This Episode: Helping The Squeezed Middle Manager with Gary Cookson
Lucinda welcomes special guest Gary Cookson, an expert in leadership development and author of the upcoming book, The Squeezed Middle, to talk about the evolving and often invisible role of middle managers, who act as vital buffers and translators between senior strategy and frontline execution.
They explore how modern shifts like hybrid work, AI integration, and a greater organisational focus on individual well-being have transformed the middle management profile from a process-driven role into one defined by “learnership,” high emotional intelligence, and lateral influence.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Middle managers are the “value zone” of an organisation where abstract strategy is translated into practical reality and organisational culture is truly embodied through daily interactions.
- Remote and hybrid work have moved management from sensory observation (eyes and ears) to digital data processing, requiring managers to master asynchronous communication and new ways of gathering information.
- There is an increasing demand for managers to treat employees as unique individuals rather than a collective group, necessitating high interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate individual well-being and career aspirations.
- With the rapid onset of technologies like AI, managers are no longer expected to have all the answers; instead, they must model “learnership” by being open to unlearning old habits.
BEST MOMENTS
“If you want to know the true value of a middle manager, get rid of them. See what doesn’t happen as a result, and see what does that they’re not there to stop happening.”
“Strategy becomes reality, plans become real… it’s a very misunderstood and often quite intangible role.”
“It’s never important to have all the right answers; it’s more important to have all the right questions.”
“You can’t expect people to just swim when you throw them in the water for the first time… if you throw somebody in the water for the first time and they drown, that’s on you, not on them.”
Valuable Resources
The HR Uprising Podcast | Apple | Spotify | YouTube
The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group
Mastering Motivation with Rob Lion (The HR Uprising)
How To Be A Change Superhero – by Lucinda Carney
HR Uprising Mastermind – https://hruprising.com/mastermind/
If you liked this episode, try these
- Podcast Episode 262: Leadership and Management – High Performance HR
- Podcast Episode 249: Making Hybrid Working Work with Gary Cookson
Find out more about Actus solutions:
Appraisal Info-book: Rethinking Performance Appraisals
Performance Management Software
About The Guest, Gary Cookson
Gary Cookson returns to the podcast for his second appearance, and we’re thrilled to have him back! Gary is a leading voice in organisational transformation, known for helping leaders build workplaces where people think clearly, perform brilliantly and feel genuinely valued. With a background in leading HR, OD and L&D in complex environments and now heading his consultancy, EPIC, he brings a refreshingly human and practical approach to leadership, culture and hybrid working. As a multi-published, successful author with his third book, ‘The Squeezed Middle’, on the way, Gary combines expertise with authenticity, honesty, and a real understanding of the messy realities of modern work. This makes him the perfect guest to explore what effective, human leadership really looks like today.
Connect with Gary…
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garycookson/
Pre-order ‘The Squeezed Middle’: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/isbn/9783111713748/html
About The Host
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles. Lucinda, for over 10 years as CEO of Actus Software has worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. Certainly, it was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community. In order to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
How To Be A Change Superhero – by Lucinda Carney
Contact Method
- Join the HR Uprising LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/
- Email: Lucinda@advancechange.co.uk
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/
- X / Twitter: @lucindacarney
- Instagram: @hruprising
- Facebook: @hruprising
- YouTube: Channel
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