Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss

Imagine stepping into your workplace not as a passive player but as the one steering your career journey. Managing up is not about manipulation or flattery; it’s about empowerment and strategic partnership. The reality is that your boss plays a pivotal role in your professional life — from the opportunities you receive to the recognition you earn. Yet, expecting your boss to change or behave differently is often a path to frustration. Instead, the transformative power lies in how you manage your relationship with them.

Consider the story of an employee who initially blamed their introverted boss for poor communication and coldness. It wasn’t until they shifted their perspective, recognizing their boss’s natural tendencies and adapting accordingly, that the relationship improved. This shift from judgment to understanding is at the heart of managing up.

Managing up means taking responsibility for your experience at work. It’s about making deliberate choices to communicate effectively, build trust, and align with your boss’s priorities. This proactive approach can turn a challenging relationship into a source of growth and opportunity.

It’s also important to acknowledge that managing up is a skill everyone needs, regardless of position. Even CEOs manage up to boards or stakeholders. The workplace is a complex ecosystem of leaders and followers, and mastering this balance is key to thriving.

While the idea of managing up might initially feel like surrendering or compromising your authenticity, it is quite the opposite. It is about being strategic, authentic, and intentional in your actions. It’s about choosing how to respond rather than reacting out of frustration or victimhood. This mindset frees you from the trap of blaming others and opens the door to real influence and career advancement.

As you embark on this journey, remember that managing up is a puzzle made up of understanding your boss, understanding yourself, and choosing strategies that fit both. It requires patience, empathy, and courage. But the reward is profound — a career that you actively shape rather than passively endure.

Now that we understand why managing up is essential and how it empowers us, let’s explore the first step: understanding whether your boss is an introvert or extrovert, and how this fundamental trait shapes your interactions.