Leveling Up Instead of Flattening Out
The Real Answer to Broken Management Hierarchies
In our latest Meta Cast episode, Bob and I debated a provocative claim that's gaining traction in progressive business circles: middle management should be extinct.
There's a growing sentiment that we should flatten hierarchies, eliminate management layers, and liberate teams from bureaucratic structures that stifle innovation and engagement. Books, articles, and LinkedIn influencers regularly proclaim the death of traditional management.
Here's the thing - I understand where they're coming from. Most of us have suffered under poor management. We've experienced the needless approvals, the micromanagement, the decision bottlenecks, and the political games that drain our energy and creativity.
But here's what struck me during our conversation: the problem isn't the existence of leadership layers. The problem is how poorly those layers typically function.
The Leadership Gap
When I coach executives, particularly those without technical backgrounds, I see them struggle with team-centric approaches. They desperately want a "single wringable neck" they can grab when things go wrong. They want hierarchical clarity because that's what they've always known.
And when I push back? When I suggest that true leadership means developing collaborative decision-making rather than command-and-control structures? The resistance is palpable.
This isn't because these executives are bad people. It's because they've rarely, if ever, experienced truly effective leadership themselves.
As Bob pointed out during our conversation, if you put most executives on a team and treated them the way they ask us to treat our teams - with micromanagement and rigid control - they would immediately rebel. "This sucks," they'd say. "I can do things differently!"
Yet the default is to perpetuate what they know, even when what they know doesn't work.
The Transformation We Need
The answer isn't to eliminate leadership roles. It's to transform them.
When I think about what great middle management actually looks like, I envision leaders who:
Focus relentlessly on leveling up their people - not just technically, but as complete professionals
Build resilient teams that can handle failure, recover quickly, and take smart risks
Create environments where collaboration isn't just encouraged but becomes the default way of working
Develop people who can make decisions independently because they understand the "why" behind the work
Model the vulnerability, curiosity, and growth mindset they want to see in their teams
This isn't idealistic theory. I've seen what happens when leadership transforms this way - innovation accelerates, engagement soars, and business results follow.
The Invitation
This newsletter exists because I believe in the power of better models. I believe we can change the narrative about leadership by becoming the leaders we wished we had earlier in our careers.
If you're in a leadership position now, or aspire to be, I want to challenge you with something Bob and I discussed:
Imagine you're about to take a three-week vacation with no connectivity whatsoever. What keeps you up at night? What decisions can only you make? What knowledge lives only in your head? What conflicts only you can resolve?
That list is your leadership transformation backlog.
Every item on it represents a way your team depends on you rather than being empowered to function excellently without you. Your job is to systematically eliminate each item - not by working harder or controlling more tightly, but by building capability, judgment, and autonomy in your team.
The first step is getting comfortable with discomfort. You'll need to let go, allow people to make mistakes, and resist the urge to swoop in with solutions. You'll watch things start to go off the rails and keep your mouth shut, creating space for your team to discover their own path forward.
It will feel messy. It will trigger every control instinct you have. And it's exactly what transformative leadership requires.
The Mission
The calls to eliminate middle management aren't going away. But they're addressing the symptom rather than the disease.
If we want to build organizations where people thrive, where innovation happens naturally, and where work feels meaningful rather than soul-crushing, we don't need fewer leaders. We need better ones.
That's our mission - to transform leadership from within. To become the models that change the narrative. To create teams and organizations so vibrant and effective that no one would dream of suggesting we eliminate leadership roles.
Let's be the leaders we wished we had. The world needs nothing less.
Josh Anderson
Editor-In-Chief
The Leadership Lighthouse