Often targeted as overheads, they have recently been called innovation bottlenecks. Middle managers are the meat in the sandwich, the individuals charged with making strategy happen through their teams. Easy targets. Easy because they are ambitious enough to work long hours on unclear objectives without complaint but not powerful enough to stand up to criticicism when they are blamed for systemic failure.  No wonder they are cranky. No wonder they are walking away - tired of being scapegoats. Give them a break. Innovation is a leadership challenge that starts at the top and requires structural support - its not simply an attitude. The tools are there to organise your resources to operationalise strategy correctly. Leaders take accountability and equip middle managers with aligned tasks, appropriate resources and achievable targets.