{"id":73813,"date":"2022-06-27T15:31:02","date_gmt":"2022-06-27T21:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/?p=73813"},"modified":"2022-07-20T15:31:20","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T21:31:20","slug":"8-tried-and-true-practices-to-lead-up-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/8-tried-and-true-practices-to-lead-up-well\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Tried And True Practices To Lead Up Well"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a title=\"https:\/\/mesoamericaregion.us4.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=03e55b045b4b2d81fc3a5a85b&amp;id=2c4ad519ae&amp;e=cc8a2451b3\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/mesoamericaregion.us4.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=03e55b045b4b2d81fc3a5a85b&amp;id=2c4ad519ae&amp;e=cc8a2451b3\">8 Tried And True Practices To Lead Up Well<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\nBy Dan Reiland<\/p>\n<p>Leading from the middle of the pack is an art form of its own, especially when you need to lead up. It requires maturity, security, trust, and competence. Whether you are in your first job or have been leading for years, you never arrive when it comes to leading up. Curiously, leading up is one of the most needed and least discussed skills. Perhaps because it can sound presumptuous, maybe even arrogant or manipulative in nature to \u201clead your boss.\u201d\u00a0<em>Leading up, however, is not the same as leading your boss.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Part of this issue is that so often, when the subject of leading up surfaces, it\u2019s about what is perceived as an insecure, disconnected, or difficult boss. These situations exist and often require experienced coaching, but candidly, they are not the common experience. So, let\u2019s leave those situations for another time.<\/p>\n<p><em>This post assumes a healthy and productive working relationship; not a perfect one, but a good one. <\/em>Specifically, your leader cares about you, develops you, listens to you, and is honest with you. Of course, they are not perfect. All leaders have weaknesses, idiosyncrasies, and flaws, but in a good working relationship, your boss is clearly for you and has your best interest at heart.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, what is the\u00a0<strong><em>purpose<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of leading up well? <em>To serve both your boss and the church to the best of your ability.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>What are the results?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>You are trusted more, empowered at a greater level, able to make a significant contribution, you enjoy your job, and rise in responsibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>8 Tried And True Practices To Lead Up Well<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>1) Earn your voice.<\/strong><br \/>\nYou have a leadership voice. Your team, especially your boss, wants to hear what you think. But it\u2019s wise to earn your voice in the process.\u00a0When it comes to your leadership voice, here is a good sequence to follow.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find your voice<\/li>\n<li>Earn your voice<\/li>\n<li>Use your voice wisely for the good of the people and the church.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I\u2019ve coached leaders who have a strong and valuable leadership voice but hesitate to use it, and leaders who haven\u2019t earned their voice and use it too often. This is an important skill to learn, and in many ways, the remaining seven practices help you earn your voice and lead up effectively.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2) Manage yourself, so you don\u2019t need to be managed.<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s often been said, \u201cIf you don\u2019t manage yourself, someone else will.\u201d That\u2019s a lose-lose situation. You lose the trust and freedom you desire, and your leader loses time tending to things you could have handled on your own.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLead yourself well\u201d is the more popular phrase, but it\u2019s essentially the same idea. Leading yourself well does not exclude needing a coach, mentor, or some help. We all need good advice and support along the way. Leading yourself is about things like managing your emotions, time, and priorities.<\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t manage yourself well, over time, others won\u2019t trust you, respect you, or follow you. Eventually, they may not even listen to you.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the point; you matter, your leadership voice matters, and people are counting on you. So don\u2019t forfeit your potential by ignoring the basics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3) Know when to speak up and when to be quiet.<\/strong><br \/>\nI remember well when John (Maxwell) said to me, \u201cDan, don\u2019t give me a history lesson. If you think the train is headed over a cliff, tell me<em>\u00a0before<\/em>\u00a0it happens.\u201d That was a leadership masterclass in 30 seconds.<\/p>\n<p>If you think your boss is making a mistake, say so\u00a0<em>before<\/em>\u00a0it happens. Anyone can say, \u201cYeah, I saw that coming\u201d (after-the-fact,) but how is that helpful? Trust your gut and speak up. Speak up respectfully, but speak up.