As a leader, what are you doing to elevate and amplify your middle managers?
I ask this because many senior leaders are planning the exact opposite. When The Conference Board surveyed 775 leaders, 38% said they expect fewer middle managers as AI takes hold (Not surprisingly, only 4% expect fewer roles in the C-suite!).
On the surface, that thinking seems to make sense: If AI handles more of the routine work, why keep a whole layer of people who used to manage it?
But look at the skills the same research says leaders now need: critical judgement, systems thinking, risk awareness, coaching, empathy, and the ability to provide context. It also found a lack of ownership of AI-related decisions.
Somebody needs to make those calls, coach their teams through the change, and assess AI responses and decisions. Your middle managers already do much of that, but you can help them by showing them more of the bigger picture.
That reminds me of my very first manager, Kevin. Early in my career, when I was “just” a lowly software developer, he invited me to attend management meetings in our small company. My official role was to take the minutes, but Kevin’s goal was to give me first-hand experience of management discussions, thinking, and decision-making.
I call this raising the roof: giving people access to things “above their pay scale”, so they gain a broader perspective and learn to take more initiative.
So, raise the roof for your middle managers.
AI makes this even more important. When your managers understand your strategy, risks, and the reasons behind your decisions, they make better judgement calls about using and integrating AI. And you, in turn, learn to trust them to make those calls.
The research supports this, too. The leaders surveyed asked to build their AI skills through hands-on work rather than generic AI courses. Raising the roof gives them exactly that kind of learning.
Here’s how to start:
- Invite one of your direct reports to your next AI governance meeting.
- Copy them on the reports you circulate, and ask for their feedback.
- Show them the difficult, messy decisions at your level, rather than only announcing the final shiny version.
- Explain why you made a particular decision, and invite them to find their own (possibly better) solution.
Don’t hold on too long, though. Once they understand the bigger picture, give them a real AI-related decision to own.
Help your middle managers be the bridge between your AI strategy and the people who make it work. Raise the roof, and give them room to grow.
Which of your managers could you invite into the room this month?
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