Bogged down, bothered, beleaguered: Many middle managers have it bad—and they can also have a bad rap. In Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work (Harvard Business Review Press, July 2023),McKinsey talent experts Bryan Hancock and Emily Field sought to correct that misperception, clarifying the vital role the best middle managers play in competitive outperformance.  In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, originally aired on McKinsey Talks Talent, the authors revisit the book one year on, talking with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about the downside of leadership programs, how to identify and understand different managerial styles, and how middle managers can use gen AI to support their teams more effectively—and update their image while they’re at it.

Bogged down, bothered, beleaguered: Many middle managers have it bad—and they can also have a bad rap. In <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/power-to-the-middle">Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work</a> (Harvard Business Review Press, July 2023), McKinsey talent experts Bryan Hancock and Emily Field sought to correct that misperception, clarifying the vital role the best middle managers play in competitive outperformance.  In this episode of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-podcast">The McKinsey Podcast</a>, originally aired on <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/mckinsey-talks-talent-podcast">McKinsey Talks Talent</a>, the authors revisit the book one year on, talking with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about the downside of leadership programs, how to identify and understand different managerial styles, and how middle managers can use gen AI to support their teams more effectively—and update their image while they’re at it.

The McKinsey Podcast, our new flagship podcast series, takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

The McKinsey Podcast features conversations with experts from global management-consulting firm McKinsey & Company, focusing on the issues that matter most in business and management.

The McKinsey Podcast

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

Our flagship series The McKinsey Podcast takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey &amp; Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.

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