Managed to back line, being hidebound (6)
I believe the answer is:
narrow
'hidebound' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'managed to back line' is the wordplay.
'managed' becomes 'ran' (both can mean organised or was in charge of).
'to back' says the letters should be written backwards.
'line' becomes 'row' (a row or line of things).
'ran' written backwards gives 'nar'.
'nar'+'row'='NARROW'
'being' is the link.
(Other definitions for narrow that I've seen before include "with little to spare" , "Cramped" , "Strait; close" , "Thin; taper" , "Restricted - intolerant" .)