Thought Leaders: Leading Up
Acting as If You Were in Charge

As they approached the upper slope of Everest where two years before eight experienced climbers had perished in a sudden, freak storm, they met a hiker who shared her story of survival from that expedition. She was haunted by her failure to question her group leader, Scott Fischer, who died on the mountain that day. Sandy Hill Pittman, the hiker Useem and his students met on Everest, is one of 18 people profiled in Leading Up: How To Lead Your Boss So You Both Win. Her experience dramatically illustrates the need to take decisive action in emergency situations — to lead when the designated leaders are either unavailable or not performing up to par. As Useem listened to her story on the mountain where those tragic events had unfolded, he connected her plight with those of managers who had told him they wished they had been able to confront a boss.

"Upward leadership is really the same as ‘downward’ leadership," Useem said. "It requires thinking strategically, communicating persuasively, and acting decisively — but in this case it is directed at people above you."

It’s Not About One-Upmanship

Upward leadership isn’t about one-upmanship, he said. On the contrary, it’s a mindset in which managers’ overriding concern is what is best for the entire organization. More and more, managers today need to "pervasively communicate ideas upward — to superiors or boards of directors — as to what direction the company needs to go in and what needs to occur to make that change happen," Useem said. "The purpose behind leading up is to get the job done, not to carry favor with your boss. If your boss likes you and has confidence in you, so much the better. But for many, part of leading up is learning how to build your boss’s confidence in your judgment."

Among the people profiled in Leading Up are those who were on the bridge of the USS Greenville on February 9, 2001, all of whom failed to voice their concerns about how the sub’s commander was handling the surfacing procedure. "Even if he had ignored their comments, maybe the few minutes it would have taken to respond could have in this instance saved lives," Useem said.

What You Need To Lead

While decisions made in a board room or the corner office may not have such dramatic consequences as those of Pittman and the USS Greenville commander, Useem identifies two capacities managers need:

  • Being teachable. The ability to lead is a learned skill that is built up through practice and application. David Pottruck of Charles Schwab, also profiled, "was not a great upward leader at the beginning of his career," Useem said. "He learned it; he got a mentor."
  • Creating a culture or mindset that allows people to lead up. You need to encourage employees to give you "tough upwards guidance," Useem said. Encourage subordinates to "think through everything they are doing as if they had your job or the job of the CEO."

Sweat the Small Stuff

Companies that have successfully created cultures of leading up include GE, which instituted its "upward" mentoring program with the advent of the Internet. Then-CEO Jack Welch made it mandatory for senior officers in the company to find a subordinate within the company who could teach them how to use the Internet to the company’s best advantage. "In doing this, both sides learned to appreciate the value of this upward flow of information. It’s lots of small programs like this one that ultimately make for the big outcome," Useem said.

Upward Leadership Moments

When the terrorist attacks occurred in New York and Washington, many managers were put in a position in which they needed to "lead up," Useem noted. The management team of eBay, in the absence of their CEO Meg Whitman, carried out measures that Whitman would have taken had she been in the country. These actions included first and foremost making certain that the company’s 2,500 employees were safe; securing the company’s website; and launching the Auction for America. "In slower times, you may want to check with your CEO before devoting company resources to something like the Auction for America," Useem said, "but September 11 wasn’t a slow moving time. They needed to act decisively, and they did."

Useem also lauded New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who consistently was seen with firemen, police officers, and other rescuers. "Giuliani was a paragon of what we want in leadership," he said. By being seen with rescue workers, he communicated the very powerful message that "he was part of a team, that it’s not just about him; that it takes a team to get the job done," Useem said.

Have you had an experience where you practiced leading up? Send your own leadership story to us at gydeb@wharton.upenn.edu, and we’ll send you a 2002 Wharton pocket diary.

Leading Up: How To Lead Your Boss So You Both Win is available online and wherever books are sold.

    

This month's articles:

  • Thought Leaders: Leading Up
    Acting as If You Were in Charge: What do you do when your boss is making a bad decision? Wharton Professor Michael Useem examines the consequences of keeping quiet.
  • Laughter From the Front Lines: We learn how important it is to pay attention to the little nuances of conversations — even if you think you’re speaking the same language.
  • Wharton West: Vice Dean Helps A.L.S. Association: When a teaching sabbatical, a relative’s diagnosis with a crippling disease, and a passion for bicycling all came together for Len and Susan Lodish.
  • Wharton Fellows: Fellows at Chicago Regional Forum Set New Program Design Transformation.
  • In the Classroom: The Leadership Journey: What’s Your Story? Your own story can become your leadership map.
  • Out of the Classroom: Wharton Leadership Ventures: A new Wharton program helps you to walk the walk — across mountains and valleys — in search of new perspectives on leadership.
  • The Last Word: Wharton and The New Business Reality: Taking Stock of the Future. Vice Dean Bob Mittelstaedt discusses Wharton scenarios for the future and a new program on "the new business realities."