Many times we focus on the leadership abilities of the CEO or top official in a given organization but, I think that it is imperative to spend some time focusing on middle management. Middle managers, such as an organization’s department head or perhaps a regional manager in a national chain of stores, play a vital role in the success of the organization. Middle managers do not get the recognition that they deserve as they are often overshadowed by top-level managers. A middle manager needs to have the ability to couple their knowledge and competencies with inborn leadership traits to effectively lead people and accomplish their organization’s goals. It is imperative that middle managers possess the requisite skills and competencies to effective lead their respective department or division.
Katz (2009) suggests that a leader should have requisite skills such as technical, human, and conceptual skills all of which comprise the three-skill approach. These skills are instrumental to all leaders within an organization but are imperative in middle management as all three skills are critical to success. The middle manager n
eeds to be technically versed to be able to talk the talk and walk the walk with their subordinates. From a human perspective, it is important for the middle manager to have people skills and be aware of other’s perspective. Finally, the middle manager needs to have conceptual skills in order to understand the organization’s vision and goals in order to steer the team in the appropriate direction.
I can’t help but think of an inspirational department head that I worked for in early in my career. He was the guy that everyone wanted to work for because he was not only knowledgeable, but he was approachable and had ability to put you at ease if you were having difficulty with a project. His tact and diplomacy facilitated an ebb and flow of communication between subordinates and command officials which effectively communicated organizational goals while keeping the chain of command apprised of the workplace climate. I always felt that we had clear cut task direction and we were always recognized for our accomplishments. Conversely, I worked for a supervisor who did not have a balance of the three-skill approach and it showed in the performance of the division. He had great technical grasp but severely lacked the human skill which left doubt in each of our minds as to whether or not he cared about our opinion or valued our individual contributions.
I would think that those middle managers who are promoted within are initially more effective than a middle manager who is hired from the outside the organization. From a technical and conceptual stand point, an internal promotion would maintain continuity 
and cause little disruption for the team. It may take an outsider longer to acclimate to the organization and its goals. According to Greenwood (n.d.), “An organization that promotes from within has the opportunity to identify the characteristics, qualifications and skills it wants in the leadership team.” However, I think that a counter argument can be made that in some cases it is better for an organization to have a new manager come in with a fresh perspective who potentially adds a different dynamic to the team.
In any case, it is important for middle managers to possess the skills outlined in the three-skill approach in order to fill the critical gap between first level supervisors and upper management. They must be able to be proficient in their core competencies while maintaining a fine balance between being sensitive to people’s needs and accomplishing organizational goals. Some of the best top-level managers that I’ve encounters have been successful mid-level managers who embodied the three critical skills of technical competence, human, and conceptual skills.
Terrill Malvesti – PSYCH 485
References:
Greenwood, B. (n.d.). The Advantages of Promotion From Within. Retrieved February 4, 2015, from http://work.chron.com/advantages-promotion-within-6320.html
Katz, R. (2009). Skills of an effective administrator. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.
I would like to comment to both Terrill as well as GSL117. First Terrill, looking at the story you have told about the good manager you had early on and the impact they had on you, this could also be translated to the experiences had with bad managers. I have had the experience to work for both good and bad leaders and the best part of that is that I have seen both what I want to be as well as what I do not want to be as a leader. Sometimes I feel it is more valuable to work for a bad manager to learn about what things kill motivation. This helps for your own learning when leading others.
With regard to GSL117 you have a very good point as well. I had a friend who had the exact opposite happen to him. He worked for an American company that was taken over by Chinese leadership and the huge cultural differences with regard to work caused a lot of friction within the company as there was a large disconnect with regard to values. It is very important to understand the needs of your workers and sometimes even more so the culture with regard to business.
The three skill approach does require that middle managers have all three: technical, human and conceptual. Top management requires less technical but every bit of human and conceptual skill (Northouse 2013). Now, suppose that you are in top management and are being sent overseas to lead the foreign division. Will those three skills translate into the new culture?
Chinese leadership styles can belong in one of “three subtypes: benevolent, moral and authoritarian” Benevolent leader behaviors include “individualized care and understanding and forgiving”, moral leader behaviors include “integrity and fulfilling one’s obligations, no “taking advantage of others” and being the shining flawless example. Authoritarian leaders are “powerfully subduing”, exercise “authority and control” exhibit “intention hiding behavior” are rigorous and doctrinaire (Mingzheng & Xinhui 2014 p. 167). Being sensitive “to the needs and motivations of others” (Northouse 2013), a human skill, would run counter to the behavior culturally expected from an authoritarian leader.
Chinese followers may also expect differential leadership from top management. This occurs when leaders treat followers differently depending on whether or not they are part of the in crowd. This is evidenced by differences in communicating, rewarding and level of trust (Mingzheng & Xinhui 2014). Some of us may feel that we are experiencing differential leadership at times.
The skills approach to leadership is an evaluation of the link between a leader’s knowledge and skills as well as the outcome or performance (Northouse 2013). I argue that the skills approach can be applied in unfamiliar overseas leadership situations provided one is willing to learn, not only from his own experiences but from those who may have already served in an overseas capacity.
References
Mingzheng, X., & Xinhui, W. (2014). Chinese Leadership. Public Integrity, 16(2), 165-172. doi:10.2753/PIN1099-9922160204
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.