HBR's 10 Must Reads for Mid-Level Managers

Collaborator. Communicator. Connector. Coach.

As a mid-level manager, you're being tasked with more than ever before. You're expected to lead innovation, develop talent, execute on strategy, create an inclusive culture, and help your people adapt to constant change. How can you do it all and be successful?

If you read nothing else on being an effective mid-level manager, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the best ones to help you build buy-in up and down your organization, secure time and resources for key projects, and lead change—all while getting the most important work done.

This book will inspire you to:



Build winning teams and develop talent
Transform your role from intermediary to innovator
Foster a culture of psychological safety
Balance being a leader with being an individual contributor
Form partnerships and leverage internal networks
Lead your organization from the middle



This collection of articles includes "Managers Can't Do It All," by Diane Gherson and Lynda Gratton; "The Real Value of Middle Managers," by Zahira Jaser; "In Praise of Middle Managers," by Quy Nguyen Huy; "Managing Your Boss," by John J. Gabarro and John P. Kotter; "Get the Boss to Buy In," by Susan J. Ashford and James Detert; "The Secrets of Great Teamwork," by Martine Haas and Mark Mortensen; "How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams," by Joan C. Williams and Sky Mihaylo; "Making the Hybrid Workplace Fair," by Mark Mortensen and Martine Haas; "Why Strategy Execution Unravels—and What to Do About It," by Donald Sull, Rebecca Homkes, and Charles Sull; "The Leader as Coach," by Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular; "Make the Most of Your One-on-One Meetings," by Steven G. Rogelberg; "Learn When to Say No," by Bruce Tulgan; and "Begin with Trust," by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss.