Leading in Ambiguity: Strategies for Middle Managers

Leading in ambiguity is an intrinsic but under-discussed role of a middle manager. Often, middle managers are dealing with personnel and operational situations in which there is no clear or obvious choice, no clear guidance, or no full understanding of the context. Yet middle managers still have to lead, make decisions, and communicate and facilitate change with less than perfect information. Our staff also struggle to accept ambiguity and long for clarity that may never be realized. Successful middle management means living in the gray areas, identifying the power and potential of ambiguous roles and circumstances, and deploying strategies to lead despite the ambiguity inherent in our work. This article reviews relevant literature on ambiguity and management and explores two scenarios where we introduce established management tools that can help lead through—and in synergy with—ambiguity. These scenarios touch on the challenges of working in an ambiguous environment, ambiguous direction from senior leadership, and discomfort with ambiguity on the part of staff. We will center the experience of middle managers in libraries and the impact of ambiguity on their own effectiveness and morale.