Leading from the middle

I had lunch recently with an executive who left a very successful company after helping them grow both the top and bottom line.  I asked him why he left and he said, “It’s so hard to lead from the middle.”  He went on to explain that though he liked the president of the company as a person, the lack of direction was more than he could tolerate.

This story illustrates why great people often leave companies who need them.  I’ve heard the same idea described in different ways.  For instance, another senior person who left a great company said “I just didn’t see a future I could get excited about.” Read more