They are sometimes viewed as "caught in the middle."

And for good reason. Senior leaders above them impose strategy that they are required to implement, and the team members who work for them look up for direction and support.

Meet the middle manager.

Now, most middle managers I know are enthusiastic, smart, and able, but there are several challenges that they face that usually go unseen.

Challenge 1: They are expected to rollout strategy without clarity of a clear vision and goals from senior leadership.

In this series of posts, we have been exploring leadership development from two perspectives – competencies and capacities. In our last two posts, we focused on the limiting internal belief of Controlling and Protecting. Today, our focus is on Complying.

In this series of posts, we have been exploring leadership development from two perspectives - competencies and capacities. In our last post, we focused on the limiting internal belief of Controlling. Today, our focus is on Protecting.

Limiting Internal Beliefs: Controlling

Levels of Development

Humans develop through very specific stages over the course of their lives, and along the way they can become better equipped to handle the complexities of today's fast-paced and interdependent business environment.

By understanding the stages through which people develop, you'll be able to set forth a path to increase your effectiveness as a leader.

"Are leaders born?"

This is an interesting question that I am often asked in the leadership development programs we run at 5.12 Solutions.

We believe that leadership isn't about being charismatic and it’s not about some magical qualities that are bestowed upon you at birth. And you don’t have to go through special forces training as a rite of passage.

Leadership is about employing key skills and behaviors on a consistent basis.

And those skills and behaviors can be learned.