Middle Managers: MENA’s Quiet Cultural Carriers - Future Business Solution

By Kevin Haslam, Chief Growth Officer

In my years working across the MENA region, I’ve seen middle managers act as the real bridge between strategy and delivery. They’re the link between the Executive Boardroom and the rest of the organisation, and they carry the responsibility of translating senior leadership’s vision into daily practice while also understanding the pulse of their teams.

In MENA, where cultural expectations and workplace dynamics can differ greatly from one organisation to another, middle managers often set the tone for trust, engagement, and motivation. After all, they are the ones who reinforce organisational values, guide their teams through change, and ultimately shape whether the culture feels authentic or forced. Without them, strategy rarely connects with people.

How to Develop Middle Managers

I’ve often noticed that middle managers need clarity, recognition, and structured growth to thrive. Senior leaders can support them by:

• Creating clear career pathways so they can see a future for themselves and not feel stuck between levels.

• Investing in leadership development tailored to their role, focusing on skills like emotional intelligence, influence, and decision-making.

• Encouraging mentorship and coaching, giving them access to senior leaders who can share experience and guidance.

• Recognising their achievements publicly, reminding them that their work is both visible and valued.

Keeping Middle Managers “On Message”

Middle managers can drive culture, and they can also shape transformation in an organisation. That’s why it’s so critical that they remain aligned to the organisational strategy.

Based on my experience, senior management should:

• Communicate strategy with clarity, avoiding jargon and ensuring managers can explain it confidently to their teams.

• Involve them early in change conversations, so they feel ownership rather than pressure to “sell” someone else’s decisions.

• Equip them with consistent tools and frameworks, so the message delivered across the organisation remains aligned.

• Check in regularly, not just through dashboards and KPIs but through open dialogue to sense how messages are landing.

Closing the Gap

The hierarchical structure of many MENA organisations means that there will, naturally, be a gap between senior leadership and middle management. The key to business success lies in narrowing that gap – and this can be done with deliberate effort.

Four key actions can help in this regard.

1. Listen

Senior leaders must first listen actively, creating spaces where middle managers can share their challenges without fear.

2. Be Seen

Senior leaders should show visibility by spending time with their teams, not only in boardrooms.

3. Build Trust

Building a culture of mutual trust ensures middle managers don’t feel like mere executors, but like trusted partners in the business.

4. Share Responsibility

Shared accountability, where both senior and middle managers are responsible for outcomes, creates alignment and respect.

When these actions are in place, the distance between senior leadership and middle management narrows, and the gap between “vision” and “execution” disappears.

That’s when culture becomes something lived, not just written.