How to Tell If You're a Middle Leader: Hallmark #1

This post is the first in a series of three posts on the 3 hallmarks of a middle leader: how to tell if you’re a middle leader. Today—Hallmark #1

When I talk about middle leadership, most people ask, “Don’t you mean middle management?” My answer is an immediate “No.” It’s not management; it’s leadership.

Many people—who are by practice middle leaders—refer to themselves as managers, middle managers or mid-level managers. Quite frankly, others refer to them as managers too. That’s because there is a sense that those who lead can only be found at the top of the organization, those who manage can only be found in the middle of the organization, and those who follow can only be found at the lower levels of the organizational structure.

You may have heard that leadership is only for those who are gifted, or for those few who are charismatic or for those who have specific skills or positions. There is some truth to that, but it’s not the whole truth! The fact is, leadership is a process, and anyone who engages in that process is leading, regardless of skill, position or personality.

Process leadership takes place when two or more people come together with a common goal and decide to move together toward that goal. That’s it! We’re not talking servant leadership, authentic leadership, transformational leadership, or transactional leadership. These are all ways “of” leading. I’m talking about leadership in its purest and most basic form. In its most basic form, leadership is a process, and anyone who engages in the process is leading.

Noel Tichy was one of the first to explore this dynamic. Tichy not only recognized that the process of leadership takes place on every level of the organization, but he suggests that healthy organizations will take the steps to train leaders on every level of the organization. Take a look at The Leadership Engine by Noel Tichy with Eli Cohen.

And so here it is. How to know if you’re a middle leader Hallmark #1

Hallmark #1: You know you’re a middle leader when you are located in the middle of and organizational structure and have people who look to you for leadership.

You might say, “well that’s obvious!” It’s not always so obvious, especially when you see yourself as only a manager or others see you as the same. Middle leaders are team leaders, department heads, youth leaders, and choir leaders, to name a few. Just because you are in the middle of an organization doesn’t mean you’re not a leader. It seems simple enough, but sometimes we don’t take time to reflect on the structure of the organization in which we work or serve. Though few people pour over organizational charts—I just don’t see it as a great way to spend the evening—a simple diagram can help you see where you fit in.

So, here’s a short exercise for today. Take a minute to draw your organization’s structure as you see it. Do it on a piece of paper, or better yet in your journal so that you can refer back to it later. Where are you located in the chart? Circle that spot with a red marker. Then take a look. Is there someone directly above you in the organization? Are there people below you on the organizational chart? If your circle is located in the middle of the organizational structure, then you have the first hallmark of a middle leader. Welcome to middle leadership!

Next post: Hallmark #2. Until then, here’s a quote from Noel Tichy:

“Winning companies win because they have good leaders who nurture the development of other leaders at all levels of the organization.”