Your CEO Can't Create an AI Revolution. Your Middle Managers Can.

👋 Hey everyone,

For decades, we’ve been sold a model for business transformation that simply doesn’t work. We're told change is either a top-down directive or a bottom-up movement.

According to recent research, fewer than one in eight transformations yield lasting results.

When it comes to the complexity of #AI, that failure rate is even more dangerous. So, what do the successful 12% know that the others don't?

They know the secret isn't at the top or the bottom. It's in the middle.

Top-down directives often fail because the C-suite is too detached from the messy details of day-to-day operations. Bottom-up ideas, while grounded in reality, often lack the broad strategic perspective to create wholesale change.

The sweet spot is the layer that holds both strategic insight and operational experience: your middle management. This isn’t just a theory; it’s a proven strategy used by some of the world's most successful companies.

Case Study 1: Amgen Floods the Zone with Talent When the $27 billion biopharmaceutical company Amgen needed to transform, they didn't just assign the project to a committee. As detailed in Harvard Business Review, they handpicked their absolute best VP- and director-level leaders to spearhead every single initiative. These leaders were 100% dedicated, with no distractions. The selection was as rigorous as a pro sports draft, ensuring their A-team was leading the charge. They entrusted their transformation to their most proven talent in the middle.

Case Study 2: bioMérieux Empowers the "Frozen Middle" To integrate the newly acquired BioFire diagnostics company, French multinational bioMérieux didn't issue commands from their headquarters. They engaged high-potential middle managers from both companies to lead the charge. Leadership's role was to define priorities, provide resources, and then "deputize" these managers, giving them the authority to make real, significant changes. They turned the so-called "frozen middle" into an empowered, highly motivated engine for change, and the company's value soared.

These show that middle managers aren't the roadblock. Middle managers are your secret weapon for an AI revolution that actually works. They are the human API connecting your grandest strategic ambitions to the practical realities of your business.

It’s time to stop overlooking your most powerful people.

Shout out a "middle-out" hero! Tag a manager or director in the comments who has successfully translated a big vision into a real, tangible success for their team. 👇

Know a leader in the "middle" who is making a huge impact with AI? Forward this newsletter to them. It's time they knew they were the key.