The importance of followership
An important but often overlooked aspect of leadership is being an effective follower. Most leaders are not at the very top of the organization and ultimately report to someone above them. As a result, followership becomes an important aspect of leadership.
A vital skill in the art of followership is “managing up.” According to Richard Daft, managing up is “consciously and deliberately developing a meaningful, task-related, mutually respectful relationship with your direct superiors; offering insight, information, guidance, and initiative; and challenging your superiors when necessary in order to enable all members to do their best work for the organization.” Although managing up makes many employees uncomfortable, good leaders depend on their employees for this type of information and support.
First, let’s talk about why managing up can be a bit intimidating. For many leaders, managing down is more comfortable because the leader has a level of control. We can use our influence (hopefully in positive ways) as we manage our employees – we protect them, encourage them, provide feedback and direction, and foster growth. Our employees benefit when we learn how to effectively manage our relationships with them. When we try to manage up, we are trying to use our influence, but from a subordinate position. This is a very different dynamic, and it can feel uncomfortable and risky, because we do not know how our feedback will be received.
As a result, there are unique challenges in managing up. In the article, “What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up,” Dana Rousmaniere observes, “managing up doesn’t mean sucking up.” Rather, “it means being the most effective employee you can be, creating value for your boss and your company.” According to Rousmaniere, certain skills are required for effectively managing up:
Identifying the best way for presenting the issue
Knowing what makes “your boss tick”
Anticipating the needs of your boss
Disagreeing in productive and respectful ways
A prerequisite for managing up is already having a good working relationship with your boss. “A Tactical Guide to Managing Up” describes seven categories of “low-lift tactics” for building that relationship and ultimately managing up effectively:
Leave your assumptions at the door.
Hone your delivery for communication that comes through loud-and-clear.
Boost your chances of hearing ‘yes’ to your ask.
Get comfortable with feedback (on both sides of the table).
Set the tone in your 1:1s.
Share your impact the right way.
Build lasting rapport and trust.
Finally, be honest with yourself about your motivation. If your goal is to you-centered, then you are likely at risk for sucking up, not managing up. Your motivation has to be the organization (first) and your boss (second). Remember the purpose is improving the organization and helping your boss be effective in that pursuit. Being effective at managing up will be appreciated and likely get you noticed, but let that be a bonus reward, not the motivation.
Sources:
Daft, R. L. (2018). The Leadership Experience (7th Ed.), Cengage.
What Everyone Should Know About Managing Up
A Tactical Guide to Managing Up: 30 Tips from the Smartest People We Know
