A challenging double act
The critical role of middle managers
In this time of distributed teams and hybrid workplaces, as the distances increase between individual employees and different organizational layers, companies depend on the unique capabilities of middle managers to keep everyone connected.
Therefore, middle managers need the capabilities to effectively navigate and reconcile the needs and demands of their direct reports and superiors.
To do that successfully, they need to acquire both followership skills that enable them to influence upwards effectively (their bosses) and leadership skills to help effectively lead their direct reports, which themselves are managers.
"Middle managers are the engine of the business, the cogs that make things work, the glue that keeps companies together."
Zahira Jaser, editor of "The Connecting Leader"
Followership & Leadership
Followership capabilities for middle managers
Followership skills are those capabilities a middle manager needs to effectively influence their superiors and connect them with the organization below.
Influence Others
Persuade others; build consensus through give and take; gain cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals
Foster Collaboration
Work relentlessly to break down silos; get people to work together to solve customers’ and the organization’s issues.
Share the vision
Connects their team to the company’s overarching vision; fosters a commitment to do what’s needed to help the enterprise succeed
Enable Dialogue
Help people talk more effectively together by fostering and engaging them through dialogue.
Build strong relationships
Build and maintain deep-rooted, trusting, and authentic relationships with direct reports, peers and superiors.
Leadership capabilities for middle managers
Middle managers also a new set of leadership skills to enable them to lead and empower their direct reports, who themselves as managers – a very different challenge from being a first-line manager who organizes and oversees the work of individual contributors.
Leader as Coach
Ask questions instead of providing answers; facilitate their development instead of dictating what has to be done
Delegate Effectively
Define tasks correctly; select the right individual; explain required results; consider resources required; agree on deadlines
Balance Leadership & Management
Effectively balance day-to-day management versus leadership.
Manage People
Know how to build a high-performing team ; help your people to come together as a team and enable them to work together successfully
Develop & Execute Strategy
Formulate and execute a departmental strategy that dovetails with the business strategy & goals.
Middle managers training with Upwardley
Build the Habits to
Lead Effectively From the Middle.
Enable their double act
Help your middle managers acquire both the followership and leadership skills they need to be the most effective connecting leader they can be.
Continuous & Self-directed
Delivered as a continuous, self-paced, and self-direct development program.
Transformational
A transformative experience that combines our specially developed online classes for middle managers with contextualization exercises and habit-building loops to help them turn what they learn into lasting habits
Coaching & Live Sessions
Includes individual coaching and live online sessions to help your middle managers deepen their learning.
Important note: The program also enables your middle managers to refresh and strengthen those essential leadership capabilities that are foundational to any manager’s and leader’s effectiveness.
(Learn more about Upwardley’s Essential Habits for the Modern Leader)
Design A Habit-Building Program
For Your Mid-level Leaders
Middle managers training the Upwardley way
Upwardley is not an LMS or e-learning platform:
Upwardley is a leadership habit-building platform, which brings together our specially developed online classes with contextualization exercises, individual coaching, online group sessions, and habit-building loops.
We go beyond knowledge transfer and provide your leaders with a truly transformational experience that helps them learn and adopt the habits to become better leaders.
