Middle Management Leadership Development

The engine of the business.

The conduit from strategy to operations.

The cogs that make things work.

The glue that keeps the company together.

Middle Managers are perfectly positioned: to influence up, collaborate across and inspire down!

When managers are leading themselves and their teams they are achieving better results, faster in their own work and the work of their team. Through boosting the self- and people- leadership of middle managers, confidence and contribution improves and increases, leading to greater value to the organisation.

“Middle managers account for 22% of revenue variation, after controlling for other factors.”

– Mollick, 2012

Business returns can be improved 7.6% annually when:

  1. Organisations operate in alignment with purpose;
  2. Executives execute on clear strategy; and
  3. Middle Managers are developed.

– Pontefract in Forbes, 2019

With an average of 50% of middle managers not receiving any training or development, this leads to low engagement and high turnover of the middle layers.

“When replacing a low-skill, low-knowledge, low-level employee, it can cost you about 50% of the employee’s salary. When replacing a higher-level employee like a supervisor [middle manager], you can expect to spend up to 150% of the person’s annual salary to replace them.” – GrowthForce

Since the pandemic, the mash up of remote and/or hybrid work arrangements have put a spotlight on three big issues middle managers face:

  • an ongoing lack of specific leadership development,
  • the challenge of leading a team that were once together but may now remain remote or hybrid, and
  • limited networks and support as compared to their executives or direct reports.

Long working hours for middle managers means increased fatigue which leads to poor decisions, focus and attention. This is turn leads to costly mistakes that negatively impact organisational culture, productivity and the bottom line.

According to Bloomberg Business, of all office workers, middle managers are reporting the highest levels of stress and anxiety and the worst work-life balance.⁣ That’s according to new research by Slack’s Future Forum, which found a record 43% of managers say they’re burned out — the highest of any job level. Slack polled more than 10,000 desk workers in the US, Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the UK.

The bottom line of your business depends on your operational staff who, study after study report, get their direction, inspiration and guidance directly from their direct line manager.

It’s time for middle managers to get deeper INSIGHT into how they spend their time so they can stop feeling as though their efforts are invisible. Productive managers move from constantly reacting and stomping out fires and RESOLVE to take more considered approaches to their work. Productive managers are more DISCERNING: they master key leadership skills. Feedback, delegation, problem solving and decision making, coaching skills, influence and prioritising are the core skills that help the manager to ACHIEVE more from their own efforts and from the team’s. Productive managers are prolific by constantly and consistently looking for ways to add value to the team, the department and the business. They know that leadership is a journey of life long learning, starting with their own self-leadership: great leadership starts with exceptional self-leadership! They have time, energy and focus to find ways to PROSPER personally and for the business and role model and support others to achieve the same.

Middle managers are perfectly positioned to be agile, to inform and influence upwards as they can have their eyes and ears on operations, and shifts in their market / industry. They are perfectly positioned to KNOW WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON so the BUSINESS CAN STAY COMPETITIVE!

Middle managers can collaborate with their peers to LEVERAGE RESOURCES, SKILLS AND EFFICIENCIES.

Middle managers can inform and inspire their team and team members to BRING THEM ALONG ON THE JOURNEY to action the strategic vision of the business.

 

This program develops the SELF- and PEOPLE- LEADERSHIP of your Middle Managers. 

Request a copy of the program brochure or book a call / video chat to discuss how this program will boost productivity, engagement and profits for you and your organisation.

The Middle Manager Leadership Development program is a Certified Learning Solution (CLS). It was externally assessed by the Asia Pacific Institute of Learning and Performance. The CLS is the master recognition benchmark for quality learning solutions, designed to meet an identified learning need and achieve the desired outcomes and results. It is what sets high-quality learning solutions apart in the learning and development profession. This benchmark:

  • Recognises design and development capabilities, experience and achievements
  • Identifies well designed learning solutions achieving great results
  • Provides quality assurance to existing and potential clients
  • CLS recipients are acknowledged for their quality and continual improvement
  • Allows recipients to offer CPD points for their certified learning solution

Click the LET’S TALK button to find a time and date that suits you… 

The program is fully customised to your team and their leadership development needs. The key elements will ensure your middle managers raise their awareness of who they are, how they are seen and see their people, and the culture they operate in and influence. The program will amplify their confidence and influence while also building their essential leadership skills. To ensure the learning sticks your middle managers will apply their learning through a range of work based exercises and activities that help them understand and build on the value of accountability for productivity, collaboration and networking to strengthen their own management team and other significant relationships.

When middle managers are operating at their full potential, they are productive leaders who help themselves and others to connect and engage with the work and have purpose. The result being:

better engaged employees

less burnout and turnover

speed to problem resolution

agile and resilient workforce

greater competitive advantage

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Request a copy of the program brochure or book a call / video chat to discuss how this program will boost productivity, engagement and profits for you and your organisation.

