This is where so many leaders come unstuck. Taking on the mythos of the American lone ranger hero, they try to forge ahead and hope people will cheer them on from the back as they watch them save the day...

We often say culture starts at the top. But it’s middle managers who carry it, bend it and, more often than we admit, bear the weight when it breaks. These leaders are the bridge between strategy and daily reality. They translate vision into action, hold the emotional tone of an organisation, and influence the climate where performance either thrives—or slowly deteriorates.