The Invisible Dilemma of Middle Management
Published on September, 30, 2025
Much has been written about senior leadership and top executives. But middle management faces a silent, often overlooked dilemma.
On one side, they are charged by senior leadership to translate strategy into action plans, deliver results, and drive change. On the other, they are pressed by their teams, who seek clarity, support, and room to grow. It is in this middle ground that organizational tensions become most intense.
Research by McKinsey shows that middle managers spend up to 70% of their time on administrative and operational tasks, leaving less focus for leading people and executing with purpose. An article in the MIT Sloan Management Review highlights high levels of exhaustion and burnout, fueled by pressure coming from all directions.
This is not just a sign of fatigue. It is evidence that the role itself is evolving.
A study by Annabel Christie and Esther Tippmann reveals that today’s middle managers, once focused on control and process, must now develop almost invisible skills: communicating without all the answers, engaging without all the resources, and negotiating conflicting priorities.
It is a paradoxical role. Essential to execution, these leaders do not merely apply strategy. They adapt it, shaping decisions to fit context. Yet this strategic contribution often goes unnoticed.
As Tracy Brower, researcher and author on happiness and the future of work, observes, these professionals live in a “pressure sandwich,” expected to deliver results, foster engagement, and maintain emotional balance all at once.
Ignoring or flattening this layer, as some unbossing movements (Deloitte) propose, can lead to serious disruptions. After all, who else bridges vision and execution?
Middle managers are guardians of culture and anchors of coherence within organizations.
Their dilemma is not a weakness. It is the natural tension of those who uphold strategy while staying attuned to people.
How is this role valued in your company?
Rodolfo Ohl
Co-founder, Coruja Executive Search
Sources:
McKinsey & Company – The State of Organizations 2023
MIT Sloan Management Review – Middle Managers Are Burned Out
Christie, A. & Tippmann, E. (2024). Intended or unintended strategy? The activities of middle managers in strategy implementation. Long Range Planning. ScienceDirect
Brower, T. (2023). Middle managers have it bad: 5 things they need most. Forbes. Full article
Deloitte – Unbossing: Leading with trust and purpose