Middle managers are the mainstay of an organization and are the glue that binds an organization together. However, middle managers are often overlooked when there are promotions within a company.

Ethan Mollick, a Wharton School professor of management, wrote a study about how middle managers have a tough job. He said, "Pay closer attention to your middle managers. They may have a greater impact on companyperformance than almost any other part of the organization." Mollick further cites, "the often overlooked and sometimes-maligned middle managers matter. They are not interchangeable parts in an organization."

His view upends the long-held belief that performance differences between firms are due mainly to organizational factors — such as business strategy, management systems and HR practices — rather than to differences among employees."

So how can the middle manager be supportive, and still get ahead in this competitive environment? The middle manager has to be creative.

This could entail getting more education or certifications to help them stand out. The director of the organization sets overall tone and strategy. It is those individuals in middle management that are the implementer's. Mollick further describes, "that top management plays a significant role in setting the overall direction of the company. But they don’t have a big part in deciding which individual projects are selected and how they are run."

Middle managers are good at getting their jobs done. They make sure that deadlines are met, the project is within budget and the overall strategy of the organization is followed. More attention needs to be paid to these managers. Their skills are portable and can be used at other companies.

Mollick realizes, "We tend to think of companies as all about systems and not enough about people." He suggests that companies pay more attention to filling middle levels of management, figuring out who the best ones are and rewarding them appropriately.”

The overwhelming issue is keeping your best talent at a company. Retention is a great battle many companies face. Yet, top management can still leverage themselves to taking a more personal role in these leaders, and can implement policies that help promote and incentivize them.

Middle managers are the link between upper and lower management. Times are hard for all organizations, and when the economy has its downturns, often the middle manager will be the first to get a layoff notice.

This strategy ends up costing the company more in the end, because they have to find new middle managers to replace people that should have been kept on. Finding new people outside of the organization can be very frustrating to those still left. When the internal people already have the corporate knowledge, bringing new blood on board could result in those still remaining leaving as well.

Today's middle manager needs to be more proactive in getting to the next level.

As stated previously, do not leave it to upper management to do what is needed. It is the responsibility of individual to use their talent wisely and to plot their own course. Volunteer for those projects that will get you out of your comfort zone.

Initiate new ideas or policies that can help the organization improve and expand. Left to their own devices, upper management can lag behind, and can fill a spot with the wrong person. That middle manager is stuck, because they did not have a plan to help in their own advancement.

Finally, the responsibility lies with both upper and middle managers to look ahead for the right approaches needed for the organization. Both of these types of leaders are required for a smooth running organization.