How to Manage Up: Working Well With Your Own Boss

Every leader has a boss, including executives. As President and COO, I still report to our CEO, and the relationship works best when I understand what he is carrying and make sure he is never surprised by something I knew about. Managing up is simply leadership pointed in the other direction.

Done well, it is not political at all. It is about helping the person above you succeed, which almost always helps you and your team succeed too.

Understand what your boss is carrying

Your manager has their own goals, pressures and boss. Learn what they are measured on, what keeps them up at night and what a great month looks like from their seat. When you understand their priorities, you can focus on the work that matters most to them and explain your own work in terms they care about.

Adapt to how they communicate

Some leaders want a quick text, others want a weekly written summary, others want to talk it through. Some want every detail, others want the headline and your recommendation. Ask directly: how do you like to get updates? Then adapt. Matching their style is one of the simplest ways to make their job easier.

Keep them informed before they ask

Bosses get nervous when they do not know what is happening. A short, regular update on progress, risks and decisions builds enormous trust, and it usually earns you more freedom, not less. People can handle bad news far better than they can handle no news, and that applies to bosses too.

Bring solutions, not just problems

When you raise a problem, bring at least one possible solution and your recommendation. You do not need to have everything figured out, but showing you have thought it through helps your boss decide quickly and shows that you are thinking like a leader.

Share bad news early

Nobody likes delivering bad news upward, but it is far worse when the boss finds out later, or from someone else. Raise problems as soon as you see them, while they are still small. Say what happened, what you are doing about it and what you need. Leaders remember who told them the truth early.

Ask for what you need

Managing up also means making sure you and your team get the support you need. Be clear and specific: I need a decision on the budget by Friday to hit the launch date. When priorities compete, make the tradeoff visible and ask which matters more, rather than quietly trying to do everything.

Leading in every direction is part of my leadership workshop, You Are Capable of More: Leadership. See also How to Say No at Work and Nobody Tells You the Truth.