Writing has always been my way of gathering the thoughts, experiences and patterns I see in everyday leadership. The book featured here grew out of real conversations with managers, teams and organisations — and out of my own curiosity about what makes us brave, clear and human in the role of leader.
Outstanding in the Middle — How Middle Managers Make the Difference
Why I wrote the book
I’ve followed middle managers for twenty years. They are the most pressured people in most organisations: demands from above, problems from below, responsibility for people — often without the formal authority to change very much. And no one really trains them.
I wrote Outstanding in the Middle because they deserved a book that actually saw them. Not a hero’s story. Not a list of tips. Something a little more honest: “This is what it’s really about. And this is what you can do.”
How the book came to be
It was written in eight intensive weeks during the pandemic, when all of my in-person training stopped overnight. Rather than lose direction, I chose to write down what twenty years of working with managers had taught me — especially the middle managers.
Then, in the summer of 2021, something I hadn’t planned for happened.
#1 Amazon bestseller in 12 categories — across four countries
The book reached the top of Amazon’s bestseller lists in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia — simultaneously — across a total of 12 different categories.
Categories included Business Skills, Strategic Management, Management Skills, Business Management, Business Consulting, Organizational Change, Education Theory, Vocational Guidance, Operations Research, Production & Operations Management, Human Resources & Personnel Management and Business Production & Operations.
Along the way, the book outranked some of the world’s best-selling business titles:
- Atomic Habits — James Clear
- Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last — Simon Sinek
- Mindset — Carol Dweck
- Measure What Matters — John Doerr
- Radical Candor — Kim Scott
- The Goal — Eliyahu Goldratt
- The Miracle Morning — Hal Elrod
- The Coaching Habit — Michael Bungay Stanier
- The Everything Store (on Jeff Bezos) — Brad Stone
I remember sitting at my kitchen table in Sigtuna trying to make sense of what I was looking at. It wasn’t planned. And it remains the achievement I’m most grateful for in my professional life.
What the book is about
This is a book about courage, everyday leadership and making a difference — for those who lead people in the real world, not in a textbook.
Across seven chapters, I cover what I believe is the core of modern leadership: the courage to address conflict before it grows. The ability to communicate clearly even when it’s uncomfortable. The will to create safety in the middle of change. And the art of being human in a management role.
The book is full of real-life situations, practical tools and stories from the field. Not theory from a conference room.
Buy the book
Signed physical copy — directly from me
195 SEK (150 SEK + 75 SEK shipping) within Sweden.
International shipping available on request — please contact me directly.
E-book — instant download
Approx. 7–8 EUR
Want to go deeper into the book’s methods?
Many of the principles in Outstanding in the Middle are built into my online programme Conflict Leadership Programme for Managers in Sweden — where you also receive three personal coaching sessions with me afterwards. A signed copy of the book is included.
What readers have said
Eye-opening guidance for effective middle management
I enjoyed this book as it comes not just with theories, but also with real world stories and practical exercises.
I particulary found the model for managing conflict and behavioural issues within a team helpful. The simplicity of the diagram in selecting an appropriate form if corrective action is very easy to apply.
The exercises at the end of each section are well considered and genuinely useful.
It’s obvious that Birgitta has a wealth of knowledge and experience on this subject, and the easy style of writing and of making relatively complex subjects simple to follow makes this a great read for any current middle manager, or for those aiming to develop the management skills of their team.
– Tim Rylatt
Case studies and personal stories among hard facts, great insights, and clever exercises = Brilliant
To succeed as a leader, you have to lead yourself first, before you can lead others. So true Birgitta. So true. That takes courage and clear influence over our own state of mind, something you highlight brilliantly. I love the mini-case studies, the personal stories you interlace among the hard facts, great insights, and clever exercises. Getting an extra hour, a day. Great chapter. As are the ideas on managing virtual teams. I’ve never thought about the male/female and national differences in that way. Very useful. thank you.
-Bob Hayward
One of the books you wish you’d read sooner!
They say ’you don’t know what you don’t know’. The author explains in beautifully defined terms which despite English being her second language almost make the theories easier to understand. Having been in middle management for over 30 years there was still much to learn here. Now i’m out of the corporate world, i will be recommending this to all my clients who are still in middle management (or heading that way!)
-Ariel Words
A note on my other books
I have also written two e-books in Swedish: Hur du bygger effektiva team (How to Build Effective Teams) and Presentera bättre — på ett enklare sätt (Present Better — More Easily). They are available through Bokus, Adlibris and Bookboon. If you read Swedish and would like the links, please contact me directly, or change language on this homepage.
Want to order a signed copy — or just talk books?
E-mail: birgitta@inrestyrka.se
Tel: +4670 491 1906