The 3 Traps Middle Leaders Fall Into
If you're in middle management, you already know it's the toughest seat in the workplace.Executives push strategy down, teams push needs up, and you’re stuck translating, smoothing over, and holding it all together. No surprise that research shows half of middle managers report signs of burnout, and yet they’re the group most responsible for employee engagement. That’s a brutal paradox. But, there are practical ways to make the role more sustainable for yourself and for your organization. 3 Traps Middle Leaders Fall Into(And how to break out of them...) The Enforcer vs. Empath TrapYou’re told to hit goals and be endlessly supportive. Instead of trying to play both roles at 100%, clarify expectations with your boss and your team. Ask: “What’s most critical this quarter, and what can be paused?” The Invisible Work TrapMentoring, culture-building, and DEI committee work matter, but often go unrecognized. Start tracking this labor. List the hours and outcomes, then surface it during performance reviews so it’s not invisible anymore. The Cognitive Overload TrapContext-switching between strategy, client fires, and PTO requests can wreck focus. Protect your brain by setting focus hours where no meetings are allowed and batch similar tasks together. What Organizations Should DoIf you’re a senior leader reading this, remember that middle managers don’t need another resilience webinar. They need structure. That starts with:
🎧 Want the full deep dive? Listen to this week's episode of The Balanced Badass Podcast®.
What if the next leadership revolution doesn't start at the top, but in the middle among those who carry the real weight of work every single day? After all, when middle leaders rise, the whole workplace rises with them. Take care, Tara |
