Here's why I focus on managing up for us directors and senior leaders.
Because many of us believe we don't need to!
Leaders at this level were rather brilliant at managing up in the beginning of our careers.
We were enthusiastic, passionate, willing to jump in, get our hands dirty, and get sh*t done.
They learned a lot from our bosses back then.
Over time, we became managers ourselves; leading teams, making decisions, and cultivating the next generation of employees.
We didn't take time to think about managing up—we're too focused on trying to successfully manage down!
And so a complacency came over, and the next thing you know, you're at odds with your boss and you're confused about how you got there.
You're not alone.
I landed in the exact spot myself.
And I recently made a new friend who shared the exact same pattern!
Here's what we discovered...
We didn't manage up because we thought that our title and experience were good enough!
And maybe it is.
But as the adage goes, "use it or lose it."
The catch is that managing up as a director or senior leader isn't the same as it was when you first started.
Like the Marshall Goldsmith book title, "what got you here won't get you there."
It takes an evolution of communication, awareness, and consciousness unlike that which you've done before.
It takes an evolution of WHO you are being and HOW you show up.
And that's what I focus on evolving for myself and others.