Leading from the middle: surviving the squeeze of apparently irreconcilable forces

Leaders and managers often are asked to take positions on various issues that reflect the needs or particular agendas of various individuals or groups with whom they interact directly. Supervisors and subordinates, however, may have differing perspectives on and differing expectations of the leader’s or manager’s decisions or actions. The latter, in turn, commonly feels caught in the “middle” of the conflicting needs or agendas of individuals or groups whose support and approval is needed in order for the leader or manager to function successfully over an extended period of time. This paper describes the phenomenon that the author terms “leading from the middle,” in which he describes the personal and organizational conundrums leaders and managers face when beset by conflicting needs or purposes of others who have realistic or unrealistic expectations of them. An approach towards extricating oneself from this uncomfortable middle position, while also managing successfully from personal and organizational perspectives, is offered.