04-27-2026SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

The middle manager’s AI survival guide

Mass layoffs and mixed messages—but also a shot at reinvention: 35 people caught in the middle share war stories and hard-won advice.

[Source images: Adobe Stock]

Pity the middle manager. Even before the emergence of AI, these jobs had increasingly become a one-way ticket to burnout and misery. Since 2013, the average number of direct reports has increased by almost 50% to twelve employees, according to Gallup. The same poll revealed that less than one-third of managers are engaged at work, while over a quarter are planning to leave their........

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