Salesforce AppExchangeFlatten or Fail? Why C-Suite Leaders in Salesforce Enterprises Must Rethink Middle Management Now
Just two years ago, if someone had said we’d run Salesforce-powered teams with almost no traditional middle managers, we’d probably have said “Yeah, right” and moved on.
Back then, like most enterprise leaders, we all saw layered reporting, structured escalation paths and tight oversight as the pathways to scale and success.
Today? The magic is in flattening.
What I’m Seeing Inside Big Organizations
In my conversations with Top Salesforce enterprise clients, here’s what’s been consistent:
- Teams that once reported to 3–4 managers now report to 1.
- Managers who once supervised 6 people now have 12–15 direct reports.
- AI is quietly doing the work of status reporting, task assignment, and initial decision-making.
And this isn’t theoretical.
I’ve personally seen Salesforce enterprise clients:
- Use Flow to remove 3 layers of approval in case resolution.
- Automate internal escalations that used to require a manager.
- Deploy Einstein AI to monitor rep performance—without a supervisor.
One executive even told me:
“We didn’t lay off managers to cut costs. We laid them off because they were just watching dashboards.”
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Flattening isn’t just about running lean, it’s about running fast.
When Salesforce is your operating system, and your teams are built around real-time data and automation, the traditional “manager as monitor” role just… disappears.
But here’s what’s critical:
Big companies aren’t eliminating leadership—they’re evolving it.
What Flattening Really Looks Like (Behind the Curtain)
From my firsthand experience, here’s what this shift feels like in real time:
- Faster Decisions
Without 3 people reviewing a task, work moves. Flow automations in Salesforce trigger next steps, notify the right people, and move records automatically. - Empowered ICs
With fewer managers, reps and contributors are owning more. They’re closer to the outcome, not waiting for approval chains. - More Burnout (If You’re Not Careful)
One large Salesforce customer scaled a manager’s span of control too quickly. Result? Morale dipped, clarity vanished, and quality took a hit.
Flattening without structure = chaos.
C-Level Leadership Gets Heavier
With fewer layers, VPs and directors get pulled into more conversations. You need
My Advice for Salesforce Enterprise Executives
If you’re in the C-suite of a Salesforce enterprise and you haven’t addressed org flattening yet, here’s my honest take:
✅ DO:
- Audit your org chart. Who’s truly adding value, and who’s just relaying info?
- Automate what can be automated—approvals, routing, escalations.
- Re-scope management roles around coaching and strategy, not control.
- Equip ICs with visibility: dashboards, alerts, and shared KPIs.
❌ DON’T:
- Cut layers without a plan for support.
- Assume Salesforce alone will solve coordination gaps.
Overload your top leaders without process design.
The Bottom Line
Watching big organizations flatten has changed how I think about leadership.
It’s not about fewer people—it’s about fewer blockers.
It’s not about stripping structure—it’s about rebuilding it for speed.
The question every Salesforce enterprise leader should be asking isn’t “Should we flatten?”
It’s: “Are we flattening in a way that accelerates us- or just exposes us?”
Let’s talk structure, speed, and how we lead through the shift.
