Leading Change from the Middle: A Practical Guide to Building Extraordinary Capabilities

Introducing reform, nurturing innovation, and otherwise effecting change in organizations are commonly discussed challenges in management circles. Bookshelves abound with theoretical analyses, how-to guides, and personal success stories by famous corporate leaders, public officials, even athletic coaches, expounding on how to lead from the top. But what about those midlevel managers who find themselves tasked with trying to reshape, reorient, or create the capabilities of an organization? What about leading change from the middle is different and unique compared to leading change from the top? There has been no framework to guide managers faced with that unique and vexing set of challenges - until now. Using authority alone is out of the question - midlevel managers do not have authority over all the relevant people and units. This title offers a new way to think about leading change from the middle.