Mid-Level Managers: The Must-Have Skills to Drive Long-Term Success

What is mid-level management?

Mid-level management is the intermediate management level accountable to top management and responsible for leading lower-level managers. Since mid-level managers work with both senior leaders and entry-level managers, being able to communicate clearly and develop strong professional relationships with people at all levels of the organization is extremely important.

The business case for developing middle management

The research is compelling and cannot be denied: an organization’s success is directly correlated with the skills and capabilities of its mid-level managers. The responsibilities and challenges leaders face in rapidly changing business landscapes are as complex as they’ve ever been, yet many of these managers lack mid-level management training, and are unprepared to take on the demands of their role and ill-equipped to lead others successfully.

What skills do middle managers need?

Mid-level managers are key members of an organization; they are the linchpin in its structure and the gatekeepers of its success. Operating from this vantage point comes with some distinct challenges. Not only do mid-level managers need to be effective at developing front-line leaders, they also have to communicate and collaborate across the organization and balance current operational demands with positioning the organization for long-term success. What this means is that they have unique development needs—and in most organizations, those needs go unmet. Organizations cannot expect to simply hire highly capable mid-level leadership; there just aren’t enough candidates with superstar middle-management skills in the talent pool. Equipping the organization with top-notch leadership requires mid-level management training and development from within.

CMOE’s Mid-Level Management Development Program

CMOE’s leadership-development program, Mid-Level Managers: The Must-Have Skills to Drive Long-Term Success provides leaders with the most critical skills needed at this level to drive results for the organization:

• Align the Team
• Coach for Results
• Think and Act Strategically
• Demonstrate Self-Awareness and Composure
• Follow Through and Be Accountable
• Lead Groups to Solutions
• Solve the Tough Problems

CMOE’s research and experience shows that these topics are the middle management skills that must be mastered in order to execute on the organization’s strategy and build a strong foundation for long-term success. That said, CMOE understands that every organization is unique—and we have the ability to customize your mid-level management training workshops and development program to meet your leaders’ exact needs and the competencies they need to develop for your organization.