A tale of two managers: why top leaders practice the ‘middle way’
Scene #1
I leaned back in my chair and glanced around the room. The office was tumbleweed quiet. When had Steven last stopped by? I couldn’t remember.
It was the late ’90s, and I was working for a New York-based media company — my first job after college. My manager, Steven, was rarely around. Sometimes we didn’t meet for months.
I was a junior developer, so he seemed to think my work was inconsequential. He assigned vague, low-stakes projects and then left me alone.
I felt lost and frustrated.
The problem actually improved after the dot-com crash. Many of my co-workers were (unfortunately) laid off, so those of us left standing had to step up. Big time.
New managers soon gave me ambitious work that mattered to the company. It was challenging and invigorating. Most importantly, people now cared what I delivered — and soon, I did too.
Scene #2
Albert rolled his chair up next to my desk. “Aytekin, let’s chat.”
I took a deep breath and grabbed my notebook. This happened at least twice a week, so I knew what was coming next.
