ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Communication breaks down between senior and mid-level leaders even when everyone is really hustling to do the very best they can in their respective roles.
In the work I’ve done with leaders and teams, I’ve had the opportunity to take a close look at what people are thinking and feeling behind the scenes - and how their thinking and feelings impact their behavior. In this episode, I share some of the patterns I consistently see and what leaders on both sides can do to communicate more effectively.
We’ll look at what happens when senior leaders pass down decisions without enough context, leaving mid-level leaders to explain the what without understanding the why. We’ll also talk about why well-intended mid-level leaders sometimes hold back difficult and pertinent information until a problem becomes urgent. We will also dig into how this can erode the trust they were hoping to protect by holding back.
We will address the very real pressure of leading in the middle. This typically includes trying to meet senior leaders’ expectations while taking care of your team, often with limited resources and conflicting priorities. I share how a propensity toward people-pleasing can make that squeeze harder. This leads us into the critical importance of being solution-oriented rather than problem-focused. It’s easy to find 27 problems on any given day. It’s the leaders who are finding and creating solutions, staying in momentum, and able to make strategic recommendations who are typically building more credibility, authority, and trust in their roles.
Finally, we’ll consider pace. When senior leaders move from one decision to the next too quickly, the people responsible for implementation may struggle to keep up. Before setting another priority or timeline, it helps to ask: Who is most likely to be negatively impacted by this decision?
If you recognize these dynamics on your team, I’d love to talk about how I can help you strengthen communication and strategic thinking across levels of leadership.
Links Mentioned:
Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking
Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services
Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks
Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks
Take my Leadership Archetype Quiz: saradean.com/quiz
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