Managing Your Boss: It’s Not Politics, It’s Strategy

No, it’s not brown-nosing. It’s good leadership.

Managing up isn’t just about impressing your boss — it’s about making their job easier, influencing decisions better, and getting sh*t done without friction.

It’s one of the most underrated skills in the workplace — and also the most career-accelerating.

Let’s break it down 👇

1. Understand what keeps your manager up at night

Know what actually matters to them — revenue, delivery timelines, board pressure, cross-functional blockers.

If your work doesn’t help with that, your work isn’t showing up where it counts.

Ask: “What does success look like for you this quarter, and how can I help?”

2. Give solutions, not problems

Spot an issue? Bring options, not just escalation.

❌ “Hey, this is broken. Please check.”

✅ “We hit a roadblock here. I see two ways to fix it — Option A (faster), Option B (more thorough). What do you prefer?”

3. Keep them proactively updated

Don't make your manager chase you for status. A crisp weekly update saves time, builds trust, and avoids over-calls.

Format to try:

What’s done

What’s stuck (and how they can help)

What’s next

4. Adapt to their style (not yours)

Some managers like detail. Others just want outcomes. Some prefer Slack, others live in Notion.

Mirror their preferences — it removes friction and builds rapport.

Tip: Observe how they respond to info — and tweak accordingly.

5. Speak their language

Talk impact, not effort. Frame your wins in terms of outcomes they care about.

Instead of: “I spent 3 weeks on this.”

Try: “This will reduce partner onboarding time by 40%.”

6. Anticipate, don’t wait

If you’ve worked with them for a while, you should know what they’ll ask before they ask. Preempt their concerns.

This shows maturity and makes you look like a true operator.

7. Be coachable

Managing up doesn’t mean always agreeing. But it does mean listening, adapting, and owning feedback without ego.

Bonus: A manager who sees you’re growing = a manager who advocates for your growth.

8. Don’t surprise them

No manager likes to be blindsided by bad news.

Loop them in early when things go sideways — they’ll trust you more, not less.

TL;DR: Managing up is not managing your manager.

It’s about being aligned, being useful, and being trusted.

Do that, and you won’t just have a manager — you’ll have a champion.