Dr. Cara explains how managing up by modeling initiative and offering solutions rather than criticism earned reciprocal respect from her leaders. She learned their priorities and pressures, then responded with proposals. When she fell short, she reflected and moved on.
Here's where the magic happened.
When I started.
Managing up strategically, my team members started doing the same thing with me. I was modeling initiative, taking, analytical thinking, strategic planning, all by showing them how to be a value add rather than a critic. Think about it. Are you spending more energy trying to change how your leaders lead or figuring out how to support what you're all trying to accomplish together? There's something powerful that happens when you shift from trying to fix people to trying to serve the mission. Let me show you exactly what that looks like. This discovery became central to everything I now understand about connected leadership receive. Instead of immediately judging what my leaders were doing wrong, I started receiving information about what they were trying to accomplish perceive. I got curious about their priorities, their pressures, their blind spots. Not to critique them, but to understand how I could support them them respond.
I responded.
With proposals, solutions and strategic thinking rather than criticism or control attempts. This is who I am. Someone who desires to add value to anything I do and anyone I come in contact with.
That's the mark.
I hold to myself.
When I miss.
That mark because I'm human, I give myself grace.
I reflect on.
What happened and learn so I can be a value add. If I'm placed in the same situation in the future.
