It’s time to rethink the role of the middle manager

Managers are crucial to a company's success. McKinsey analysis shows that organizations with top-performing managers yield multiple times the total shareholder returns of those with average or below-average managers over a period of five years.

But managers often find themselves not only neglecting key areas of their responsibilities but also grappling with challenges stemming from leadership dynamics, employee relations, and organizational processes that impair their work as people managers.

On the one-year anniversary of the Power to the Middle book by McKinsey thought leaders Emily Field and Bryan Hancock, and senior partner emeritus Bill Schaninger, check out these insights for a new model that enables companies to radically alter the way they hire, train, and reward their most valuable asset.

Stop wasting your most precious resource: Middle managers

Author Talks: What does it mean to be a good middle manager?

Investing in middle managers pays off—literally

The vanishing middle manager

Talent in a changing market: What now?

Reimagining people development to overcome talent challenges

Performance through people: Transforming human capital into competitive advantage

Human capital at work: The value of experience

The skills revolution and the future of learning and earning

The boss factor: Making the world a better place through workplace relationships

MORE FROM MCKINSEY

What to read next: McKinsey’s 2024 annual book recommendations