It starts as a stretch.
You’re fielding more questions, making more decisions, and picking up slack where the system’s thin. What used to feel manageable now feels like a constant juggle.
The middle is where it shows up first.
That space between you and your frontline- the team leads, supervisors, and mid-level manager- starts to sag under the weight of scale. Deadlines slip. Meetings get longer. Team morale dips, even though no one’s saying it out loud. You find yourself thinking, “We’ve grown so much…so why does does this still feel so hard?”
Here’s the truth: your middle layer isn’t just a staffing tier – it’s the hinge of your organization.
When that layer is weak, unclear, or under-equipped, the whole system gets noisier, slower, and harder to lead.
Why the Middle Layer Matters
There’s a misconception in many organizations: that senior leaders set the strategy, and frontline staff carry it out.
But the people who actually make the machine run – who translate vision into action, hold culture day-to-day, and carry the emotional load of team management – are your middle managers.
They’re the linchpin.
When strong, they absorb complexity, relay clarity, and uphold standards. When stretched, they become bottlenecks, burnout risks, or – worse – revolving doors.
And yet, they’re often overlooked. Promoted without support. Expected to lead without training. Pulled in all directions but rarely developed intentionally.
If you’re stretched thin and something feels off, it might be time to ask:
“Do I have the leadership depth I need – or am I still trying to do it all myself?”
Signs You Might Need to Strengthen Your Middle
Sometimes, the need for stronger mid-level leadership is obvious – but more often, it shows up subtley:
- You’re still the escalation point for almost everything. Decisions stall until you weigh in. That’s not a sign of control – it’s a sign of missing capacity.
- You’re managing team leads, but they aren’t really managing. They’re busy, but not necessarily leading. They’re firefighting, not forward-planning.
- Morale and performance vary wildly across teams. A strong middle creates consistency. Without it, culture gets patchy and accountability drifts.
- Initiatives stall in the “messy middle”. Great ideas start strong, but execution breaks down in handoffs, ownership confusion, or unclear priorities.
- You’re constantly re-explaining decisions. Because no one’s carrying the narrative down and through. That burden’s back on you.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s not a failure. It’s a stage of growth. And like all stages, it calls for a shift in how you lead – and in who leads with you.
The Mindset Shift: From Heroic Leadership to Distributed Leadership
When an organization is small, heroic leadership works. One person (often the founder or ED) holds most of the context, makes most of the calls, and keeps things moving through sheer effort.
But as you grow, that model cracks. You can’t – and shouldn’t be everywhere. It’s not sustainable. And it limits the organization’s capacity to grow beyond you.
You don’t need more control. You need more leadership.
That doesn’t mean adding layers of bureaucracy or creating a ‘management class’. It means investing in people who can carry vision, uphold standards, and support execution – so you can focus on leading forward, not managing every detail.
Here’s how.
5 Smart Ways to Strengthen Your Middle – Without Creating Bureaucracy
1. Get Clear on the Role of Managers
Many organizations promote team leads without ever defining what the role actually is. Are they scheduling and supervising? Coaching and developing? Making decisions?
If the answer is “all of the above,” they need clarity – and so do you.
Start with a simple definition:
“What decisions should this person be able to make – and what leadership behaviours do we expect from them?”
Write it down. Share it. Reinforce it.
2. Equip, Don’t Just Promote
Leadership isn’t innate. It’s built. Yet many managers are promoted for being good individual contributors – then left to sink or swim.
Offer support that’s practical, not performative:
- 1:1 coaching
- Peer check-ins or learning circles
- Simple tools for planning, delegation, and feedback
And if you don’t have time to build that internally – bring in someone who can. It’s an investment that pays off quickly.
3. Create a Communication Rhythm
One of the biggest stressors for team leads is being caught in the middle – between senior direction and frontline noise. Without a clear cadence for communication, they default to guessing, buffering, or avoiding.
Set a simple rhythm:
- Weekly check-ins to clarify priorities.
- Monthly alignment sessions across leads
- Clear pathways for upward feedback
This isn’t about more meetings – it’s about better flow.
4. Let Go – With Support
Empowerment without clarity isn’t empowerment – it’s abdication.
Yes, you need to delegate. But you also need to stay close enough to guide, catch missteps early, and reinforce direction. A good middle layer gives you visibility without micromanaging.
Try:
- Clear scopes of authority (“You decide this. Loop me in on that.”)
- Decision-making templates
- Occasional shadowing or observation – not as surveillance, but as support
Let go but stay connected.
5. Recognize and Reinforce Their value
Middles managers often get the least recognition and the most flak. They’re navigating up, down, and sideways – usually while carrying their own workload.
Make it part of your leadership practice to acknowledge the role they play in keeping things aligned. Celebrate their wins. Back them publicly. Ask for their input.
People rise when they’re seen.
A Centering Takeaway
You don’t need to be superhuman to scale well.
You need a strong middle.
If you’re feeling stretched, it’s not a sign you’re failing. It’s a sign the organization is asking for more leadership – not just from you, but through you.
Start by looking at your team leads and managers.
What are they carrying? What support do they have? What clarity have they been given?
And what could change – for you, for them, and for your whole organization – if you invested in them with the same care and intention you give your strategy?
This is your responsibility – and your opportunity.
“You don’t build a business. You build people – and people build the business.”
-Zig Ziglar