Sally says her wisdom is for middle managers but her smart thoughts and questioning nature really helps everyone examine their problems, motivations and create their own solutions. She does this with such a lightness of touch you sometimes don’t notice she’s done it. She’s remarkable. Book her to speak then book her to train. She’s fascinating.

Maz Farrelly

CEO Whisperer

I strongly recommend Sally-Foley-Lewis as a Management Trainer and Coach for you and the supervisors and managers of your organisation. She combines top credentials, a keen sense of urgency, sharp facilitation skills and a very personable and engaging communication style to deliver recommendations and programs that improve staff performance. I continue to rely on Sally for her management wisdom – because it works!

Robin Dickinson

RAD International

Sally spent time coaching me in leadership and management skills. She gave practical, expert advice which I could applystraightaway. Tough insights delivered by a supportive coach.

Catrin Hobart

Senior Marketer

Wow, is short of explaining how awesome I find Sally and regard her expertise. Her knowledge, understanding and expertise in training people to be better managers is simply amazing. Having managed people for the past 6 years I found her advice real, easy to implement and has had a massive impact on how I will manage people in the future. 

Sean Grobbelaar

Director

Case study: Clinical Leaders

Leaders based in a range of health services

ROI: sample

  • Bianca N calculated AUD101,000.00 program ROI
  • Sree A. calculated AUD34,230 program ROI
  • Fiona N. calculated AUD687,000 program ROI

“The most valuable and useful thing I have learned is to faciliate the team and to challenge the assumption that I need to have all the answers; that by engaging the team, their solutions become more embedded in practice and sustainable and it builds staff ability to contribute / foster a culture of being heard and have their input acted on which leads to an overall positive culture. I am incredibly grateful for Sally without whom my progress would not have been as significant.” Bianca N.

Case study: FMCG Multi-National Brand

40 Middle Managers based in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei

Workshops: Overall Satisfaction: 100% rated Excellent

ROI: 290% – calculated on time saved, process efficiencies and cost reductions.

One participant reported a MYR192,000.00 (AUD63,518.00) ROI cost saving attributed to the program.

Image below supplied by client…

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

At the heart of coaching is a creative and thought-provoking process that supports individuals and teams to confidently pursue new ideas and alternative solutions with greater resilience and confidence in the the face of growing complexity and uncertainty.

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

In the face of uncertainty and constant change by workforce fluctuations, technology developments and other factors, performance expectations remain very high. Improving self-confidence, self-leadership and competence to face the challenges is critical to meet organisational demands.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

The coach-client relationship generates learning and clarity for forward action with a commitment to clear, measurable outcomes. Coaching offers a great return on investment for individual clients and offers significant return on investment for companies.

Sally is direct, focused and energised. Her ability to listen and identify quickly the issue(s) is powerful and intentional. Sally is perfect at playing ‘devil’s advocate’ and moves quickly to help you identify any blockages and develop solutions and methods to move things forward. I respect Sally’s work immensely.

Nicholas Volpe

Finance Industry

Sally was a great help for showing me new insights and how I can achieve my goal. I appreciate her professional assessment, humanity and advice very much.

Christian Hirschmann

Corporate Governance

I highly recommend the Management Success Cards™ created by Sally to any manager. The thought-provoking questions have guided me to better, clearer decision-making for driving team performance. I know that if a people management challenge arises I can refer to the Management Success Cards™ for successful self-directed coaching. I also love the colourful and vibrant design. Every corner of management is definitely covered! Great little bundle of motivation!

Annalisa Brimo

Director

Book a call / video chat to discuss how this program will boost productivity, engagement and profits for you and your organisation.

Click the LET’S TALK button to find a time and date that suits you… 

Your Expert Facilitator & Coach

Sally Foley-Lewis inspires and skills managers to be high performing, purposeful and productive. Obsessed with leadership and professional development that ensures people reach their potential, Sally’s presentations and programs positively impact confidence, leadership and results. The drive to support and skill managers comes from her own CEO and senior leadership experiences.

  • 2021 USQ Outstanding Alumnus of the Year – Business and Enterprise
  • 2021 A.I. Influential Businesswoman – Winner – Most Inspirational Leadership Development Specialist (Australia)
  • 2021 ROAR Success Awards – Silver Leadership Award
  • 2020 Gold Stevie Award – Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Services
  • 2020 Bronze Stevie Award – Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Consumer Services
  • 2020 Breakthrough Speaker of the Year by Professional Speakers Australia

Named a LinkedIn Top Voice, she is also a global professional speaker, and has authored multiple books. Sally delivers presentations, keynote speeches, workshops and coaching – live online and face-to-face – to skill managers, boost productivity, engagement and self-leadership.

Blending 20+ years of working with a diverse range of people and industries, in Germany, the Middle East, Asia and across Australia Sally has extensive qualifications, a wicked sense of humour and an ability to inspire and energise.