Tell managers about the change before they have to explain it

5 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief leadership video, the speaker highlights that middle managers often appear more resistant to organizational change than frontline employees, citing a LeadershipIQ study where only 33% of middle managers support audacious goals compared to nearly two‑thirds of executives and 37% of frontline staff. The speaker explains that this resistance is frequently a symptom of how change is rolled out: executives spend months crafting initiatives but then issue a single company‑wide announcement, leaving managers learning the details moments before their teams. Consequently, managers are expected to field questions they can’t answer. The core recommendation is to change the rollout process by briefing middle managers early, walking them through the initiative, answering their questions, and equipping them with clear talking points, so they can effectively convey the change to their teams.

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Your middle managers may resist change more than your frontline employees do. In one of LeadershipIQ's studies, nearly 2/3 of executives say they pursue audacious goals. Cool. So did 37% of frontline employees. But middle managers? Only 33%. But before you blame the middle managers, look at how change usually rolls out. The executive team spends months developing the initiative, then sends a company-wide announcement. Managers and their employees read it at the exact same moment. Then the frontline turns to their manager with questions and concerns, and that manager who learned about the change maybe 90 seconds ago is somehow expected to defend it. So before your next big announcement, gather your middle managers and walk them through it early. Answer their questions. Arm them with answers to the questions their people are going to ask. Because if your managers can't explain why the change makes sense, Don't expect their employees to believe it does.