The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of middle managers in non-academic units within higher education institutions in Illinois, and how their roles impact decision making and strategic planning at the institution. Middle management is defined as a position in organizational hierarchies 'between the operating core and the apex' (Mintzbert, 1989). A review of the literature confirmed the view of De Boer, Goedegebuure, and Meek (2010) who claim that remarkably little is known about how university middle managers go about their tasks and call for more research to grasp the nature of the work of university middle managers (Davis, Van Rensburg, & Venter, 2016). Little has been written on leadership at the mid-level and little of what has been written is based upon empirical research (Smith, 2005). To fill this gap, this study explored the perceptions of non-academic middle managers within higher education institutions in Illinois. Through phenomenological research methodology (Bhattacharya, 2017), the lived experiences of middle managers at community colleges and four-year public universities in Illinois were investigated. Strategic management theory, leadership theory, and empowerment theory were utilized as the theoretical framework to understand the experience of middle managers. Seidman's (2013) three-interview series was utilized to collect data from all participants. Findings included the major themes of invisibility, isolation, lack of trust and support, inclusion, and powerlessness. This study concludes with a discussion of the efficacy of the middle manager role and its purpose within an institution, as well as future research recommendations to investigate how middle managers could be change agents within higher education institutions if allowed to be heard. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]