On our recent school holidays, we found warmer weather and hit the pool. So much fun and great to get some sun and warmth onto our bodies after this weird and wet Sydney weather. One of our family favourites is the game Piggy in the Middle. The kids now 11 and 13 love pegging the ball backward and forward, jumping, diving and laughing.
You know what though? I secretly don’t love it. I hate being in the middle. I hate getting in.
A few clients and I discussed this recently at a workshop.
The Piggy in the Middle Syndrome.
Feeling like piggy in the middle.
Have you ever experienced it?
The feeling when you’re in the in-between leadership role.
It might happen as CEO reporting to board and with responsibilities to team.
It might happen as General Manager reporting to directors yet working to appease and keep the team happy.
It can happen in middle management roles reporting to the CEO or other senior or executive leaders.
I struggled with it in my role as Managing Director some years ago. Reporting to the owner offshore in Europe and with a flat structure, lots of reports were always knocking on my door.
Actually some never knocked and just walked on in.
I felt like the piggy in the middle.
Sometimes quite stuck.
It can be a tricky to find that ideal balance between empathy and assertiveness.
It’s an internal thing (deep seeded within us) and can be a little difficult to articulate to others.
It’s a knowing that instead of feeling stuck or jammed in between these layers and levels of management, you wake up with the self-belief that you can do it, each day, despite the constant barrage of challenges you face internally with team or potentially externally with clients and customers.
It’s tricky, I know. I get it.
Keep believing.
Genevieve
P.S Our tribe here gets it too. We’re like-minded and here to lift you up and help you believe
P.S Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you develop and work on your business leadership capabilities:
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Would you like a different perspective and someone else at the front of the room or on zoom/teams to lead regular and consistent team building, accountability and engaging learning experiences, that drive results and outcomes for individuals, teams and the business? If you feel a little challenged with everything going on, maybe sounding like a cracked recorded saying things over and over again, or actually not 100% how to motivate and inspire the team, given the current nature of business, it may be useful for us to chat. Message TEAM to me here… and tell me a little about the business, your team and what you’d like to work on together.
