LEADING THE FUTURE
FROM THE MIDDLE
September 2026 program now open
Those who lead from the middle are the backbone of every organization — turning vision into action, strategy into impact. They drive employee satisfaction, performance, and well-being. They deliver company transformation, while quietly carrying the weight of it all.
Join other future-facing leaders
BETWEEN US is a unique leadership development journey dedicated to future-facing leaders who feel squeezed between strategic demands from above and operational pressures from below.
Over 10 weeks, BETWEEN US participants explore five key strategic themes.
For each theme, participants engage in a 1.5‑hour live BETWEEN US online session followed by a back-to-work “pop-up habit activation” designed to deliver quick wins.
Beyond the live sessions, AI is used as a thought partner — helping participants reflect more deeply, challenge assumptions and sustain momentum in their day-to-day leadership.
BETWEEN US offers a space to recharge, connect, and grow with peers who face similar challenges—unlocking fresh perspective, practical tools, and the confidence to lead with greater impact in times of complexity and change.
Outcomes you can expect:
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Confidence and courage to lead the future from the middle
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Creativity unlocked with applicable solutions
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Mindset shift towards self-empowerment
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Feeling the energy and power of like-minded peers
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Deep, personal transformation for sustainable impact
Kick Off
The power of BETWEEN US
An energising launch of our shared leadership journey
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Step into the BETWEEN US space
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Feel the power of peers
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See a live snapshot of the group and shared challenges
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Start the shift
Theme 1
Compass Within
Rise above the noise
Lead with purpose, cut through the noise
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Reconnect with purpose despite chaos of meetings, metrics, and firefighting
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Rise above the tactical fog
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Shift from autopilot to intention
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Lead from a strengths-based space
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Leave with new ways to amplify the signal, reduce the noise and make your team co-owners of the journey
Theme 2
Resilience
Real talks. Real tools
Real talk about pressure and energy
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Get honest about the weight you carry
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Redefine resilience: it’s not just about pushing through or staying silent
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Explore how to lead to support performance AND well-being
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Build your resilience kit and replenish your energy: learn simple, science-backed tools that work
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Make resilience a collective practice by role modelling and sharing your learnings with your team
Theme 3
Courage over certainty
Clarity and decision
Leadership and decisiveness in VUCA and BANI world
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Choose courage over control: make decisions, embrace vulnerability, let go of the need to get perfect results
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Develop your leadership versatility to navigate polarities and paradoxes
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Leave with practical insights to navigate ambiguity and uncertainty with confidence and to help your team do the same.
Theme 4
Self-empowerment
Influencing from the middle
Power in the middle: lead across, up, and beyond
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Redefine your influencing power from the inside out
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Learn how to self-empower in complex systems by influencing in all directions with confidence and clarity
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Build strong stakeholder maps and turn complexity into connection
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Leave the session feeling self-empowered to reclaim your influence
Theme 5
What's missing?
This session is yours
Built for what’s needed most
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This session isn’t pre-packaged and will be based on what emerges during the program
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This session is about filling the gaps and responds directly to what participants say they need more of
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It can be deeper dives and/or more space to tackle unspoken challenges
Wrapping up
We did it our way
A moment to reflect and anchor a sustainable change
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Celebrate the BETWEEN US journey
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Acknowledge the collective energy
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Recognise your leadership shift by noticing how far you have come
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Leave with the conviction that you have what it takes to lead the future from the middle
Who should join
BETWEEN US?
You should join if you find yourself in the middle, navigating strategic directives from above and operational realities below. If you are feeling the squeeze from both
ends, this program is for you.
Why BETWEEN US is unique
Why we created
BETWEEN US
Middle management today faces a complex and
often contradictory reality, balancing growing responsibilities with limited authority.
Caught between strategic directives from senior leadership and the day-to-day needs of frontline teams, middle managers must navigate rapid organizational change, hybrid work environments, and rising employee expectations.
Those who lead from the middle are expected to drive performance, foster engagement, and implement cultural and technological shifts—all while managing their own workload and well-being.
Despite these challenges, middle management holds unique opportunities: acting as critical change agents, shaping team culture, and influencing strategic outcomes through close operational insight.
Their role is evolving from task supervision to people leadership and organizational alignment, making them more essential—and more stretched—than ever.
45%
"45% of middle managers report feeling burned out, while just 21% say they’re thriving, the lowest of any employee group."
Future Forum–Gallup Survey, 2025
5.8
"Managers now oversee more direct reports—rising from an average of 3.2 direct reports in 2019 to 5.8 in 2024, intensifying their workload and complexity."
Business Insider, 2024
52%
"Among Gen Z professionals surveyed, 52% refuse to pursue management roles—citing them as high stress, low reward—with 69% labeling them particularly unrewarding for the effort."
Robert Walters, 2025
89%
"Yet, 89% of employers still believe mid-managers play a crucial role in their organisation. Employers just need to innovate their strategies to make the role more attractive - from providing more autonomy, to regular workload assessments and clear upskilling opportunities."
Robert Walters, 2025