Leadership Coaching for Middle Managers:
A 7-Video Series
Leadership Coaching for Middle Managers in Science, Tech, Engineering and Supply Chain
Why I created this series?
Most of a company is made of middle managers.
This group is the backbone of the industry.
Look at leadership content and education on the internet and it is mostly targeted towards C-level executives, even in the coaching industry.
Before I became a coach I worked in the construction machinery industry and in global supply chain management. Later I owned a business in fashion, then consulted in e-commerce and operations. I have since logged over 1100 hours of coaching and worked with over 400 private clients from large corporations, primarily across Switzerland, Europe, the US, the UK and the UAE.
I recorded these seven videos based on the insights from the many coaching sessions with hundreds of managers and my personal experiences in management. I believe this group of managers are underserved in leadership coaching and I am here to change that.
Who this series is for
Middle managers and team leaders inside complex, matrixed organisations
First-time managers and professionals recently moved into a leadership role
High performers in science, tech, engineering and the supply chain sector
Managers with MBAs, master's degrees or PhDs who have arrived at a level and stopped
Corporate professionals who are not in a leadership role yet and want to grow
Video 1: Why middle management is built on paradoxes and competing priorities
If you are a middle manager, you are responsible for results you cannot fully control. The professionals you need most do not report to you. The decisions that shape your work are made somewhere else. And when something goes wrong, you are probably the first one to blame.
Video 2: Protecting your team while building influence with senior leaders
The middle managers who come to me for coaching usually have high integrity. Coaching their team and mentoring younger colleagues is often the part of the job they enjoy most. So the first instinct in a new role points downward, to the team.
These managers are very much liked by their teams. They do not always have the same influence and gravitas with senior management.
Video 3: Rescuing your team and the Drama Triangle at work
Protecting your team and carrying their problems are two different things. The team stays comfortable for a while. You end up tired, unrecognised, and often blamed later anyway.
Rescuing is when you take over a problem that belongs to someone on your team, correct the mistake yourself, decide on their behalf because it is faster, or hold back information to protect them.
I use transactional analysis here, a model built by the psychiatrist Eric Berne in 1960s California, and the Drama Triangle developed by his student Stephen Karpman.
Video 4: From rescuer to supporter, without carrying the problem
Healthy support begins with curiosity. You do not assume the person cannot handle it. You give them the chance to try and you respect their agency. Then you get clear about ownership. What part of this is mine, what part is theirs, what part belongs to the organisation.
I share a client story here. A team leader in procurement asked to reduce costs by 5% with a team already at its limits, one member on long sick leave and another on parental leave.
The first time she faced this she absorbed it alone and it went badly.
Video 5: Six mistakes popular managers make
These are invisible mistakes. Most of these behaviours might even be considered good behaviours. Some managers are proud of them. I definitely was.
They can go on for years because the damage is not visible. Only after a while does that manager say, I did everything right, so why am I struggling.
Video 6: Three client situations most managers assume cannot change
Ask a random person to describe a leader and you get roughly the same picture. A perfect hero who has their life together, always knows the right answer, and feels confident all the time. Real life leaders are not like that.
Three situations from my own clients, and what we did in each.
Video 7: Who leadership coaching is for, and who it is not for
Coaching is not for everyone. In this video I share who it is for, what happens behind the scenes in my sessions, and who should not invest in coaching.
A lot of middle managers deny themselves this type of support, assuming their role is not high level enough.
Frequently asked questions about Coaching for Managers
I lead a team but I do not have "leader" in my title. Is this for me?
Yes. Many of the managers I work with lead teams of 20 or 50 and still do not call themselves leaders. Some are not in a people leadership role at all yet and want to grow into one. What matters is that you are carrying responsibility for results and for other humans, not what the title says.
My team is doing well and my performance reviews are strong. So why am I not moving forward?
This comes up constantly. Strong delivery and an engaged team build local trust, and they can also keep you at the level you are at. Senior leaders may be experiencing you as someone who implements and buffers, rather than someone who shapes company-level decisions. That distinction is what the second and fifth videos cover.
I am exhausted and there is no space in my week. How is adding coaching supposed to help?
This is the most common objection I hear, and it is fair.
One of my clients, Laura, was already organised and already delegating with a team at full capacity. What she needed was not another task. She audited where her time and mental load were leaking, and we built protected thinking space into her calendar. She could then work on her career without compromising her performance.
I have already read the books, done the courses, and used AI as a coach. What is different here?
Most of my clients arrive after months or years of exactly that. The issue is rarely knowledge. Very often clients have more leadership and business knowledge than I do.
What has not happened is integration: turning what they know into action, which takes courage and getting out of the comfort zone.
Would I have to become someone I am not to grow into a senior role?
No. I work on how you lead in a way that is aligned with your own vision and values. Most of my clients have a big heart for their team and do not want to become the leader who uses people as a career step.
The work is about influence and presence without compromising your values, not about performing a personality.
Is my situation too specific? I work in supply chain and nobody seems to understand the function.
I worked in global supply chain management and S&OP leadership for over ten years before coaching, so I know the environment. These teams are often short on headcount, under-resourced, and misunderstood inside their own companies. I can also consult on sourcing strategy and supplier negotiations when a client needs it.
I would find it uncomfortable to talk about this with someone. Is that normal?
It stops a lot of people from starting. As a highly educated, experienced professional it takes courage to talk about something you feel shame, guilt or regret around.
My sessions are a shame-free space and I am trained to hold it without judgment. In Video 6 I share Daniel's story, and what happened was possible only because he was willing to say the thing he was most embarrassed about.
How do I know if coaching is helpful for me as manager?
Coaching works when you want the change and are willing to act on what comes up, including feedback you did not ask for. If you are frustrated and at the same time certain you deserve better, that is usually the moment people come to me. If you are not convinced you want the change, this is probably not the right investment yet.
If you are not sure, book a call with me, we may or may not end up working together, but you will leave with new insights about yourself.