I was fortunate to spend an afternoon recently with a company that has done remarkably well in their first nine years of existence. 

In my experience, organizations like this are successful because they have both the ability and systems to help monitor their performance since they are acutely aware of the competitive challenges they face. 

As noted author Tom Peters says, “You need to keep getting better faster than your competition.” My analogy is that leading is at times like moving up a down escalator; if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. 

This company is committed to constantly improving, and the growth shows this. In nine years, they have gone from a small startup to over 160 employees. 

The executive team of seven has pretty much been there from the start. To get ready for the day, I sent out a survey to these seven executives and to 29 other people in supervisor roles. This group is usually termed “middle management.” One of the questions asked was: “On a 10-point scale, rate the current leadership training (development) at the company.” 

I find companies get so busy with day-to-day activities that training can often be missed for those in manager positions. It is common to find that more time is spent on training how the new point-of-service software works than how to hire talent. This company acknowledged that it too had some challenges in this area. All 36 responses showed that more training was needed.

The survey provided a non-threatening way for middle managers to say, “I want to do a great job and I am doing my best, but I need your help in getting better.” The great news was the top leaders were just as aware of the need as the middle managers.

My statement to the top leadership team was, “Your success and the company’s success are directly proportional to the skills of the middle management group.” 

To demonstrate I had each senior leader share how many direct reports they had. The senior team directly supervised 29 people. Then I had them subtract 36 people — meaning the seven top leaders and 29 middle managers — from 168 employees. This showed them that 132 employees, or most of the company, was being led by someone other than those seven executives. 

In other words, the company is highly dependent on the leadership of the 29 middle managers. And the success of those 29 middle managers will be determined largely by how well they are led by the senior leader team. 

Light bulbs flashed as the senior leaders’ awareness of their role in development became very clear. Each day middle managers take actions that will either make or break a company, so it’s up to senior leaders to make sure these middle managers are well trained in the skills they need to lead the rest of the company.

Some Tips for Top Leaders:

1.    For each manager in the organization, write down the top four measurable goals. One example for a sales manager may be to renew 90 percent of current clients. These goals usually fall into categories of revenue, expense management (productivity), employee engagement (turnover), or customer service.

2.    Create a list of the skills necessary for a manager to meet the company’s performance goals you have listed. If you would like a basic list I put together, write me at [email protected].

3.    As an executive team, review the list of management skills. Decide which ones best to teach as a group. You will gain better consistency this way.

4.    Have each manager rate their own proficiency for each skill on a 10-point scale. 

5.    Have each senior leader meet with their direct reports to create a development plan for each person. (The CEO will meet with each senior team member.)

6.    Senior leaders ask each person: “What do you need from me to assist in your development?” “What barriers or challenges can I help with?” “Is there anything you feel will keep you from building your skill set to the point that you and the company’s goals are reached?”

I know it is a lot. However, the organization with the best middle managers wins, and that means they also have the best top leaders.

Great leaders are great developers of people. This is both a responsibility and an honor — and few things are more rewarding than helping others become the best they can be.