Managing Up: A Skill Senior Leaders Still Need

"Managing up" — working effectively with those you report to — is a genuine leadership skill, even at senior levels. Here is what it means and why it matters.

What managing up means

Managing up is the skill of working effectively with the people you report to — for a senior executive, that might be a CEO, a chair, or a board. It means understanding what they need and expect, communicating with them well, keeping them appropriately informed, building trust, and making the reporting relationship genuinely productive. It is not about flattery or politics, but about a good, effective working relationship with those above you — which matters to your effectiveness and the business's, whatever your level.

Why it matters at senior levels

Even the most senior executives report to someone — a board, a chair, owners, or investors — and the effectiveness of that relationship significantly affects their success. A CEO who manages the board relationship well, or an executive who works effectively with their CEO, is more effective and better supported than one who neglects or mishandles it. Managing up is therefore a genuine and important skill at senior levels, not something left behind with junior roles, and it directly affects a leader's ability to get things done and to lead securely.

How to do it well

Managing up well rests on understanding the other person's needs, priorities, and preferences — how they like to work and communicate, what they care about, and what they need from you — and adapting to work effectively with them. It also rests on honesty, reliability, and building genuine trust: being straight, delivering, and being someone they can rely on. Good communication — keeping them informed, raising issues early, and no surprises — is central. Done this way, managing up builds a strong, trusting relationship rather than a political one.

Not politics, but partnership

Managing up is sometimes dismissed as political, but done with integrity it is the opposite — building a genuine, effective partnership with those you report to, in the interests of the work and the business. The distinction lies in the intent and honesty: managing up well means a real, trust-based working relationship, not manipulation. For senior leaders, mastering this — alongside leading their own teams and stakeholders — is part of operating effectively, and something rigorous leaders and those assessing them recognise as a genuine capability, related to broader stakeholder skill.

Frequently asked questions

What does managing up mean?

Working effectively with those you report to — a boss, CEO, or board — by understanding what they need, communicating well, building trust, and making the relationship genuinely productive. Done with integrity, it's about an effective partnership, not politics.

Do senior leaders need to manage up?

Yes — even the most senior executives report to someone (a board, chair, owners, or investors), and the effectiveness of that relationship significantly affects their success. Managing up remains a genuine, important skill at senior levels, not just junior ones.

Related: The Board-CEO Relationship · Stakeholder Management for Senior Leaders · Influencing Without Authority