The dark side of managing up

I am hosting two free gatherings on leading through adversity in the next few weeks. Head straight to the bottom if you want the details on the gathering first!

✅ We should all feel skilled and confident in managing up. I’d agree.

❌ Is there a dark side to managing up? Yes, absolutely.

I have a story for you.

Early in my career, I knew of someone very good at making sure those in positions of power knew him well, his craft, and the business results his team drove. He understood the rules of the game and played to win. Nothing wrong with that.

But, here was the problem – He didn’t bring his people along. He wasn’t a good manager and didn’t challenge or guide them well. His cross-functional teams got little value out of working with him. He wasn’t the most talented at his work and used his charisma and charm to his advantage in ways that would harm and hurt others.

He knew how to create the “facade” of being a stellar leader (without being one!).

To many people’s surprise, he was promoted.

When the news of his promotion came out, people were angry and disappointed in the “leaders above him” who couldn’t see the dichotomy here. His direct reports tried to find excuses not to attend his celebratory dinner.

How sad that his own team didn’t see him as a leader they’d want to follow. And yet, he felt accomplished and successful. Or at least that’s what it showed on the outside.

This unfortunately happens more often than we’d like to believe. Skilfully managing up is important not just for your success but also for your team. But doing it at the “expense” of leading your people and being a thoughtful human may get you a title but not their respect. That’s a narrow and (often short-lived) definition of success.

Here’s my invitation.

👀  If you make promotion decisions on people managers don’t let this happen. Get a pulse on their “real” effectiveness beyond what you can see from your vantage point. Leverage formal channels (360 feedback, pulse surveys, etc) but also account for how well they manage their teams and collaborate with their peers.

It’s not about the leadership values you put on your slide that build trust but the kind of behaviors that you “promote and tolerate” that impact the trust you build with your people.

👀 My second challenge is for people managers to reflect on how you’re showing up. Are you so focused on looking good in front of your bosses that you forget the “more important work” of being a leader - enabling your team to be successful in all the ways that only you can uniquely do? Periodically check in with your people beyond the formal surveys, ask them what you can do to better challenge and support them, and create a culture where people feel safe to both give you feedback on how you’re leading and also what they need from you to succeed. Do you have any more stories to add to this conversation? I'd love for you to add them to deepen our collective learning.

Sign-up links here

Read more on the gatherings here and sign up links below

Lead others through adversity - Aug 30th

Lead yourself through adversity - Sept 6th (Please join us for this second one if you missed the first one on Aug 23rd)