Good morning. Lily Mae Lazarus here, filling Ruth Umoh.
In the continuation of speed and efficiency, many companies have aggressively cut the intermediate management layers. The leaders of management like Andy Jassy of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg of Amazon defended more flat organizational structures in order to reduce bureaucracy and arouse innovation. But what seems skinny on paper is more and more expensive at the top.
The senior executives now provide more direct reports, the management of tasks which formerly belong to intermediate managers and lose precious time for strategic thinking. According to Korn Ferry’s workforce survey in 2025, 41% of employees say that their organizations have reduced management layers and that almost half of the senior executives doubt their ability to manage everything, even exceeding CEOs (40%) in doubt.
Intermediate executives have long served as a vital link between vision and execution. Without them, this connection collapses, explains a main customer partner at Korn Ferry Maria Amato. In fact, 43% of the employees interviewed by Korn Ferry say that leadership is not aligned and that 37% say they feel without direction.
It is not only a clarity that suffers either. The development of leadership, mentorship and career progress – maintained by intermediate managers – also often go. This threatens retention, especially among the major performers, who often leave for better professional support provided by solid intermediate managers.
The corrective is not just to reintroduce the diapers. “Before going to solutions, whether the cut or anything else, you must diagnose your own organization,” warns amato. Companies, she says, must rethink leadership roles with greater intention, ensure that executives can remain focused on the strategy while creating an infrastructure that supports talent development.
Lily Mae Lazarus
lily.lazarus@fortune.com
This story was initially presented on Fortune.com
