Leading Through Change as a Manager

Picture this: Managers receive news of a major change—layoffs, a drastic shift in business strategy, or a complex team reorg. Senior leaders expect them to get on board quickly, translate the message, support their direct reports through the change, and confidently lead, often within short timeframes. 

But they have questions, too. They’re not immune to doubt, change fatigue, or fear. And many times, they don’t receive access to the information, resources, or support to help them navigate and lead the change. They’re humans, navigating the change just like everyone else, yet they face:

• Pressure from leaders to ensure the transformation succeeds
• Questions, resistance, and broken trust from their direct reports 
• Internal doubts, concerns, and fears about what’s coming  

If you’ve ever served in a manager-level leadership role, you don’t have to picture this scenario; you’ve probably experienced it firsthand: the “middle manager squeeze.”

Squeezing middle management causes overwhelm, burnout, and disengagement, yet managers are critical in helping changes succeed.

Managers are pivotal in helping employees understand, contextualize, and commit to change. They’re the voice employees trust most—and the first person they’ll turn to with questions, concerns, or skepticism. Managers who are prepared to lead through change:

• Legitimize the change by translating strategy into action 
• Model the way forward through their behaviors, tone, and communication 
• Build or break trust depending on how they manage the transition with their reports 

When managers are left out of the loop, the whole change effort suffers, so it’s up to senior leaders to prioritize providing enough context and time to process the change.

In addition to supporting managers in a top-down approach, this group requires key leadership capabilities to support themselves and their teams through change. At Apogy, we teach managers how to:

• Manage themselves first and develop resilience 
• Practice active listening to support their relationships with all stakeholders 
• Communicate intentionally to cut through noise and confusion 
• Lead with empathy and meet people where they are while still moving them forward 

The more grounded you are as a manager, the more confidently you can coach, support, and lead others through change. That’s why we created a Stakeholder Engagement and Ownership in Change workshop to equip you with the tools to navigate the “middle manager squeeze” confidently and gracefully. 

Send us an email to learn more at [email protected].