Middle Manager Mastery

About Middle Manager Mastery

Middle Manager Mastery helps transform Middle Managers into High Impact Leaders. In each episode, Shruti Rustagi sits down with senior leaders, founders, and experts to unpack the tools to move the managers from Execution to Influence and Impact. Real conversations. Honest insights. No fluff. Tools & Techniques on how to: → Hone Executive Communication → Build Executive Presence → Lead through change and disruption → Manage Up , down and sideways → Supercharge Productivity → Address Imposter Syndrome → Deal with a Difficult boss, toxic workplace → Strengthen Emotional Intelligence

Publisher

Shruti Rustagi

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 May 2026

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Stop Being the Bottleneck: How Great Leaders Drive Change, Communicate Risk, and Embrace AI | Whitney | Shruti

   In this episode of Middle Manager Mastery, I speak with Whitney Myers, CEO of Zuar and a turnaround leader with over 20 years of experience in data and AI. Whitney shares how she navigated organizational challenges, rebuilt a business through a major turnaround, and helped teams adapt to changing technology. The conversation explores transferable skills, executive communication, AI governance, and the importance of middle managers in connecting business strategy with frontline realities. About Whitney: Whitney Myers is the CEO of Zuar, bringing expertise in strategic leadership, business transformation, and organizational growth. She helps businesses navigate complex challenges, manage change, and align technology with commercial priorities. Timestamps: 00:10 - Introducing Whitney Myers 01:16 - Whitney's journey from business development to CEO 02:30 - Personal setbacks and organizational challenges 05:13 - Partner relationships and team morale 05:54 - Understanding the risks of partner dependency 07:00 - Redefining the business beyond Tableau and Salesforce 09:00 - Helping teams develop transferable skills 11:08 - Adapting to changing roles and technology 12:57 - Preparing teams for the impact of AI 13:30 - Defining professional value beyond tools 14:22 - Focusing on skills, impact, and career growth 15:37 - Raising business risks with senior leadership 16:01 - Moving from identifying problems to finding solutions 17:33 - Helping middle managers navigate difficult conversations 18:09 - Presenting risks without making assumptions 21:54 - The ownership mindset in leadership 24:09 - Taking responsibility beyond your role 25:14 - Communicating effectively with executives 26:30 - Helping technical leaders influence non-technical executives 31:13 - Speaking the language of business leaders 32:06 - Becoming a trusted bridge between leadership and frontline teams 32:37 - Explaining AI risks to non-technical audiences 35:00 - Making AI governance and security understandable 37:48 - Translating technical decisions into business value 38:41 - Understanding the needs of different audiences 39:30 - Communicating innovation and highlighting differentiation 41:43 - The role of middle managers as the eyes and ears of leadership 42:20 - Connecting customer feedback with business decisions 43:30 - Whitney's advice for new leaders 43:41 - Building cross-functional alliances before problems arise 45:08 - Final takeaways and closing remarks Whitney Myers is the CEO of Zuar, a turnaround leader with more than 20 years of experience in data and AI. She has supported over 2,000 customers, mentors women in STEM, and runs her own gaming company. If you found this conversation valuable, follow the podcast, share it with fellow leaders, and subscribe for more insights on leadership, communication, and career growth.

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   How to Find Your Next Chapter Without Starting Over | Shanelle | Shruti

   What if you’re not actually starting over - but simply stepping into your next chapter with everything you’ve already learned? In this episode, I speak with Shanelle Porter Simmons, a former professional sprinter and Marine, author, and founder of The Fifth Path. She shares what she learned about self-doubt, career transitions, perseverance, taking action before you have complete clarity, and recognizing that your past experiences are not something you leave behind. They become the tools you carry into whatever comes next. About Shanelle: Shanelle Porter Simmons is a career transition expert, author, and founder of The Fifth Path. Having successfully navigated three major professional pivots herself, she helps high-achieving professionals explore what’s next without starting over. She is the author of Try a New Path and creator of the P.A.T.H. Method™, helping people pursue greater freedom, meaning, and control through mindset, guided exploration, and accountability. Timestamps: 00:00 - Movement creates evidence 00:21 - Meet Shanelle Porter Simmons 01:00 - What inspired her to write "Try a New Path" 04:20 - From feeling lost to finding a new path 05:04 - Navigating multiple career transitions 05:57 - What high achievers struggle with after major transitions 08:27 - Imposter syndrome, doubt, and fear 10:28- Starting with the "what" before knowing the "why" 11:34- Taking action before you have clarity 12:47 - From the bottom of the class to Marine leadership 15:46 - The mindset that fuels perseverance 18:34 - Learning from people who overcome adversity 19:10 - The power of setting goals and creating milestones 21:45 - Turning "I'll show them" into "I'll show myself" 23:08- The mindset shift that changes everything 24:07 - "Movement creates evidence, evidence creates clarity" 26:15 - Your next chapter doesn't require starting over

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   What Nobody Tells You About Career Growth | Samantha | Shruti

   What does career growth really look like when promotions and titles are only one part of the equation? In this episode of Middle Manager Mastery, I sit down with Samantha Rogers to explore career growth, leadership, trust, team development, and navigating change. Samantha shares how she created opportunities for herself early in her career, why she thinks of herself as self-employed even within an organization, and why taking ownership of your career can change the way you approach growth. The conversation also explores what to do when you're passed over for a promotion, why what made you successful at one level may not prepare you for the next, how to build trust in your first 30 days as a leader, and why strong teams need to build resilience before a crisis happens. About Samantha: Samantha Rogers is a nonprofit leader with 15+ years of experience in the nonprofit sector across Canada and British Columbia. She has grown a nonprofit organization from a team of one to nine and now leads a multi-million-dollar giving portfolio at a hospital foundation. Her experience spans nonprofit leadership, fundraising, team development, career growth, and organizational change. She brings a strong focus on personal and professional development, emphasizing that career growth is not limited to promotions or titles, but can also come through building skills, taking on new challenges, and creating opportunities. 01:15 - The impact and challenges of the nonprofit sector 03:29 - The myth of a career growth ceiling 05:13 - Why diversification can create new opportunities 07:23 - Making a case for your own career growth 10:30 - Leadership exists at every level 12:44 - How to define career growth 13:30 - The self-employed mindset 16:45 - Why your title doesn't define your expertise 20:07 - Making your employee's goals your mission 23:28 - Building trust in your first 30 days as a leader 24:00 - Three questions every new leader should ask 25:53 - Understanding context and creating space to be heard 27:13 - The unglamorous team meeting that makes a difference 28:32 - How weekly meetings improve collaboration and efficiency 30:17 - Preparing teams for unexpected change 31:49 - Build resilience before the crisis 36:13 - Why timing matters when leading change 38:09 - Take ownership of your career

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.