SHOW / EPISODE

Episode 28 : We are back: Middle Management Job Losses, AI, and Pressure on the Mid Layer

28m | Aug 24, 2026

Sara and Pragati reopen the podcast after a break with an update on what this year has actually produced. They cover career transitions, the pressure on the middle layer of organisations, and why meaningful work holds up better than quick wins and passive income promises.

Pragati marks one year as a lecturer after her consulting career.

Sara describes how her coaching practice has moved toward mid-level leaders and supply chain professionals, and why younger professionals are approaching work, mental health, and personal branding differently.

Key topics

🔹 Why work does not get easier with seniority, and how the difficulty changes shape instead

🔹 People and relationships as the hardest part of any job, in entrepreneurship, academia, and corporate life

🔹 The middle-management layer carrying pressure from above, demands from below, and operational delivery at once

🔹 Generational differences: younger professionals building leadership skills earlier and speaking openly about therapy, ADHD, and mental health

🔹 Ten years of My Swiss Story, belonging in global careers, and what a decade of consistency requires

Timestamps

00:00 Restarting the podcast and why this episode is a live update

01:25 Career changes, vacation time, and why the season paused

02:32 Pragati's first year in academia and what changed after consulting

04:12 Why work never gets easy, only differently difficult

05:25 Sara on becoming less reactive at work

07:27 Sara's shift into leadership coaching and two lines of business

09:25 Pressure on middle management and why jobs feel unstable

11:26 Why the podcast should cover more middle-management realities

13:12 Younger professionals, portfolio careers, and personal branding

15:13 What Gen Z brings to work: openness, fresh thinking, early leadership awareness

16:22 How leadership development used to happen in a much more random way

18:41 Ten years of My Swiss Story and what it represents

20:35 Belonging across workplaces, countries, and communities

21:21 Why long-term consistency matters more than quick wins

23:00 Why coaching, content, and meaningful work are not passive income

24:15 Doing work that gives joy, purpose, and non-monetary value

25:08 Work-life alignment when you enjoy the work

27:34 Listener feedback, guest suggestions, and what comes next

💚Suggest a topic or nominate a guest in the comments.

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🎙️ The Heart of the Equation is a podcast for managers navigating leadership, career growth, and the human dynamics of complex organisations. Hosted by Sara Mobarhanfard, Anisa Zafar, and Pragati Siddhanti.

Connect with the cohosts:

Sara Mobarhanfard : narosibcoaching.com

Anisa Zafar: treeoflifeguru.com

Pragati Siddhanti: myswissstory.com

Access the Podcast

🎙️ The Heart of the Equation Podcast →

https://www.narosibcoaching.com/podcast

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4su6RdGwygkkWJ0ceZe2g8

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-heart-of-the-equation/id1794644198

Helpful Resources

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