care…” This includes showing up when a teammate has a need, such as being sick or grieving, but it also includes keeping promises, listening attentively, seeking input from diverse people, and pacing work for the team.
As I read these attributes, what stood out to me was that these leaders had empathy for their team. The article includes one respondent’s quote that sums this up well: “I would have followed her over a cliff,” one respondent said, “because work was more than just results to her, and she was kind, honest, and empathetic.”
Behaviors that Show Values Lived as a Priority in the Tension
If you are a leader, you know this pressure. A stakeholder, any person who has an investment in the outcome that involves a part of the work of your team, will have expectations and desired results. This is normal. The tension happens when there is pressure to take action that may go against a value.
Your team is watching you to see how you respond. Vuchovic states: “Middle managers often feel intense pressure as they are held responsible for their team’s effectiveness or the profitability and cost-containment of a project or product. When middle managers adhere to their values and standards, even while tending to these concerns, direct reports not only notice, but also learn from them how to honor values while pursuing excellence.” Respondents cite examples of leaders living integrity and being courageous to have conversations that protect the team’s culture.
Two Steps to Being A Leader Others Will Follow (Even in the Tensions of Being in the Middle)
The two skills that were recommended did not surprise me. It refers to the two most important skill sets of highly productive people: self-awareness and authenticity. The article gave a significant practical step for self-awareness based on some decision-making models. The article stated, “A place to start: with a prompt for self-reflection, such those included in both models: Who are we (as an organization/team)? To whom and to what do I give my loyalty?, and what can I live with?”
The other step is authenticity. This includes taking the clarity we gained in awareness and acting it out in our habits, mindsets, and behaviors. It is great to have the insights that we gained from awareness, but the fruit does not happen if we don’t apply it. I found the following blog post helpful in providing action steps for mental fitness that move us to the application: How Mental Fitness Can Improve Your Decision Making.
Summary
I hope you are encouraged that the leaders in the limelight are not the ones other leaders recall as having the most significant impact on them. Instead, it is those leaders who show care and concern for them and then live out the team’s values in everyday life. Don’t ever think your life is insignificant based on your level of promotion or celebrity status. You can influence the people watching you every day, even in the tensions of living in the middle. Don’t become discouraged; instead, see your life’s impact on others.