Srideep Sarkar explores the complex, often overlooked role of skip-level managers. Far from being passive observers, they must balance influence with restraint, strategy with empathy. From avoiding the saviour complex to nurturing talent indirectly, this is a guide to leading large teams without weakening leadership layers that hold them together.
The Boston Consulting Group report The End of Management as We Know It indicates that just 9% of Western non-managers aspire to become a manager and 81% managers think the job is harder than just a few years ago. Being a manager and leading large teams has become challenging than ever before.
For skip-level managers (two levels higher than another person), the role is even more complex. An intricate dance of strategic influence, emotional intelligence, and systemic awareness. They must walk a fine line: guiding without overstepping, building trust without encroaching on authority, and empowering teams without fostering disconnection.
It transforms potential chaos into a culture of growth
This isn’t a role for reactive management; it’s a strategic craft that demands intention and consistency. When done thoughtfully, it transforms potential chaos into a culture of growth, trust, and resilience.
The information paradox: Seeing beyond the curtain
One of the biggest hurdles for skip-level managers is gaining an authentic pulse on the ground. Reports from direct reports can often be curated, shaped by biases like confirmation bias or a desire to impress. The challenge is to uncover the truths about morale, operational hurdles, and emerging issues without undermining the managers closest to the work.
The solution lies in creating genuine channels of communication (frontline immersion, informal conversations, anonymous surveys) that foster candour. When managers listen deeply and consistently seek unfiltered insights, they gain a more accurate picture of organizational health.
Additionally, instead of a simple “my door is always open,” message, it is often helpful to let the wider team know that the sessions with the skipped level manager are about systemic issues, organisational roadblocks, and big-picture ideas. The day-to-day work, feedback, and project-specific questions should go to their direct manager.
Striking the balance: Empowerment meets oversight
The delicate art of oversight requires a nuanced approach. Effective skip-level managers know that trust is built on a foundation of clear expectations, respectful autonomy, and accountability. Overreach, micromanaging or second-guessing, can sap motivation and undermine the authority of direct managers.
Yet, too little oversight risks disengagement or misalignment. The key lies in deliberate behaviours: setting transparent goals, clearly agreeing on escalation triggers, asking guiding questions, and giving teams space to own their work. Trust is not granted once and for all but is cultivated through consistent, deliberate actions.
The saviour complex: When help turns into hindrance
It’s natural to want to fix problems quickly, especially when it’s within our power to do so. But there’s a risk, or “savior complex”, that can silently erode a manager’s confidence and team resilience. Jumping in to resolve issues outright may solve the immediate problem, but it can foster dependency.
Over time, it diminishes managers’ belief in their own capabilities and discourages internal problem-solving. The best leaders guide their teams to discover solutions for themselves, ask powerful questions, and develop solutioning. This approach creates a culture of real empowerment rather than dependence.
Navigating the inner workings of communication
In large organisations, informal channels such as rumours, whispers, grapevines often relay crucial information before formal updates do. Skip-level managers often find themselves caught in a dilemma: acting on this intel without breaching trust or bypassing direct managers.
The answer is to validate concerns openly, foster a culture where informal feedback is welcomed but channelled through appropriate, structured conversations. This transparency safeguards both trust and hierarchy, ensuring you’re informed without causing unnecessary disruption.
Staying strategically anchored amid tactical temptations
The sheer scale and complexity of large teams can be intoxicating. There are so many operational details, fires to put out, and deadlines to meet. But if skip-level managers get pulled into tactical firefighting, they risk losing sight of the bigger picture. Effective leadership demands that they maintain a strategic perspective, focus on long-term goals, and delegate operational issues.
Reaffirming the North Star and key priorities regularly, calling out inefficiencies like duplicity of activities, amplifying the interdependence and resisting the urge to micromanage keeps the focus where it matters, driving organisational growth and innovation.
Managing perceptions of favouritism and fairness
Perceptions, whether subtle or overt, of favouritism can quickly erode trust and morale in large teams. The challenge isn’t just about being fair; it’s about being perceived as fair.
Transparent communication, deliberate inclusion, and consistent criteria for recognition and feedback help mitigate these perceptions. Rotating interactions, dismantling micro teams within teams, democratising access and openly discussing how talent is recognised signal fairness and build a culture rooted in equity and respect.
Talent development from afar: The indirect mentoring challenge
A key part of leadership is identifying and nurturing talent. Doing this from a distance introduces complexity. Skipping the direct manager’s role risks creating resentment or missed development opportunities. The trick is to collaborate closely, provide indirect coaching, help develop pathways for growth, connect members with wider organisation and respect the existing reporting structure. When managers and skip-level leaders work hand-in-hand, they foster a pipeline of talent that grows both sustainably and inclusively.
The “good cop/bad cop” trap: Maintaining credibility
It’s tempting to be the benevolent skip level manager while the direct manager enforces rules and discipline. But this dynamic can weaken the entire leadership fabric, creating confusion and eroding credibility. The real trust-building comes from supporting managers to enforce accountability, reinforcing clear distinctions between roles, and speaking with one voice. It is important for everyone to understand where authority truly sits.
Don’t skip this focus on management
By mastering these nuanced dynamics, a skip-level manager doesn’t just navigate the tightrope, they build a stronger, more resilient wire for everyone. The true power of this role lies not in direct control, but in systemic influence.
It’s the art of creating an environment where trust is the default, managers are empowered, and teams are connected by a shared purpose, not just proximity. In the end, it’s about shifting the entire organisational culture from one that merely functions to one that truly thrives.
Srideep Sarkar is a Leadership Coach at Coachable U Ltd
