Leading from the Middle: The Hardest Seat in the House
I’ve spent years leading from the middle and leading teams of middle managers. I’ve watched talented people question their competence simply because the stress, doubt, and conflicting expectations felt overwhelming.
If that’s you, let me say this plainly: You’re not weak. You’re not incompetent. You’re in the middle—and the middle is hard.
Why the Middle Feels Heavy
Dual Allegiance You answer upward while defending your team downward. That tug-of-war drains mental and emotional energy that could be fueling real progress.
Conflicting Truths Senior leaders often have a 100,000-foot view; frontline teams live in the weeds. You stand in the fog between them, translating strategy into executable reality.
Visibility of Blind Spots In the middle, everyone sees (and points out) your gaps. At the top, gaps can hide; in the trenches, gaps are not forgiven, they’re announced on a megaphone.
What Doesn’t Work
Doing nothing. Silence is not neutral—it erodes trust on both sides.
Trying to please everyone. You’ll end up pleasing no one and exhausting yourself.
Endless neutrality. Delay feels safe until momentum stalls and credibility evaporates.
My Anchor Points
Character first. WWJD? Will my decision age well for everyone involved?
Mentors matter. Outside perspective keeps the picture honest.
Prayer for clarity and courage. The Holy Spirit shows what I’m missing and nudges me to act boldly.
A Hopeful Truth
The middle is the hardest place to lead. But if you can lead there, you can lead anywhere. You won’t always win, you won’t always be right, and you certainly won’t make everyone happy. Yet every time you navigate that tension with integrity, you’re forging the muscles you’ll need when you step out of the middle and into the top seat. So take heart. The stress you feel isn’t proof you’re failing; it’s proof you’re carrying weight that matters. Carry it well, and you’ll emerge a leader worth following—no matter where you sit on the org chart.
Keep leading, keep learning, and remember: mastering the middle today prepares you to shape the future tomorrow.