Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
A global study by the Harvard Business Review has found that middle managers feel less psychologically safe at work than both senior executives and frontline employees — a discovery researchers say could be quietly eroding organizational performance.
The survey of 1,160 managers across industries including finance, manufacturing, services, and utilities found that middle managers scored 68 out of 100 on psychological safety, compared with 72.7 for C-suite leaders.
Even their own team members reported feeling safer to speak up, with scores 4.2 points higher than their direct supervisors.
The findings highlight a paradox within corporate culture: while many organizations have spent years building environments where employees feel comfortable raising concerns, the managers expected to uphold that standard feel the least able to do so themselves.
A Steep Drop for New Middle Managers
The lowest scores came from newly promoted middle managers — those in their roles for less than three years — who reported nearly five points lower psychological safety than more seasoned peers. Researchers say this reflects a difficult transition period in which accountability rises sharply, visibility increases, and mistakes feel riskier.
Middle managers are often described as the connective tissue between strategy and execution — the point where information, innovation, and accountability converge. When that connection frays, communication weakens across the organization.
According to the study, low psychological safety among middle managers can distort reporting lines and delay responses to risk. Many managers hesitate to share bad news or admit failure, fearing career consequences. As a result, senior leaders often operate in “good news bubbles,” insulated from early warning signs of trouble.
This silence can also cascade downward. When managers conceal mistakes, their teams tend to follow suit, creating a culture where errors are hidden rather than addressed. Over time, innovation slows, learning stalls, and long-term performance suffers.
Why the Middle Feels Least Safe
Interviews conducted alongside the survey identified several contributing factors. The “promotion paradox” — where advancement brings higher accountability but also higher perceived risk — was the most common theme. Many middle managers said they felt they had “more to lose” and less room for honest mistakes.
Without visible examples of openness, middle managers assume that perfection is expected.
Researchers also found what they call a “modeling gap” from the top. Senior executives often unintentionally reinforce silence by projecting confidence and control rather than acknowledging their own missteps. Without visible examples of openness, middle managers assume that perfection is expected.
Organizational structures further compound the issue. While frontline teams often have built-in camaraderie and executives have peer networks or boards, middle managers are frequently isolated — without a safe space to share challenges or seek advice. That isolation has intensified in the age of hybrid work and rapid technological change.
Rethinking How Organizations Support the Middle
The study concludes that empowering middle managers requires more than authority or resources; it demands a culture that treats mistakes as opportunities to learn, not liabilities to hide.
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Recommended steps include encouraging senior leaders to model vulnerability by discussing their own errors, creating forums where managers can exchange experiences without penalty, and redesigning accountability systems to differentiate between negligence and genuine learning efforts.
Newly promoted managers, the research suggests, should receive structured mentorship and “failure literacy” training to help them navigate the risks of their expanded roles.
Treating the move into middle management as a developmental phase — rather than an instant promotion — can strengthen confidence and candor early on.
A Blind Spot Organizations Can’t Ignore
The researchers warn that without addressing this safety gap, organizations risk losing the agility and transparency needed to compete in volatile markets.
“Empowerment is hollow without psychological safety,” the report concludes.
