EP 111. How to Manage Up: What to Do When Your Boss Isn’t a Great Leader

EP 111. How to Manage Up: What to Do When Your Boss Isn’t a Great Leader

From Lead with Less by Tash Pieterse

September 9, 2025 · 16 min

About this episode

This episode discusses strategies for managing up when your boss is not an effective leader.

Sometimes you’re doing everything you can to be a great manager - but your own boss is dropping the ball. That’s when you need to learn the skill of managing up. Done well, it keeps your career moving forward and helps you maintain respect without overstepping. In this episode, I share: - How to understand your manager’s communication, decision-making, and work style - Why taking the lead (without doing their job) can transform your experience - The shift from asking for permission to driving outcomes - How to influence strategically and get buy-in faster - Why sometimes you need to accept the limitation and know when it’s time to move on Managing up isn’t about covering for a bad boss - it’s about protecting your growth, building influence, and making sure you don’t get stuck waiting for leadership that may never come. This episode gives you the tools to handle it with confidence. What did you think of the episode? Was it helpful or is there anything else you want me to cover? Send me a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn - I would love to hear from you! Links and Resources Mentioned: Strategic Thinking and Decision Making Masterclass - Tired of hearing “you need to be more strategic”…

People in this episode

Host: Tash Pieterse

Topics covered

  • managing up
  • leadership
  • career growth
  • influence
  • communication
  • decision-making

Keywords

  • managing up
  • leadership skills
  • career advancement
  • influence strategies
  • communication styles

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