they have to operate that way to survive. As businesses continue to move more quickly and become more complex, strategic decision making, risk-taking and culture creation has — by necessity — devolved to the middle. But most middle managers have not been prepared, developed or supported to take this on — and it’s critical they learn to have C-suite impact — even if they never want a C-suite job. B-suite leaders with C-suite impact are crucial to organisations. Weak middle management leads to a loss of confidence, profit, and engagement — at a rate that no senior executives can stem. According to DDI and Gartner, only 38 per cent of CEOs rate their middle managers, only 50 per cent of managers feel confident to lead, and only 50 per cent of the workforce have confidence in their leader. Research shows that B-suite leaders drive 48 per cent greater profits, and have half the number of disengaged staff on their teams. Gallup also tells us that middle managers are 26 per cent more likely to report burnout and experience worse physical wellbeing and work-life balance than the people they manage. So middle managers have it tough. They are struggling to survive. They’re neither part of the executive nor part of the workforce. They advocate, translate and reconcile these naturally opposing parties — which means they are often treated with distrust and are exhausted from switching persona’s all the time. It’s the life of a double agent. Survival of the fittest, indeed. So how do you survive? Fit your own mask first. This goes without saying, yet in my work with leaders I say it every day. So where do you get your oxygen from? Friends and family? Exercise? Meditation? Travel? Whatever it is, make sure it’s the first thing in your diary — not the last. And make sure it’s the last thing you’re prepared to reschedule — not the first. Stop saying an unconditional yes to everything. Survival is not about pleasing people, it’s about managing expectations. Overpromising is the fastest route to disappointing those that rely on you. This isn’t about being the ‘always no’ person — it’s about being consistent on how and why you’ll prioritise your resources and communicating that up front. Have clear priorities. Without your own priorities you are at the mercy of everyone else’s. This is a major contributor to manager burnout — the lack of clarity, agency and control is destructive. Too many middle managers wait for their executive to provide clear direction — the reality is that nothing is clear, and you have to determine direction yourself. Use your discretionary effort with discretion. Continually overperforming is exhausting and unnecessary — it sets you up to both disappoint your executive and burn out at the same time. Many middle managers let their professional pride get the better of them, with disastrous results. Not every scenario requires a gold standard — be clear on the performance standards required and then meet them. Use your discretion. If you’re always overperforming, normal performance looks poor in comparison — you’re trapped in a cycle that only leads to burnout. Be selective with your effort. Stop dipping down. Build the strongest team you can afford. Let them work in the business. You work on the business, which means removing the roadblocks and gaining the support that allows them to keep pressing forwards. If you get inside the business and start pressing forwards, who’s out there, doing your job? Manage up. I don’t mean sucking up, and I don’t mean covering up. Manage your superiors and your peers as assets — they are information highways, influencers, guides, collaborators, decision-makers, and funders — be specific and deliberate about the role they need to play in your success — and you in theirs. They say it takes a village to raise a child — well, it takes a network to be a leader. To go it alone in this corporate jungle is a grave mistake.