Four Mistakes Middle-Managers Make When Strategies Shift

Mid-year shifts happen. Strategies change. Decisions are made… sometimes based on limited data. And the resulting direction isn’t always easy to embrace.

Leading through moments like this is a core leadership competency. How you absorb change, support the new path, and motivate your team to execute matters. It’s easier said than done. But, navigating ambiguity with alignment and conviction is part of operating at the next level.

For leaders outside the C-suite, I’ve seen four common mistakes in moments like these.

Waiting for Iron-Clad Evidence

Early in our careers, we’re taught to make data-driven decisions. Bring evidence. Provide examples. Build the case. But as we move into senior management, the emphasis shifts toward making faster decisions despite having imperfect information.

When leading a business forward, executives often choose “progress over perfection.” While some decisions are clear-cut and the necessary data points are obvious, most strategic decisions are far more complex and nuanced. Waiting for a more complete set of data may not lead to greater understanding, and the impact of delayed action—even if you ultimately reach the “right” decision—can be just as detrimental as getting the decision wrong. In fast-moving environments, the window to act often closes before the data is concrete. As a result, executives frequently make decisions in the absence of perfect clarity.

This can be a really uncomfortable shift for many up-and-coming leaders. When decisions by the C-suite appear to lack rigor or data-driven justification, the resulting strategy can feel unclear or insufficiently supported. However, the rigor behind those decisions may be grounded in pattern recognition, prior experience, board-level conversations, or risk calculations that aren’t fully transparent at every level of the organization.

It’s natural to want to see the full data set when the logic behind a decision feels opaque. It’s especially difficult when you’ll be accountable for the results of a decision you didn’t make. Asking thoughtful questions to gain clarity is appropriate. Requiring certainty before moving forward is not.

Remember: Operating at the next level means getting comfortable moving forward with conviction even when the data isn’t perfect. For leaders outside of the C-suite, that means embracing the company direction and motivating your team to execute—without waiting for iron-clad proof that the path is guaranteed to succeed.

Focusing on Obstacles Instead of Solutions

When the C-suite adjusts the strategy and you’re asked to make a leap of faith and execute a new plan, it’s natural to want to identify the risks. Especially if the decision feels based on incomplete or imperfect information. Often, what we’re really reacting to is the fear of being held accountable for an outcome we don’t fully control. This feeling is normal. However, the way you frame your response in these moments is critically important.

Start by acknowledging that you understand the path forward. If you don’t understand what you’re being asked to do, clarify it now. After that, shift your focus forward. Rather than listing obstacles as reasons the plan won’t work, define what you’ll need in order to accomplish it successfully. That might mean additional staff or resources. It might mean deprioritizing other initiatives. It might require stronger collaboration across teams. At the same time, if there are risks or trade-offs that your executive team may not have considered, it’s OK to point those out. But frame them as expectations rather than impediments. Move from arguing feasibility to outlining conditions for success.

Remember: Your role isn’t to explain why the new direction won’t work. It’s to define what it will take to make it work—and to build the plan to get there.

Protecting Your Team Instead of Preparing Them

One of the biggest mistakes managers make when there’s an unexpected or unpopular strategic shift is to defend and advocate for the team they lead. However, doing right by the company sometimes requires leading your employees through discomfort. Rather than shielding them from change, focus on equipping them to navigate it.

This can feel like you’re choosing between loyalty to your team and loyalty to the company. A key aspect of serving as a people manager is to bring context to company decisions and help your employees understand their role in the big picture. Talk with them about why the shift matters to the business and unpack how the team’s actions will have a direct impact on success.

If your employees are having a hard time getting their heads around the strategic change, you should hear them out, understand their concerns, acknowledge their uneasiness, but then guide them towards executing the new plan. In this sense, advocating for the team means helping them be successful within the strategy, rather than push-back against it.

Remember: Your responsibility is to help create the bridge between strategy and execution— and that may lead to some difficult conversations with your employees. These are some of the defining moments as a leader, as you not only demonstrate your ability to respond to change, but how you motivate your employees to respond, as well.

Distancing Yourself from the Decision

During any decision-making process, healthy debate and disagreement are productive. But once the decision is made, the conversation shifts from debate to commitment. Leaders may not all agree with the direction, but they must align around moving it forward.

Oftentimes, middle-managers aren’t in the room when the decision is made, which means they don’t get the opportunity to voice concerns before the point of “commit and move forward.” That can be challenging… especially if you’re uneasy about how the decision was reached or how it will impact the team you lead. It’s tempting to signal, subtly or explicitly, that this wasn’t your call. But how you handle this moment matters.

In these situations, it’s easy to want to protect your own reputation by distancing yourself from the decision. You might be tempted to signal to your colleagues—or to the team you manage—that you don’t think the plan is a good idea. But when you publicly separate yourself from the direction, you undermine alignment and erode trust. You don’t have to pretend you were the loudest advocate in the room. But once the decision is made, your role is to own it.

Instead, focus on alignment. Dig deep to understand what your employees need in order to be successful. Direct their attention toward what they can control as it relates to their part in the new strategy. You can acknowledge any “sunk costs” or “wasted effort” invested in the prior plan, but don’t let the team stay mired in the past. Turn the page. Focus on the new task at hand.

Remember: Leaders who operate at the next level don’t distance themselves from decisions—they translate them into execution.

Conclusion

Leadership qualities show up when the path forward isn’t obvious. Accountability is demonstrated when you own your part of the plan. Credibility comes from helping others see the path and helping them successfully navigate the obstacles to reach the goal.

None of this is easy. It becomes a bit easier when we support each other along the way.

On February 24, we’ll be hosting a Collective Conversation where Directors, Managers and aspiring leaders will unpack some of these challenges together. We’ll share practical ways to show up in moments like this, and offer validation for just how difficult it can be to lead when the path isn’t clear.

This is a free event, but seats are very limited. Learn more here.