The Daily Read

Brought to you by Liz Hilton Segel, chief client officer and managing partner, global industry practices, & Homayoun Hatami, managing partner, global client capabilities

Middle managers are often underappreciated and the subjects of negative stereotypes in popular culture. They are viewed as cogs in an organization’s bureaucracy, whose primary job is to take directives from senior leadership and push paper. In reality, managers play a critical role in developing talent, promoting connectivity across teams, and creating value for organizations. In a new episode of McKinsey Talks Talent, McKinsey’s Emily Field, Bryan Hancock, and Bill Schaninger, authors of the book Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, explain why we should reimagine the role of the middle manager and the profound impact they have on organizational outperformance. Tune in to see why investing in managers is key to the future of work.

Business people working in a modern office setting

The future of middle management

The past hasn’t been kind to middle managers. But new research links their roles to organizational outperformance—especially in a rapidly transforming workplace.

Celebrate the manager

Quote of the day

“I think our diversification, global footprint, and ability to communicate have created a strong foundation of trust that has allowed us to operate in the face of the pandemic and other challenges.”

—Chuck Mattera, chair and CEO of Coherent, on navigating uncertainty and geopolitical risk in “Coherent’s Chuck Mattera on growing a $5 billion company”

Chart of the day

A chart titled “CFOs report evolving views on the biggest risks to their companies' growth. ” Click to open the full article on McKinsey.com.

See today's chart

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A world map made up of geometric shapes resembling shards of glass and thin lines connecting them.

— Edited by Joyce Yoo, editor, New York

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The future of middle management

“I think our diversification, global footprint, and ability to communicate have created a strong foundation of trust that has allowed us to operate in the face of the pandemic and other challenges.”

Geopolitical resilience: The new board imperative

Five key action areas to put Europe’s energy transition on a more orderly path

The triple play: Growth, profit, and sustainability