How to Manage Up: Build Trust, Influence, and Career Momentum

Most leadership training focuses on how to manage a team.

Very little prepares you for managing up — especially when senior leaders are involved.

And yet, that’s where real influence lies.

Let’s be honest: managing up takes more than good communication and meeting deadlines.
It takes initiative — and a nuanced understanding of ego, power, and politics.

Because senior leaders usually:

• Have limited time and attention

• Operate in high-stakes environments

• Are constantly managing their own reputations and responsibilities

Your role?
To anticipate what they need, respect their bandwidth, and help them succeed — without overstepping or selling your soul in the process.

What Effective Managing Up Really Looks Like

✅ Solving problems before they escalate
✅ Communicating with clarity and aligning to their agenda
✅ Knowing when to step in — and when to stay in your lane
✅ Supporting their goals while quietly building your own influence
✅ Accepting that ego, recognition, and politics are part of the dynamic

When done well, managing up builds trust, visibility, and career momentum.
When done poorly, it can come across as brown-nosing — or worse, going rogue.

Not Sure Where to Start?

If you’re thinking, “Easy for you to say, Julie — but I wouldn’t know where to start” — here are two low-risk experiments you can try that will help build confidence and credibility.

1. Pre-empt a Leader’s Question Before It’s Asked

Before your next 1:1 or team meeting, reflect on what your leader usually focuses on.
Do they care most about progress, risks, optics, or cross-team impact?

Then prepare a short update in advance. You could say something like:

“I thought this might be on your radar, so I’ve pulled together a few points/options...”

Why this works: It shows foresight without overstepping. You’re staying in your lane — but reading the game.

2. Play Back What You’re Hearing — With a Strategic Twist

When your leader shares a concern or a vision, really listen — and then reflect it back with a constructive angle:

“It sounds like what matters most right now is X — would it be helpful if I looked into how we could do Y?”

Why this works: It shows you understand what’s being said and that you’re thinking one step ahead.
This builds trust while demonstrating political awareness and strategic thinking.

The Good News?

Managing up is a power skill — and like all skills, it can be learned and mastered.

It’s not about manipulation. It’s about understanding the game, playing with integrity, and showing that you're a leader who can influence outcomes, not just execute tasks.

How do you feel about navigating politics, ego, and initiative?
I would love to hear your thoughts.

And if you try one of the experiments above, drop me a note — I’d love to hear how it went and how you felt afterwards.

Here’s to leading well — and leading with integrity.