THE most successful professionals don’t just excel at their tasks — they master the art of managing up.
This isn’t about flattery or blind agreement; it’s about building a strong, strategic relationship with your leader, understanding their priorities, and aligning your efforts to drive mutual success.
When done right, managing up can accelerate your career, improve collaboration, and enhance organisational impact.
It allows you to anticipate challenges, communicate proactively and position yourself as a trusted partner in decision-making.
Understanding your leader’s priorities and goals
Great employees don’t just follow instructions they think ahead, anticipate challenges, and align their work with what truly matters to leadership.
Why? Because when you speak their language, solve their problems, and support their vision, you become more than just an employee, you become an indispensable strategic partner.
How to get inside your leader’s mind
Ask the right questions: “What are your top three priorities right now?” “What’s the biggest challenge keeping you up at night?” Proactively seeking this insight helps you align your work with what truly matters.
Stay one step ahead: Read company reports, attend key meetings, and keep an eye on industry trends. The more informed you are, the better positioned you’ll be to anticipate needs before they even arise.
Check in and adapt: Priorities shift. Regularly seek feedback and adjust your focus to stay in sync with your leader’s evolving goals.
Communicate effectively and transparently
The backbone of a strong professional relationship is clear, strategic communication.
Leaders don’t have time for guesswork; they need concise, relevant, and proactive updates to make informed decisions.
Leaders hate surprises, especially bad ones. Provide regular updates on progress, challenges, and solutions so they’re never caught off guard. Be brief but informative.
If you encounter an obstacle, don’t just present the issue, come with two or three possible solutions. This shows initiative and eases decision-making for your leader.
When you master the art of communication, you eliminate confusion, build trust and position yourself as someone they can rely on.
Be transparent and direct
If there’s a delay, setbacks, or limitation, address it early and honestly.
Leaders respect those who take accountability and manage expectations rather than sugarcoating issues.
When you communicate with precision and clarity, you reduce friction, gain trust and ensure alignment. That’s how you become a leader your leader can count on.
Exhibit initiative and ownership
High performers don’t wait to be told what to do, they see opportunities, take action, and own their responsibilities fully.
Leaders value team members who don’t just execute tasks, but drive results, solve problems, and push initiatives forward.
How to demonstrate initiative and ownership
Own outcomes, not just tasks: Don’t just complete assignments, ensure they achieve the intended results.
Treat every project as if your name and reputation are on the line.
Solve problems without waiting for permission: If you see a roadblock, don’t just report it, propose solutions and take steps to resolve it.
Leaders notice those who take the weight off their shoulders.
Think two steps ahead: Anticipate challenges before they arise. Proactive thinking separates valuable contributors from passive workers.
Make decisions with confidence: While some situations require approval, avoid “permission paralysis”.
Leaders appreciate team members who act decisively, take calculated risks and move things forward.
The professionals who take initiative aren’t just seen as employees they’re recognised as leaders in the making.
Manage expectations
Trust is built on consistency, and nothing erodes it faster than missed deadlines, unfulfilled promises or last-minute surprises.
Managing expectations isn’t about playing it safe, it’s about setting clear, realistic commitments and delivering with confidence.
Great professionals don’t just work hard; they work smart by aligning priorities, communicating effectively, and following through.
How to set and manage expectations like a pro:
Be transparent about timelines and resources: If a deadline is tight or resources are limited, don’t wait until the last minute to flag it.
Speak up early, negotiate priorities, and offer alternatives if needed.
Leaders respect honesty more than unrealistic optimism.
Underpromise, overdeliver: Instead of making commitments you’re unsure about, set realistic goals and then exceed them.
Finishing ahead of schedule or delivering extra value builds your reputation as someone leaders can count on.
Clarify before you commit: Never assume expectations, ask the right questions. Getting clarity upfront prevents confusion and wasted effort later.
Communicate before problems escalate: If something changes, a delay, roadblocks, or shifting priorities, update your leader proactively.
Leaders hate surprises, but they appreciate foresight and solutions.
Mastering expectation management isn’t about doing less; it’s about ensuring that what you do is strategic, reliable, and impactful.
Leverage feedback and continuous improvement
The best professionals don’t just accept feedback they actively seek it, learn from it, and use it to sharpen their skills.
Growth isn’t about avoiding mistakes; it’s about learning, adapting, and improving with every opportunity.
Feedback isn’t a critique, it’s an advantage.
Those who embrace it gain insight, build stronger relationships, and position themselves as adaptable, high-impact contributors.
How to turn feedback into an asset
Ask for it before it’s given: Don’t wait for formal reviews. Seeking feedback shows initiative and a commitment to excellence.
Listen to understand, not defend: When receiving feedback, don’t rush to explain — pause, reflect and ask clarifying questions like, “Can you give an example?” or “What would success look like in this area?”
This approach fosters growth and strengthens relationships.
Show that you act on it: Feedback is meaningless if it doesn’t lead to change.
Apply the insights you receive and circle back with, “I made this adjustment based on your input — does it align with what you envisioned?”
This demonstrates responsiveness and continuous improvement.
Give constructive feedback as well: Effective leadership isn’t just about receiving guidance — it’s about offering valuable insights, too.
When appropriate, provide thoughtful feedback that improves processes, communication, or team efficiency.
Those who embrace feedback as a tool for growth accelerate faster, earn trust quicker and stand out as leaders in the making.
Build trust and credibility
Trust is the currency of leadership. Without it, even the most talented professionals struggle to gain influence.
Credibility isn’t granted, it’s earned through consistency, accountability, and integrity.
When leaders trust you, they listen to you, advocate for you, and rely on you in critical moments.
If you want to be seen as more than just another employee, become someone whose word and work are unquestionable.
How to establish unshakable trust and credibility
Take ownership, especially in difficult moments: Mistakes happen. What defines you is how you handle them. Leaders respect those who take responsibility and find solutions.
Be relentlessly reliable: Consistency breeds trust. When you meet deadlines, deliver quality work, and show up with the same level of commitment every day, you become someone leaders and colleagues can depend on without question.
Do what you say, every time: Promises, big or small shape your reputation. If you commit to something, follow through.
If circumstances change, communicate early and adjust expectations. A strong reputation is built on dependability.
Lead with integrity, not convenience: Speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Make decisions based on principles, not shortcuts.
Leaders trust those who operate with honesty and stand firm on their values.
Trust isn’t built overnight, but it can be lost in an instant.
Earn it through your actions, protect it through your consistency, and strengthen it through your integrity
The most successful professionals aren’t just great at their jobs, they’re great at managing up.
They don’t wait for direction; they anticipate needs, solve problems before they arise, and make themselves indispensable.
Managing up isn’t about office politics or pleasing your boss --- it’s about understanding how leadership thinks, aligning with their priorities, and taking ownership of your impact.
It’s what separates those who simply follow orders from those who drive results.
Here’s how:
- Think like a leader, not just an employee.
- Communicate with clarity and purpose.
- Take initiative before you’re asked.
- Set clear expectations --- and exceed them.
- Turn feedback into your advantage.
- Be someone leadership can’t do without.
Managing up isn’t just a skill, it’s your competitive edge.
When you master it, you don’t just rise in your career, you become the kind of leader others want to follow.
- Innocent Hadebe is a United States based certified John Maxwell Leadership business coach and mentor. He runs the Innocent Leadership Group (ILG), an organisation inclined on capacitating upcoming entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to run their businesses.