The Silent Saboteur of Projects
What Happens When No One Owns the Middle
Read Time: 5 minutes
The kickoff went well.
The strategy was clear.
The team is working.
But something still feels… off.
Updates are happening, but they are not connecting.
People are busy, but progress feels slow.
Stakeholders are asking the same questions again.
No one is leading the middle.
And that is where projects go quiet before they go sideways.
Why the Middle of a Project Is So Dangerous
The early stage gets attention.
The launch gets urgency.
But the middle? It drifts.
And that drift leads to real risks:
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Priorities shift quietly: Without strong leadership, people adjust based on what feels urgent, not what was planned.
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Decisions stall: Without clear escalation, blockers linger longer than they should.
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Engagement fades: Without consistent touchpoints, teams start to lose connection to the bigger picture.
This is not a planning issue. It is a momentum issue.
How to Keep the Middle from Falling Apart
How to keep teams aligned, energized, and moving forward when momentum starts to dip:
✅ Lead the cadence, not just the schedule. Regular check-ins matter, but only if they are structured around clarity and accountability. Ask: “What changed? What’s unclear? What needs support?”
✅ Re-anchor the team to the mission. Midway through, remind people of the “why.” Reconnect the work to outcomes, not just tasks.
✅ Surface hidden misalignment. Say: “Before we keep going, let’s check assumptions.” This invites honesty and catches drift before it grows.
✅ Tighten communication loops. Faster response times and shorter cycles reduce confusion. Encourage quick syncs, recap emails, and informal feedback.
💬 A PM in our community said he realized his project was drifting when the same risks kept showing up in weekly updates. He paused the sprint, gathered the team, and reframed the next four weeks around clear, measurable outcomes. The momentum came back within days.
The Middle Is the Work
Leadership is not just about solving problems.
It is about preventing drift.
It is about noticing when a project needs refocusing—before it asks for recovery.
Strong PMs do not just show up at kickoff or launch.
They hold the line in the in-between.
They lead the quiet parts that determine whether delivery happens or not.
And that’s how you lead between the milestones.
👇 Your Turn
Have you had to lead when someone above you was unclear or missing?
👉 Share your story in the comments below or respond to this email.
You might be featured in an upcoming spotlight!
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