Want to Get Promoted? Learn to Manage Up

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Why Managing Up is a Career Cheat Code

Most people think getting promoted is about working hard.

They stay late. Hit deadlines. Crush performance goals.

But then someone else gets promoted. Someone who doesn’t “work harder” but seems to always be in the right conversations, gets visibility on their projects, and builds strong relationships with leadership.

That’s not luck. That’s managing up.

Managing up is the skill of making your boss’s job easier while strategically positioning yourself for growth.

It’s how people move up faster. How they stay top of mind for stretch projects. And how they eventually get handpicked when leadership roles open up.

If you want to climb the ladder, this is the skill most people never learn.

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How to Manage Up the Right Way

Managing up doesn’t mean brown-nosing. It means being intentional.

Here’s how to do it without looking like a suck-up:

1. Know What Your Manager Cares About

Your job is to make their life easier. That means understanding their priorities.

What does success look like for them?

What metrics do they report on?

What do they care about in meetings with their boss?

If you know what your manager is trying to achieve, you can tailor your work and updates to help hit those targets.

2. Communicate Proactively and Clearly

Most employees only talk to their managers when they’re told to.

Top performers communicate before being asked.

Send weekly updates. Call out blockers. Share early wins. Keep things short and clear.

This makes your manager’s job easier and builds trust. When they know they don’t have to chase you for info, they rely on you more.

3. Share Wins the Right Way

This is the one most people get wrong.

They either brag in ways that come off as arrogant, or they say nothing at all and get overlooked.

There’s a better way.

Frame your wins around team outcomes, company goals, and leadership support.

Here’s a better way to frame a win:

“Closed the XYZ client this week. Shoutout to [Manager Name] for coaching me through that early sales strategy. The framework you gave me worked like a charm.”

You highlight the win, reinforce your manager’s value, and build a track record of results.

You don’t just look good. You make your boss look good too.

4. Anticipate Needs

Don’t wait to be told what to do. Pay attention to what’s coming down the pipe and start preparing for it early.

If your manager always gets slammed during board reporting week, ask how you can help prep the deck or gather data in advance.

That kind of initiative gets remembered.

5. Make Your Manager Look Good

This is the one most people overlook.

Your boss wants to look competent, effective, and in control. If you consistently make them look that way, they’ll become your biggest advocate.

And when they get promoted, they’ll take you with them.

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My Story: Why I Always Gave the Credit Away

Early in my career, I had a bad habit of downplaying my own work.

I’d close a deal and immediately give all the credit to my manager or one of my mentors:

“I only landed that client because of what Jerry taught me.”

“I just used that framework Jerry showed me in our 1o1.”

“I watched how Jerry ran his calls and just copied that.”

It wasn’t sucking up. I genuinely appreciated what I was learning from the people ahead of me.

But something unexpected happened.

Those managers started pulling me into more high visibility work. They introduced me to their peers. They brought me into meetings with their boss above them.

Eventually, when they got promoted, they pulled me up with them.

Not because I was the loudest or most impressive person in the room.

But because I made them look good consistently. I gave them exposure every chance I got.

It became a force multiplier.

Over time, I learned that managing up isn’t about playing politics. It’s about building a reputation as someone who helps their leaders win.

When you do that, they’ll make sure you win too.

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TL;DR

If you want to get promoted faster, stop focusing only on the work. Start focusing on the relationship.

Here’s the short version:

• Understand what your manager is measured on

• Communicate proactively and clearly

• Share wins while giving your manager credit

• Anticipate problems before they arise

• Make your manager look like a rockstar

The people who rise the fastest aren’t always the best at their job.

They’re the best at making sure the right people know how good they are.

That’s managing up. And it’s a skill worth mastering.

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