DKA Toolkit - Courses

Leading Up to Lead Down (PT 1)

How to get what you want by helping your boss get what they want…

Why is this class so important? As a Coach and corporate trainer, one of the most frequent questions I get from clients/executives/managers/students is “How do I get my boss to…dot dot dot? It’s a compelling question…a question I could never answer in the 5 minutes I was expected to answer it in. Why? Because “getting your boss to…dot dot dot” today, requires a process that you have to implement over time…a process of creating behavior change in your boss regarding their overall perception of you. If you master the art of leading up you have mastered the art of getting what you want from someone who has absolutely no reason to listen to you.

Learning to “lead up” is also fundamental to leading down. And it’s an essential and necessary skill-set on the way to becoming an influential manager. It’s all about scarce resources; Influential managers are able to effectively access scarce resources for the development of their own teams. You can only gain influence if your boss views you as someone worthy of being taken seriously. So when I get that question from a client “How do I get my boss to dot dot dot?, I immediately know you have little or no influence over your boss. I also know that, if you lead a team yourself, your team is probably deficient with respect to being the beneficiary of the company’s already scarce resources. How do I know this? Because to give, you must get…to give your team what they need you have to be able to get it from somewhere, from your boss.

The ability to have your advocacy resonate with your supervisor is not incidental or accidental; It is a methodical and deliberate skill. By the end of this class I will provide you with a clear picture of the 17 keys to leading up. The class provides specific skills and strategies on how to manage both your reputation and that most important work relationship: your rapport with your boss. We will cover how to understand your supervisor’s world, their preferences, the jargon they use…the significance of speaking their language; supporting their goals; being a help rather than a hindrance, and being solutions oriented. If you implement the 17 keys you will absolutely never have to ask me the question “How do I get my boss to dot dot dot?

Let’s begin…

The 17 keys to leading Up:

• Lead and Manage Yourself Exceptionally Well
• Accept the reality: Your boss is your boss
• Prove that you’re trustworthy i.e. committed and competent
• Never complain about your boss with ANYONE
• Make your boss look good
• Think and act like the owner
• Take initiative…Make your boss’s job easier
• Always keep your boss in the loop…no surprises
• Don’t feel and act entitled
• Offer solutions — not just problems
• Do your homework; be prepared; don’t waste boss’s time
• Make your accomplishments known
• Seek honest feedback from your boss
• Be Willing to Do What’s Undesirable to Everyone Else
• Learn how, when and if to disagree with your boss (Know When to Speak Up and When to Shut Up)
• Be Proactive!
• Invest in Relational Chemistry

Accompanying Free Psychological Assessment!

The Locus of Control and Attribution Assessment (LCASA)

Upon completion of this course please email me ([email protected]) for access to your accompanying free online psychological assessment – The Locus of Control and Attribution Assessment (LCASA). 

Locus of Control is the extent to which individuals believe they have power over events, processes and outcomes at work…and in their lives in general. A person with an internal locus of control believe they can influence work events and their outcomes, while someone with an external locus of control blames outside forces for everything. Individuals who successfully “Lead Up” all have one thing in common: an internal locus of control. All people with an internal locus of control do not necessarily know how to lead up…because it’s a learned skill. The results of this assessment will provide you with the impetus for next steps: how naturally inclined are you to “lead up” and fight for the resources you need to excel?

The LCAS Assessment will bring self awareness, insight and recognition to where you fall on several of the “17 keys to leading up” Including “Leading and Manage Yourself Exceptionally Well”, “Thinking and acting like the owner” and  “Taking initiative…Making your boss’s job easier.” Owning the power - and responsibility - you have to “lead up” is fundamental to learning the skill of “leading up to lead down.”