#99: How to Lead from the Middle with Jeff Sigel

Jeff Sigel is an author, coach, and consultant who is passionate about creating better work environments and more fulfilling careers for middle managers everywhere. After over 20 years of corporate experience at Nabisco, The Hershey Company, grocery retailer Ahold, and the restaurant company Cracker Barrel, Jeff has shifted his focus to coaching mid-level leaders and supporting companies looking to empower their middle management teams. He is currently a consultant and coach focused on turning strategy into action by developing middle management excellence. His book, "The Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers" is available on amazon.com.

Top 3 Takeaways

1. Keep on Learning. Appointing someone to a manager position doesn’t confer any new skills. Leadership and management take time, practice and reflection. Keep at it!
2. Know the Roles. Leaders wear many proverbial hats. The three roles Jeff describes in his book are Doer, Leader, and Influencer. We need to perform each role well.
3. Focus on Results. Each role produces its own outcome. Jeff did a great job explaining how the Doer, Leader, Influencer roles produce credibility, capacity and commitment when done right.

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From the Source

“That was when I realized that leading people is not about what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.”

“That was when I realized that leading people is not about what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.”

“One of the fascinating things as I've been teaching people about this framework of Doer, Leader, Influencer is that sometimes that idea in and of itself is a big aha. Like, ‘Oh, my role isn't just to get things done anymore. I have to do these other things.’”

“If you think about any problems that you run into with your boss, it's almost always a problem with credibility.”

“Your goal as a leader should be to create a team that you trust to do things even when you're not around and get them right.”

Connect with Jeff

Website: https://jeffsigel.com

The Middle Matters (book): https://amzn.to/3AMcerA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-sigel