The topic wasn’t sales.
It wasn’t strategy.
It wasn’t market conditions.
It wasn’t AI.
In fact, it wasn’t one of the “hot topics” that typically fills a room.
It was something we’re both incredibly passionate about.
Leadership.
More specifically…
The Forgotten Middle.
After more than 20 years in homebuilding, we’ve both noticed the same pattern.
We invest heavily in developing individual contributors. Salespeople attend weeks of training. Superintendents learn the craft. Functional experts become exceptional at their jobs.
At the other end of the organization, senior executives often have executive coaches, peer groups, conferences, and leadership development opportunities.
But somewhere in the middle…
We promote great people into leadership roles, congratulate them, hand them a team, and hope they figure it out.
The problem is…
The effects of that decision reach much further than one overwhelmed manager.
They ripple throughout the entire organization.
Let’s Simplify It
Think about the last time someone on your team was promoted into management.
Or better yet…
Think about your own first leadership role.
What happened next?
Did you receive a structured 90-day onboarding plan?
Did you have weekly or bi-weekly coaching conversations with your leader?
Did someone teach you how to deliver difficult feedback?
Coach performance?
Build accountability?
Navigate conflict?
Run effective one-on-ones?
Lead cross-functional teams?
Or were you simply handed a keycard, a laptop, and a team… and expected to figure it out?
Most leaders aren’t struggling because they lack potential. They’re struggling because no one ever taught them how to lead.
The Cost of Forgetting the Middle
When we fail to develop leaders, we don’t just create struggling managers.
We create organizational friction.
We’ve all seen it.
Leaders become overwhelmed and quietly ask if they can go back to being individual contributors because leadership wasn’t what they expected.
Employees begin skipping their manager and going directly to senior leaders because they don’t trust their leader to solve the problem.
Senior leaders become overly involved in the day-to-day because they don’t yet trust their managers to run the business without them.
Departments stop relying on one another because leadership gaps create inconsistency, confusion, and broken handoffs.
None of these problems start with bad intentions.
They start with leaders who were promoted but not prepared.
Middle managers are the glue that holds an organization together. When the bond is weak, everything else begins to separate.
Think about everything we ask of them.
They’re translating executive vision into daily execution.
They’re coaching and developing the largest percentage of employees.
They’re responsible for key business metrics.
They’re solving problems.
Managing performance.
Building future leaders.
Creating alignment between departments.
Protecting culture.
Retaining talent.
All while adapting to changing markets, shifting priorities, and whatever challenge tomorrow brings.
And somehow…
They’re expected to do all of that while learning leadership on the fly.
It’s no wonder so many feel overwhelmed.
Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a skill set.
And skill sets have to be taught.
Then practiced.
What They Really Need
Over the years, I’ve asked dozens of leaders what would have helped them most during those first few years.
The answers are remarkably consistent.
They don’t ask for another personality assessment.
Or another inspirational keynote.
They want practical help.
A safe place to ask questions.
Frameworks they can apply immediately.
Talk tracks for difficult conversations.
Someone to challenge their thinking.
Someone to reassure them that they’re not the only one navigating these situations.
Someone who can coach them through real leadership moments before those moments become leadership mistakes.
In short…
They want coaching.
Not because they’re failing.
Because they’re growing faster than their experience can keep up.
A Question for Every Executive
If you’re responsible for developing leaders, ask yourself:
- Does every new leader have a clear 90-day onboarding plan?
- Do they receive consistent coaching, not just annual performance reviews?
- Are you investing in their leadership skills as intentionally as you invested in the technical skills that made them successful before the promotion?
If the answer is no…
You may have forgotten the middle, too.
Not intentionally.
The reality is that most senior leaders are carrying enormous responsibility themselves.
They’re responsible for executing the company’s vision, driving results, managing budgets, solving complex business problems, and keeping the organization moving forward.
Coaching the next generation of leaders often becomes one more responsibility competing for an already full calendar.
And the truth is…
Many executives were never taught how to coach leaders either.
They became exceptional operators.
Strategic thinkers.
Business builders.
But developing leaders is a skill all its own.
That’s why leadership development can’t be left to good intentions alone.
It has to become part of the business strategy.
Because neglecting leadership development today creates even more urgency tomorrow.
One Final Thought
Imagine what would happen if we developed our leaders with the same intentionality we develop our salespeople, project managers, or field teams.
What if every new leader had:
- A skill developement prior to promotion.
- A clear 90-day onboarding plan.
- A coach to guide them through those first few leadership milestones.
- A safe place to ask questions, practice difficult conversations, and learn from other leaders.
What if we stopped simply promoting people into leadership…
And started preparing them for it?
I believe we’d see stronger teams.
More confident leaders.
Better cultures.
Higher retention.
Faster decisions.
Organizations that don’t just grow, but that scale.
And I believe our industry needs that now more than ever.
Homebuilding is entering a season where many experienced leaders will retire, move into new roles, or pass the baton to the next generation. If we want our companies, and our industry, to continue thriving, we can’t wait until those transitions happen to start developing leaders.
We need a stronger bench.
We need leaders who are ready before they’re needed.
That investment starts today.
Not because today’s leaders aren’t working hard enough.
But because they’re carrying too much to do it alone.
When we intentionally develop the forgotten middle, we don’t just strengthen one leader.
We strengthen every team they lead.
Every employee they coach.
Every customer they serve.
And ultimately, every result the business is trying to achieve.
Because we don’t build better companies by simply promoting great individual contributors.
We build better companies by intentionally developing great leaders.
The forgotten middle isn’t just full of potential.
It’s where the future of your organization is being built.
Let’s lead with more clarity and less noise.
— Abby
