The impacts of effective leadership branch far beyond the capabilities of a leader. In some cases, leadership requires guidance from the bottom up. Your leader will not have all the answers or in some cases be able to reach the desired outcome on their own. When this is the case, subordinates can take initiative to equip their leader with the necessary tools and information to be successful.
This is called “managing up”, and this method applies to leadership in all its forms. In essence, you end up managing your leader to be better for the needs of the team or to influence the desired outcome. This is by no means “changing” or “fixing” your leader, it is simply stepping up to give them and the team the support they need. Additionally, you and your leader are both striving to be better and advance your careers.
The incentive for managing up for the individual is so that you (being in a lower-ranked position) can demonstrate your qualities as a leader and develop a dynamic that utilizes each of your strengths. Sometimes all it takes is a change in your attitude or speaking with the leader directly to give intel on a situation for them to be effective in their task. Eventually, showing that you are a capable and effective leader can lead to opportunities for advancement.
This concept can be difficult to grasp and effectively implementing it can seem intimidating but there are some simple characteristics you can implement:
Open To Learning
Often a leader will have several direct reports which take a lot of their time, to begin with. Having someone who isn’t coachable will make this responsibility even harder. To stand out, if you are in each meeting asking questions, and applying feedback, they will allocate more time and energy to you. Think of this as an investing scenario, if you are showing that you’re willing to grow, they will give you the tools necessary to do so.
Proactive Not Reactive
You can get ahead of situations by actively communicating with your leader on what’s being done and what could be done better rather than waiting for them to ask. Subordinates should use their intuition and apply their efforts in a manner that will help their leader and the team as a whole. This takes some of the burdens off leaders and allows you to stick out from the majority in a way that demonstrates competency.
Empathetic
A leader who knows their team and understands their needs can find ways to adapt their approach to the needs of the group. Vice versa, a subordinate who takes the time to know their leader, can build a supportive relationship between the two of them. Realize that there will be times when your leader needs a nudge in the right direction. Avoid rank clouding your view of what’s important, put yourself in their shoes, and get involved in problem-solving. At the end of the day, you’re all striving for the same goal.
Feedback
Just as you receive feedback, don’t be afraid to provide your leader with feedback as well. Nobody’s perfect in their role, opportunities for growth and development are what construct a professional. This same concept applies to information, if a leader is taking on a situation where they may need guidance, subordinates can take initiative to provide it.
Advancement
Either or both of you may have aspirations to reach new levels in your careers, find out what they are. To manage up, you need to know what the goals and intentions of your leader are so you can guide them when applicable. They will look out for you in the same way and now the relationship is supportive of both of your needs.
Conclusion
Managing up is an initiative that will serve anyone in an executive position or someone who wants to gain skills from their current organization while influencing outcomes. Doing this takes time, it requires you to be accountable for everything that goes on in the team. If you want to get the most out of your career, this is the kind of attitude and hunger you must possess.
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