Leading Up: 4 Tools for Influencing Your Leader

If you’re on the front lines of your organization, you see things others don’t because you have direct access to the people you serve.

Because of this access, you may have ideas that could make a big difference. And if your organization is going to thrive, you need to be able to share those ideas with your leader.

Here are four tools to equip you as you lead up in those conversations.

1. Timing

When you meet with a leader, have a written agenda, bring lots of questions, and honor their time.

If you’re scheduling a meeting to share an idea, make sure the timing is right:

Are they about to leave on vacation? Are they struggling with a big decision in another area? Your leader might not see your perspective if they’re distracted by a different issue.

And remember to look at the rhythms of your leader. Schedule a meeting for when it is most helpful and keep it as short as you can.

2. Motive

If you’re sharing an idea with your leader, your goal should never be to make yourself look better or make someone else look bad.

Your only motivation should be to push the mission forward.

Share your ideas because you want to help your organization win. Don’t just point out problems; bring solutions.

Your supervisor would rather hear someone who has potential solutions than hear about problems.

Even if your idea isn’t perfect, it often evolves into a better solution when you work on it together with your leader, so bring a pure motive and an open mind to your meeting.

3. Initiative

Want to gain trust and influence? Lighten your leader’s load.

Find something that needs to be done and do it.

The best team members don’t need to be told what to do because they find important things to do on their own.

If you want to gain influence with your leader, take your own initiative and solve problems for them.

4. Truth

If you’re a yes-man or yes-woman, you will lose credibility. Truth always trumps flattery.

Care enough to tell your leaders the truth, and you will become increasingly valuable.

Remember: The more successful a leader becomes, the more difficult it is to find people who will tell them the truth.

When the timing is right, your motives are pure, you take initiative, and you speak the truth, you can influence your organization to make a difference that matters.

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