Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up

Now, if you've ever worked in a middle-management position, or you're working in one now, you might think it's not the kind of role that has leadership power. After all, you've got a boss. How much can you really do from the middle?

Most people think that leadership always has to come from the top down. But according to the author, people working in the middle ranks can actually do quite a lot to effect positive change in their organizations.

Leading up is about a lot of things. It's about influencing your boss and peers, of course, but it's also about developing traits in yourself that all good leaders possess. Integrity, assertiveness, empathy, resilience – all of these can be developed and enhanced once you learn how to lead from the middle.

Now, you might be thinking that this could be a recipe for disaster. After all, what would your boss think if you took over the next meeting and started issuing directives to the staff?

She'd probably resent you stepping on her toes like that. Which is why the book's subtitle is The Subtle Art of Managing Up. The author's goal is to teach us to lead quietly and selflessly, so that everyone succeeds. It's not about making sure we get attention and recognition.

The author gives us clear, step-by-step instructions that show us how to start leading from the middle. If you're in a middle-management position, you'll find plenty of useful information here. And after you've read just a few pages, you'll realize just how far leading your boss could take you in your career.

If you're in upper management, you'll also benefit from reading this book. The author points out that many upper-level leaders think that middle-level leaders undermine their authority. But with each chapter you'll learn why you should be encouraging your middle managers to lead more. These bottom-up leaders not only fill vital leadership voids, but they also free up your time to focus on the bigger picture.

The author has peppered real-life stories throughout the book that help illustrate just how powerful leading up can be. These profiles are inspirational, relevant, and intriguing, and include such figures as philanthropist Paul Newman, legendary First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary.

The author, John Baldoni, is an internationally recognized leadership consultant, and an author of several books, including Lead by Example. He was named one of the thirty Most Influential Leadership Gurus for two thousand seven, and writes the "Leadership At Work" column for Harvard Business Publishing.

So, keep listening to find out why looking outside your industry might be the best way to come up with innovative ideas; why letting your team choose their own course of action shows your leadership skills; and how to tell the difference between skill and talent.

The author has divided the book into three parts. Each focuses on one question everyone leading from the middle needs to ask.

The first question is, what does the leader need? This question, and its corresponding section of the book, looks at your boss's needs, and what you can do to help her do her job.

The next question is, what does the team need? If you can help take care of some of the smaller issues in your team, like smoothing over personality clashes, your boss will have more freedom to focus on the big picture.

The last question is, what can I do to help the leader and the team succeed? This question looks at what, specifically, needs to happen so that goals get accomplished.

All of these questions help you create a plan so you can lead your boss, and your team, subtly and effectively.

Now, before we dive into some of the book's specific strategies, we should probably stop and address a question you're probably having right now.

You may be wondering if it's even worth doing this, right? After all, managing up just sounds like you're taking on more work, so your boss and your team look good. Who wants to do that?

It might go against the grain at first, but good leadership requires selflessness. Good leadership means putting yourself last and your team first, so that everyone succeeds.

Leading up requires courage, and determination. Taking this initiative shows upper management that you care about the organization, and its success. And, this will help elevate your career in the years to come.

So, let's take a look at some techniques you can use to start leading from the middle.

The first section of part one lays out some of the key strategies for leading up. If you've never had a leadership role before, you'll find some of these particularly helpful.

For instance, the author says that leading up starts with identifying an opportunity, and then acting on it. This could be a hole in the chain of command, a boss that's overworked and frazzled, or a team that's not sure what direction they need to be going.

But after you've identified the opportunity, what do you do next?

Well, you've got to start thinking like a leader. This means making sure you're not holed up in your cubicle or office all the time. Get out, and make sure your team sees you walking around. Use this time to get the pulse of your organization.

The more your team sees you around, the more likely they are to share ideas with you in the future.

One strategy we were particularly impressed with was about promoting strategic idea gathering.

The author says that sometimes, leaders can get stuck learning solely within their own field. And while there is lots to be learned here, going outside your field or industry can allow you insights you'd never have gained by playing it safe.

Here's a good example. If you've ever watched Grand Prix motor racing, you'll know the organizational marvel that is the pit crew. Their timing is perfect, and they can have a car prepped and ready to go in a matter of seconds. It's truly a wonder to watch.

Well, surgeons in a London hospital realized that these same pit crews might be able to help them in their hospitals. One of the most challenging tasks that surgeons face is in patient hand-offs, which is when patients transition from the operating room to their private room.

