Fostering Leadership at Every Level: The Art of Leading Up

In the realm of organizational growth and development, the concept of leading up is becoming increasingly pivotal. While traditional top-down leadership models have dominated for years, the fastest-growing and most successful organizations are those where leadership is more dynamic, often adopting a bottom-up approach.

This article explores how fostering leading up through coaching and effective communication can lead to more accountable and productive teams.

Redefining Leading Up

The Harvard Business Review aptly defines leading up as being an effective employee who creates value for both the boss and the company. However, it’s crucial to demystify what leading up is not. It isn’t about superseding your manager’s authority, trying to change them, or evaluating their capabilities. Instead, it involves:

Understanding your manager’s goals and objectives.
Developing a positive relationship with your manager.
Adapting to their communication style and work methods.
Communicating your own work preferences and style.
Proactively anticipating your manager’s needs.

The Culture of Upward Management

When upward management is ingrained in the organizational culture, it fosters accountability and supports team growth, leading to improved business outcomes. Creating this environment is about transcending titles and focusing on what’s best for the project or outcome. In this dynamic, the top leader doesn’t always have to spearhead ideas. Instead, it’s about creating a space where accountability is mutual and challenging ideas are welcomed. The key is that your leaders embrace and support leadership at all levels.

Leadership culture without titles or levels.

Collaboration Versus Hierarchy

leading up, or leading up, is more about collaboration with leaders rather than working under them. It raises an important question: do teams feel they are working with their leaders or for them? This perspective shift is crucial for nurturing an environment where employees support their leaders beyond just executing tasks.

The Concept of Full-Circle Leading

To enable employees to lead up, organizations must create systems where they feel empowered to provide feedback to leaders. Regular project updates are a practical example of this. This approach encourages a full-circle leading model, where leaders are also held accountable and open to being challenged.

Communication Alignment and Challenging Authority

Leading up is essential for aligning communication at all levels – top-down and across the organization. An important aspect of this is how comfortable employees feel in challenging their superiors. A key insight is that a team’s performance is often reflective of their leader’s performance. If a leader is underperforming, it can limit the team’s potential.

The Role of Coaching

Coaching plays a vital role in this process. It helps in creating better communication within teams, enabling a more productive and accountable workforce. Coaching fosters an environment where leading up becomes a natural part of the organizational fabric.

Leading up is not just a strategy but a mindset shift that promotes leadership at every level. By encouraging collaboration, open communication, and mutual accountability, organizations can unlock the full potential of their teams, paving the way for greater success and innovation.

Ready to learn how to implement the Art of Leading Up in your organization? Get in touch today.