Leadership & Management

Lead From the Middle

Managing when you were never taught how

By David Rivera · Narrated byDavid Rivera

A short, direct audiobook for people who were promoted into management before anyone showed them how, covering one-on-ones, feedback, delegation and the first ninety days.

Length2 h 8 min
Chapters6
LanguageEnglish
FormatStreaming audiobook
PublishedMay 28, 2026
Published byAcme Publishing

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What this audiobook is about

Most new managers learn by making the same five mistakes. Lead From the Middle names them and gives you the conversation to have instead.

It covers how to run a one-on-one that people want to attend, how to give feedback that lands, how to delegate without hovering, and how to decide what your team will not do this quarter.

Who should listen to this audiobook

This audiobook is for first-time managers, team leads and founders building their first team.

First-time managers
Team leads
Founders hiring their first employees
People preparing for a management role

What you will learn

A one-on-one format that takes 25 minutes and people look forward to.
How to give feedback the same day, in two sentences.
How to delegate a task you could do faster yourself.
What to decide in your first ninety days, and what to leave alone.
How to say no to your own manager.

Audiobook chapters

01Promoted, Not Prepared16 min

The five mistakes almost every new manager makes in the first month.
02The 25-Minute One-on-One24 min

A format people want to attend, with the three questions that matter.
03Feedback the Same Day22 min

Two sentences that work, and the ones that don't.
04Delegating Without Hovering21 min

How to hand off work you could do faster yourself.
05The First Ninety Days27 min

What to decide, what to measure and what to leave alone.
06Saying No Upward18 min

How to push back on your own manager and keep the relationship.

About the author

David Rivera

Leadership and startup author

David Rivera writes for managers who were promoted before anyone taught them how to manage, and for founders building their first team.

Author page

Narration

Narrator: David Rivera
Language: English
Style: Conversational

This audiobook uses a combination of human narration and AI-assisted voice production. How MyAudium labels AI narration

Frequently asked questions

Who is Lead From the Middle for?

First-time managers, team leads and founders building their first team.

How long is it?

About 2 hours and 8 minutes across six chapters.

Is it narrated by the author?

Yes, with AI-assisted voice production for some sections. The narration section on this page explains it.

Do I need an account to listen?

Yes. A free MyAudium account saves your place in the book and your notes. You can create it with any email address; no Gmail, Amazon or Apple account is needed.

Can I listen on my phone?

Yes. The player runs in your phone's web browser. There is nothing to install.

Can I take notes while listening?

Yes. Pause, write a note tied to that moment in the audio, and find it again from the player.

Can I download the audiobook?

Not yet. Audiobooks stream in your browser and your progress is saved so you can continue from any device where you sign in.

What happens after I buy?

The audiobook appears in your MyAudium library right away and you can start listening in your browser.