The “It’s-Just-a-Mid-Level-Role” Disaster (Also Known As: How to Accidentally Set Fire to Your Culture).

I was chatting with someone in my network the other day—you know the kind of conversation that starts with:

“Well… we’ve got a bit of a situation.”

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a bit. It was a sharp résumé, a confident handshake—and a slow-moving cultural train wreck.

Here’s what happened. They’d just brought someone on board for a mid-level management role. Nothing flashy. Not a C-suite hire. Just one of those roles that “couldn’t do much damage,” right?

Wrong.

Two interviews. One resume that looked decent enough. The candidate said all the right things. Two managers grabbed an oat milk flat white, gave each other the thumbs up, and—boom—offer sent.

Fast forward a few weeks: chaos

The team this manager leads is now two meetings away from mutiny. Productivity is down. Morale has flatlined. Other managers only engage when absolutely necessary—and even then, with the kind of enthusiasm you reserve for dental work.

This company had invested years into building a values-driven culture—a place where people felt supported, aligned, and energised.

Now? That once-warm campfire is a smouldering pile of resentment. And no one’s sure who’s supposed to be holding the hose.

So, what went wrong?

Once this new manager got comfortable, the red flags started waving. Loud opinions. Zero alignment with the team. Toxic leadership traits disguised as confidence. Unfortunately, all of this only became visible after the probation period expired—aka the “Undo” window.

When I asked if they had a plan to avoid repeating this kind of bad hiring decision, they looked at me like I’d just cancelled Christmas.

But here’s the thing: You can absolutely prevent this.

Enter: Management POP™

Your unfair advantage against “oops” hires.

This isn’t just another leadership buzzword. Management POP™ is a science-backed, affordable leadership assessment tool that helps you:

• Evaluate mid-level manager fit before you hire.
• Detect toxic leadership traits early.
• Assess cultural alignment in a measurable way.
• Avoid expensive do-overs and team disruption.
• Strengthen your hiring process —no cape, no tights required.

You don’t need a PhD or a six-week onboarding course. It’s simple, scalable, and completely contract-free. Buy only what you need—one credit card transaction at a time. You’ll even get a FREE Interpretation Guide so you can understand what you’re seeing without scratching your head.

Let’s get real

Hiring the wrong manager—especially at the mid-level—can be damaging to productivity, morale, and company culture.

If you’re still thinking, “It’s just a mid-level management role—how bad could it be?” … you’ve already missed the point.

Management POP™ gives you a predictive, evidence-based lens into how someone will lead before they ever step into the role.

Let’s save your business from the next “situation”, shall we?

In conclusion

Hiring for a mid-level role should never be treated as a low-risk decision. The wrong person in the wrong role can quietly dismantle your culture, derail productivity, and drain team morale before you even realise what’s happening. With Management POP™, you gain a smart, science-backed way to assess leadership potential, spot red flags early, and make confident hiring decisions—without the hefty price tag.

Don’t wait for a “situation” to remind you how costly a misstep can be. Get proactive, protect your culture, and build a stronger leadership team from the start.