The Role of Middle Managers – The Culture Carriers
- Colette Botha
- Sep 16
- 1 min read
Are your middle managers empowered to model and reinforce your desired culture—or are they stuck translating strategy they don’t believe in?
Middle managers are often overlooked, yet they are the true culture carriers within any organisation. They are the link between leadership vision and daily team experiences. They interpret strategy, shape tone and influence the ‘emotional climate’ of teams.
Culture doesn’t trickle down, it’s passed down through interpretation and reinforcement. Middle managers either amplify or dilute your culture.
According to McKinsey, culture change efforts succeed when middle management is both informed and emotionally bought in. Yet many are burnt out, caught in operational demands and lacking the tools or context to lead culture effectively.
At Colette Strategic Solutions, we believe in building strong middle manager ecosystems by:
Equipping them with coaching skills and emotional intelligence
Helping them connect strategy with purpose
Creating safe spaces for them to share and grow
Recognising their role as front-line leaders of change
One global bank we worked with found that shifting the tone and capability of middle managers led to a 23% increase in employee trust and a 17% drop in attrition within one year.
If you want your culture to scale, invest in the messengers. Middle managers don’t just carry culture—they multiply it.
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