In this article we explore middle-level managers’ stories of their experiences in which they were either empowered or disempowered by organisational leadership. An exploration of the stories reveals how leaders can, inadvertently, erode the power and the authority of middle-level managers. An unintended consequence of leadership’s involvement in decisions that are middle mangers’ domain, disempowerment at the middle management level in an organisation arising out of leadership decisions offers an alternate way to explore and understand leadership and middle-management disempowerment in organisations.

Disempowerment, middle management, dysfunctional leadership, cynicism, engagement, decision-making, qualitative research

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