Strengthening the Leadership Pipeline: Identifying and Developing Middle Managers for Senior Roles

By Lin Grensing-Pophal Most organizations are arranged in a pyramid-shaped hierarchy, with large numbers of frontline workers reporting to a smaller group of managers, who in turn report to an even smaller group of directors and VPs, all the way up to a single CEO. Even in organizations that claim to be “flat,” some level of hierarchy is necessary for decision-making and structure. If we invert this pyramid, it resembles a funnel—managers are often promoted from frontline roles, and senior executives are often selected from middle management. Naturally, developing middle managers into senior leaders is a key priority for organizations…

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Why Leaders Should Have a Slice of Humble Pie

By Whitney Breer for HR Daily Advisor Alicia, the Head of HR, leaned back in her chair and looked thoughtfully out her office window. She had just wrapped up another exit interview, the third this week. She thought about the old adage, “People don’t quit their jobs; they quit their managers.” “Well,” she thought, “if this is true, then ‘Houston, we have a problem!'” None of the employees who had quit had mentioned bullying, discrimination, or explicit conflicts in their team – the classic red flags that quickly drew attention. Alicia scanned back over her notes and began to cluster…

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