Supporting Middle Managers with Chris Williams
From The Workplace Wonderers: Workplace Lessons from Experts by Workplace Wonderer - Blake Cohen
May 16, 2025 · 1h 1m · Episode 43
About this episode
Chris Williams discusses the challenges faced by middle managers and shares insights from his extensive leadership experience.
In this episode of The Workplace Wonderer, Kara and Blake sit down with leadership powerhouse Chris Williams, a seasoned advisor with over 45 years of experience building and leading teams—from writing software to scaling departments to serving as VP of HR at Microsoft. Together, they explore the often-overlooked plight of middle managers—those caught between strategic leadership and front-line execution. Chris brings wisdom, wit, and real-world insight to the conversation, offering practical advice for supporting this essential tier of leadership. You’ll also hear: Chris’s behind-the-scenes take on Microsoft’s shift from a cutthroat to a collaborative culture. What it was really like working under Satya Nadella. How Chris became unexpectedly TikTok famous with leadership videos reaching over 250K followers. And the leadership lessons that have stood the test of time. 📲 Follow Chris at https://CLWill.com or search @CLWill on social media. ✨ Subscribe for more episodes that help you rethink the modern workplace! To Learn more about Kara Kirby: https://InsightsLG.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/karakirby84/ To learn more about Blake Cohen: https://blakeevancohen.com…
People in this episode
Hosts: Kara Kirby, Blake Cohen
Guest: Chris Williams
Topics covered
- middle management
- leadership
- organizational culture
- team building
- HR practices
Keywords
- middle managers
- leadership advice
- Microsoft culture
- team leadership
- HR
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Microsoft
More episodes of The Workplace Wonderers: Workplace Lessons from Experts
- Hidden cost of promotions w/ Ronna Weaver · November 21, 2025 · 47 min
- Sticky Notes & Psychological Safety: Annie Grace on the Science of Facilitation · October 23, 2025 · 52 min
- When leadership crosses the line w/ Kara and Blake · August 12, 2025 · 38 min
- Ai & HR: What you really NEED to know w/ Surbhi Ugra · August 8, 2025 · 53 min
- Advocacy Starts at Home w/ Dr. Valencia Harris · August 6, 2025 · 1h 3m
- Embracing Paradox w/ Mike R. Sweeney · June 27, 2025 · 56 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Workplace Wonderers: Workplace Lessons from Experts podcast page.