In every organisation, strategy gets made at the top and work happens on the front lines—but in between lies a powerful, often overlooked engine: the middle manager. Frequently promoted due to high performance rather than leadership readiness, many mid-level managers become “accidental managers,” suddenly responsible for guiding teams, driving change, and translating strategy into daily action—without the training or tools they need to succeed.

This phenomenon of the accidental manager is more than anecdotal—it’s widespread. According to YouGov research commissioned by the Chartered Management Institute, eight out of ten managers in the UK are untrained, meaning they’ve stepped into leadership roles without any formal development. High performing individuals and often technically excellent they are underprepared for the human side of leadership. Without support, many default to micromanagement, struggle to stop doing and start leading and avoid/ mis-manage difficult situations. The knock-on effects—on them personally, their team and the whole organisation impacts engagement, retention, confidence, culture, results and well-being.

Stuck in the Middle—but Holding It All Together

As the crucial link between executive vision and day-to-day execution, managers are translators, motivators, feedback filters, and strategy implementers.

Yet they often operate in a void—without clear communication from leadership or meaningful investment in their development. Our 2024 global study found a major disconnect between how leaders, managers, and individual contributors perceive communication within their organisations. In fact, only 36% of participants had received communication training in the past three years​. So, is it any wonder that so many teams operate in silos, or that strategy gets lost in translation?

A Breakdown in Communication

In theory, communication should be easy. After all, we live in an era of constant connectivity—with AI, instant messaging, email, and collaboration tools at our fingertips. But more doesn’t mean better. Despite the digital flood, messages still get misconstrued, context is lost, and people feel disconnected.

Middle managers sit at the intersection of these communication currents. They’re expected to absorb executive direction and distil it into team-specific actions—while also keeping a finger on the pulse of frontline sentiment and performance.

And yet, communication skills are too often taken for granted, with too many managers left to figure it out on the job.

Dale Carnegie’s research revealed statistically significant perception gaps in communication across roles. For example:

• Only 19% of managers agreed that “we’re all on the same page” at their organisation, compared to 33% of leaders—but even more striking, just 10% of individual contributors felt this way.
• When it came to feeling that their goals had been clearly defined, 26% of managers agreed, versus 41% of leaders and only 17% of individual contributors.
• On whether new tasks were openly discussed with clearly understood goals, 28% of managers agreed, but just 18% of individual contributors did.
• And only 28% of individual contributors felt they had the freedom to ask questions for clarity—compared to 34% of managers and 42% of leaders.

These discrepancies aren’t just about perception—they point to real obstacles in execution, alignment, and trust. For middle managers, who are expected to carry the message across both directions, being caught between mismatched expectations is a daily reality that undermines success.

Communication Is a Human Skill—And It Must Be Taught

Soft skills aren’t soft. They are essential. Especially in today’s fast-changing, emotionally complex work environments.

Research reveals that 72% of people say that strong communication and interpersonal skills were more important than ever, but a majority also felt under-supported in building them. This growing awareness points to an urgent need for intentional development in these areas—especially for managers navigating both upward and downward communication.

Effective communication is not about saying more—it’s about saying the right thing, clearly and credibly, and ensuring it’s understood. It’s about listening with purpose, giving feedback that builds trust, and managing difficult conversations with emotional intelligence.

The Case for Investing in Managers

If middle managers are the glue that holds the organisation together, it’s time we stop stretching them thin and start strengthening their skill sets.

This means going beyond technical training to focus on human leadership:

• Confident Communication: Articulating vision, delivering feedback, facilitating difficult conversations.
• Emotional Intelligence: Reading the room, managing stress, demonstrating empathy.
• Influence & Credibility: Building trust across teams and with leadership.
• Conflict Management: Navigating interpersonal dynamics with fairness and clarity.
• Personal Wellbeing: Managing the pressure of being “in the middle” without burning out.

From Forgotten to Frontline

Middle managers are not just a conduit—they are leaders. But unless organisations step up to develop them, we’ll keep seeing strategy stall, engagement falter, and talent walk out the door.

In a world where technology may change everything except the need to connect with people, those who master the human side of management will lead the way.