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, when you have spoken up and been heard, it\u2019s now time to be quiet. Don\u2019t make your boss feel like they must always take your advice. They soon won\u2019t want to hear it any longer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4) Add specific value.<\/strong><br \/>\nThe first way to add value to those above you is to fulfill your responsibilities and accomplish your goals. It\u2019s surprising how quickly others want to know what you think (hear your leadership voice) when you are really good at what you do.<\/p>\n<p>Adding value to those above you is not office politics; it represents a servant\u2019s heart and the desire to lighten their load when you can. It is true that if someone wants to add value only to those above them, that is unfortunate, but that is not my assumption.<\/p>\n<p>A simple way to add value is to ask your boss this question, \u201cHow can I help you today?\u201d\u00a0Adding value is good; adding specific value is great. Find out the real needs and be willing to do what others won\u2019t. Take the initiative.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5) Do what you\u2019ve been asked to do before you ask for what you want to do.<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s tough to wait, I know. We all have drive, dreams, and want to make a difference. However, it\u2019s essential to allow your growth to catch up with your aspirations and give others room to see your value. It\u2019s unwise to attempt to force this process. My advice is to thoroughly love what you\u2019ve been asked to do, build that ministry well, enjoy the process, and in time you\u2019ll be asked to do your dream job. If you are not invited into your dream job where you are, you\u2019ll have been preparing, and another door will open.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6) Seek to be aware of the pressures your leaders carry.<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen you\u2019re aware of some of the pressure your leader(s) carry, it helps you gain perspective on their decisions, how they use their time, and what matters most to them. You don\u2019t have to fully understand your boss\u2019s pressure, but just being aware and grateful you don\u2019t have to carry it increases your ability to lead up.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the catch-22, unless you have a particularly close relationship, your boss is not likely to burden you with their pressures. In this case, don\u2019t push to know, but pay attention and be discerning. You\u2019ll gain enough awareness to lead up well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7) Become a stand-out problem solver.<\/strong><br \/>\nAnyone can spot a problem and complain; leaders find solutions and create. The best problem solvers lead up more effectively and therefore rise up faster in responsibility. A six-word course in leadership sounds like this, \u201csolve problems, make progress, help people.<\/p>\n<p>The first thing you need to become a good problem solver is to think about time. Where in your calendar have you set aside time to think? It might be 30 minutes a day or 4 hours once a week. There\u2019s more than one plan that works, but protect some time to think.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8) Understand the limits and boundaries of the relationship.<\/strong><br \/>\nA clear understanding of the limits and boundaries of your relationship with your boss is the best path toward a fulfilling and rewarding day-to-day rapport. Even if you wish the design of the relationship were different, knowing the reality is essential to enjoying your job. If you are not sure what your relationship is supposed to look like, ask. That conversation often opens the door for both of you to experience a greater enjoyment of the relationship. If merely asking the question in a respectful tone causes tension, slow down and ask permission to bring it up at another time.<\/p>\n<p>The point here, either way, is to minimize frustration and maximize enjoyment.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<hr align=\"center\" size=\"0\" width=\"100%\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<p>If this post has been helpful, share it with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 2021\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/mesoamericaregion.us4.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=03e55b045b4b2d81fc3a5a85b&amp;id=56955a0a4f&amp;e=cc8a2451b3\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/mesoamericaregion.us4.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=03e55b045b4b2d81fc3a5a85b&amp;id=56955a0a4f&amp;e=cc8a2451b3\">Dan Reiland<\/a>\u00a0| The Pastor&#8217;s Coach \u2013 Developing Church Leaders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>8 Tried And True Practices To Lead Up Well By Dan Reiland Leading from the middle of the pack is an art form of its own, especially when you need to lead up. It requires maturity, security, trust, and competence. Whether you are in your first job or have been leading for years, you never <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/8-tried-and-true-practices-to-lead-up-well\/\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":73709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3380,4661],"tags":[1187],"class_list":["post-73813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-leadership-articles","tag-leadership"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesonaz.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}