Leading Up

By Jon Walden, CTAS

In today’s fast-moving work world, being a good leader means more than just leading a team. It’s also important to know how to work effectively with your bosses to achieve success for your organization. This is called leading up and involves skills like communicating well, collaborating with others, and influencing people in higher positions. Mastering these skills can create a positive work culture and help your agency move forward.

Leading up is about using the right strategies for positive organizational changes. It means understanding what your bosses want to achieve and working with them to support their vision. By building strong relationships and sharing ideas, we can all work together to achieve our goals and make a difference. Good communication is key to leading up. To get your ideas across, ensure they align with your superiors’ objectives and use data to support your proposals.

Building trust is vital for being a good leader. You can do this by consistently showing that you can be relied upon to get things done, offering helpful advice, and coming up with innovative solutions to problems. To be a successful leader, it’s also important to think ahead and anticipate any issues before they become major problems. This means considering different perspectives and taking a proactive approach to challenges.

Collaboration is important in any workplace. People working together from different departments or teams can achieve more than alone. By showing how your ideas can benefit other university areas, you can get more people on board with your plans and increase your influence. Building relationships with people across the institute can help you make more allies and get more support for your initiatives. So, try to reach out to people horizontally and vertically, and see what you can achieve together!

It’s important to understand the challenges and duties faced by those in positions of authority. It’s essential to be considerate and supportive whenever possible. Recognize their limitations and be flexible. Try to anticipate their needs and offer helpful solutions to make their work easier.

Leading others is an important skill in today’s complex organizations. It means ensuring that your goals align with the organization’s goals. When you’re good at leading others in this way, you can have a big impact on the success and growth of the whole organization. It’s important to remember that being a leader isn’t just about having a fancy job title – it’s about being able to inspire and make positive changes, no matter your role.