Volume 11: Managing Upward – Influence Without Authority!
Your fortnightly edge to lead from the middle with clarity and confidence
Welcome to Silver Edge Volume 11 - Our fortnightly newsletter…
A new level. A new mindset. A new way to lead from the middle.
As you grow in your leadership journey, managing upward becomes more than just a skill — it becomes your advantage.
In this edition of Silver Edge, I’ve curated something special to help you influence without authority and build the kind of trust that opens doors.
✅ 6 Powerful Strategies to Manage Upward – Actionable habits to strengthen your relationship with your manager and earn influence, not just approval.
✅ Real-World Shifts That Work – Tactics that you can apply today — even with the toughest bosses.
✅ What’s Coming Next – We explore Sideways Leadership in Volume 12: how to build cross-functional influence without control.
Glad to have you on this journey.
Nirav Wadhwa, Founder - Silver Turtle Solutions
Check out our website: www.silverturtlesolutions.com
Connect with us on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X
Let’s get started!
You don’t need a better boss. You need a better relationship.
Let’s face it:
Managing your boss can be trickier than managing a team.
There’s no playbook.
No formal authority.
No performance review you’ll conduct.
Yet—how your boss sees you… often decides the opportunities, exposure, and support you receive.
But here's the truth no one says out loud.
Managing up isn’t about being a ‘yes-person.’
It’s about showing up as someone who adds value without being told what to do.
Someone who understands not just what’s being asked… but why it matters.
Someone who doesn’t just execute — but anticipates.
I’ve worked with inspiring leaders.
And a few… let’s just say, "developmental experiences."
But in both cases, what helped wasn’t waiting for change from above.
It was learning how to lead from below — with insight, initiative, and intent.
Let us look at some powerful moves that will help you lead upwards effectively.
6 Powerful Moves to Lead Upward
1. Speak Their Language, Not Yours
What keeps your boss up at night?
Is it client satisfaction? Margins? Timelines? Team morale?
Frame your work in that context.
If you show that your actions align with their priorities, you're no longer just reporting progress — you're building partnership.
💬 Instead of: “I completed the task.”
✅ Try: “This will help us meet the Q3 delivery goal we’re behind on.”
2. Adapt to Their Style
Do they love details? Prefer bullet points? Hate long meetings but love dashboards?
Stop resisting. Start syncing.
Match their communication rhythm and channel — email, call, chat, update decks.
🧭 Pro tip: When your boss feels heard and understood, they stop hovering — and start trusting.
3. Clarify, Don’t Assume
Most conflicts with managers don’t come from incompetence.
They come from misaligned expectations.
✅ Ask what success looks like.
✅ Confirm timelines and priorities.
✅ Check in before it’s too late.
🔁 One powerful habit: End each meeting with:
“Here’s what I’m taking away — does that align with what you had in mind?”
4. Be Proactively Honest
Don’t hide delays. Don’t sugarcoat risks.
Your boss doesn’t expect perfection.
They expect predictability.
🎯 Share progress early.
📍 Flag issues early — with solutions.
💡 Create visibility, not noise.
Because when they feel in the loop, they don’t feel the need to micro-manage.
5. Set Boundaries with Respect
Saying yes to everything makes you exhausted — not exceptional.
It clouds your capacity and reduces your effectiveness.
⚠️ Boundaries aren’t rejection. They’re clarification.
✅ Say: “Here’s what I can prioritize this week.”
✅ Offer options. Be honest about trade-offs.
Real leaders don’t overload.
They make choices — transparently.
6. Help Them Win
Your boss has their own KPIs, pressures, and politics.
If you can help them succeed, elevate their impact, and reduce their load —
You're not just a team player.
You're a strategic asset.
🔍 Watch what they’re juggling.
🛠️ Offer ideas that make their world easier.
🤝 Step in when others step back.
Because when they grow — you grow too.
Remember,
You don’t need to impress your boss.
You need to equip them to trust you.
And that starts not with doing more…
…but doing what matters more — to both of you.
Ask yourself today:
“What’s one shift I can make this week to support my manager’s success — without being told?”
Because when your boss sees you as someone who "gets it"...
You stop being managed —
And start being mentored.
Recap: 6 Strategies to Manage Upward with Impact
Master these moves to build trust, alignment, and upward influence:
Speak Their Language, Not Yours
Adapt to Their Style
Clarify, Don’t Assume
Be Proactively Honest
Set Boundaries with Respect
Help Them Win
Upward leadership isn’t about saying “yes.”
It’s about saying — “I understand what matters to you, and here’s how I’ll deliver it.”
Until next time, keep moving forward.
P.S. If you found this helpful, forward it to someone navigating the challenge of managing up. Know a colleague who’s working with a tough boss or aiming to build more trust at the top? Share this with them — it might be the perspective shift they need.
📩 Next up in Volume 12:
Managing Sideways — Building Influence Across Teams Without Control
If you're looking for deeper support in your leadership journey, I help mid-level managers transition into leadership roles through custom training and coaching programs. If that’s something you’d like to explore, let’s connect!
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