Now it may not sound like much to most of us, but patient hand-offs are incredibly complicated. If they're not done right, patients can receive the wrong equipment or the wrong medication, which could endanger their lives.

So, the surgeons partnered with the Ferrari pit crew to learn how they plan for and manage unexpected events during a race. And what the surgeons learned helped create a system that dramatically lowered technical and communication errors during patient hand-offs.

What the doctors did is something any middle-level manager can do. They wanted to learn from the best, even if the best was in a dramatically different industry.

So, if you want to manage up, don't be afraid to look outside the box for solutions to your team's problems. When you look outside traditional walls for inspiration, you can find solutions that are truly innovative.

What else is in part one?

Well, you'll learn how to disagree with your boss, how to accept criticism, and how to create relevancy through action.

Part two helps you focus on what your team needs. And the key to leading up with your team is to know them well. Knowing what they can do, and how well they can do it, is important to helping them be a success.

So, how can you help your team by managing up?

Well, you've got to start by truly putting them first. The author says that leaders who put others ahead of themselves create conditions for people to lead themselves. You're allowing your team to share, or even entirely own, credit for your efforts.

This kind of quiet leadership is incredibly powerful. The author points out here that these kinds of leaders are never out of a job. The more power they give away, the more they seem to have. Everyone wants people like this leading in their organization.

We thought this was a relevant lesson, and one that can help any reader gain more influence in their organization.

In this section, you can also learn how to manage your own mind, which can so easily distract you from doing the right thing. You'll learn how to overcome your team's resistance to change, and how to know when to be quiet and let your team members come up with a solution on their own.

One particularly useful section lays out the seven styles of influence. These styles show us how to use everything from information to our own charisma to get what we want and effect change.

The last section of the book, part three, focuses on how to help both your boss and your team succeed. And, it starts out with an important lesson on resiliency.

Leading, in any capacity, isn't easy. And as likely as not, you're going to be needed most when things aren't going well. Having the ability to bend without breaking is essential if you want to lead through the tough times.

One of the ways you can do this is to have the courage to learn from your mistakes. Any leader, no matter how great, is going to make mistakes. Taking the time to find the valuable lessons in those mistakes will teach you far more than your successes ever will.

Learning how to keep your cool in stressful situations is also vital to building trust and respect with your team. Think about it. If your natural tendency is to explode or panic during stressful situations, your team is never going to trust you to lead the way. Why would they?

Lashing out against someone else when a crisis happens is the easy thing to do. But if you want to be a real leader, you've got to learn how to master yourself enough to stay steady for the rest of your team. Focus on what you can do immediately to improve the situation, and don't dwell on anything you have no control over.

This last section also shows us how to develop our team members, so they can become leaders as well. And, we thought this was a brilliant addition to the book.

The author gives us some compelling reasons why it's worth doing this. First, developing your team shows your boss that you really do have the ability to lead. By handing over power to your team, you also free yourself up to act strategically, instead of being mired down in the details. Since these skills are valued by upper-level leaders, practicing them now proves that you're ready to move up as your career progresses.

There are also some really useful tips on team development here.

For instance, when it comes to developing your team members, it's important that you set the course – but leave the agenda up to them. Letting your team decide how to accomplish the goal gives them a greater sense of ownership over the results.

As you heard earlier, it's also important to know your team. And this means knowing the difference between talent and skill in each of your team members.

What's the difference?

In essence, the author says that talent is the natural inclination for doing something, and skill is the ability to do it. As a leader, you're likely to get handed a team with plenty of talent, but it doesn't always mean they have the skill to put those talents to work. So knowing the difference is crucial for putting people on the right tasks.

The good news is that the author gives us several strategies for discovering our team's talents and skills. Doing things like cross-training and creating challenges are subtle ways to find out these important traits.

So, what's our final take on Lead Your Boss?

Well, it's definitely a book that readers will find valuable. The author has done a brilliant job packing in useful information, and overall the book gives middle managers the tools they need to start leading on their own.

While the book did contain some tips that were a bit well-worn, we did think there were enough fresh insights to make it worth your time.

Is it the type of book that will keep you reading late into the night? Well, no. The writing is a bit dry. But the majority of the information is so useful that it hardly matters.

Thanks to the way this book is organized, it's easy to pick up and put back down. So even if you do get a bit bored, you won't have to worry about getting yourself back up to speed next time you pick it up. Because of the ample headings and subheadings, this is an easy book to skim, which makes it perfect for those who are pressed for time.

Lead Your Boss, by John Baldoni, is published by AMACOM.

That's the end of this episode of Book Insights. Click here to buy the book from Amazon.