A mentor of mine once imparted a simple principle, “Your job is to make your boss look good.” I’ve carried this piece of advice close to my heart; I’ve even built my business around this concept. Why? Because it’s the truth.
This is a tried-and-true concept I’ve applied in my former days as a manager and director in Sales. It has served as a constant compass, pushing me to surpass goals and set team strategies around the needs of my boss and organization.
In today’s blog, I want to remind you why it is necessary to make your boss look good. Fair warning, some might come to dub you a kiss-up, but I can guarantee these persons are usually low performers, so really, who cares about their ten cents? Let’s jump in!
Serving Up
In my book, Serving Up, Coaching Down, I speak to the concept of serving up as:
“Serving up is how leaders in the middle exceed the expectations given by their bosses and the organization, deliver the best results, and demand more from their teams.”
Let’s break this down a bit. When you interviewed for your job, you more than likely made a flourishing speech that you would ‘positively impact the organization’. That was and is why you are hired.
Now that you’ve landed the job, this doesn’t change. In fact, as a LIM (Leader in the Middle), it falls on your shoulder to make this a reality by pushing your team to meet the demands of the company. It is your responsibility to use the targets outlined by your boss to produce strong results.
This is where another important concept, coaching down, comes in.
“Coaching down is how leaders in the middle serve
their teams, demanding more and empowering the people
on those teams to serve their leaders and the organizations,
while pushing them to exceed all expectations.”
You are the accountable party, let me say this one more time, YOU ARE THE ACCOUNTABLE PARTY. Your job is not to block, question or defend up the tasks assigned by your boss. Realize that you are the facilitator of results through your team, and your boss is the benchmark of hitting those targets.
Who’s the Boss?
Your bosses represent the lungs of the company. At their level, they breathe life in the business by setting strategic goals that will enable success.
While you may be master of your domain, they have general oversight to the entire company, so they are usually the most knowledgeable about its needs. Also, from their perch, they are guaranteed to be privier to information on all its moving parts.
As the decision-makers they are not required to disclose or defend their decision. Furthermore, it is most definitely not your place to demand an explanation. We must trust that they are making the best decisions based on information we don’t know and may never even find out. That is just the way the cookie crumbles.
Making Your Boss Look Good
Now to be clear, I have not always agreed or understood my bosses’ motivation. However, I’ve learnt that catering to my boss, is priority numero uno because they are the human embodiment of the business.
I must believe in them and have faith that they are doing the right thing.
“The cool thing about this mindset is that it is all
about belief, and belief does not require proof… Big decisions
and changes in direction in business by necessity require
those things because they are all about speculation. “
As a LIM, you are not paid to determine the soundness of your boss’s decision. Instead, your job is to serve your leaders by ensuring your team successfully delivers through execution. Remember:
“Your power and value are based on your mindset, discipline, perspective, and execution, not by who made the decision.”
By serving up and demanding down you become a true LIM, one that has respect flowing in both directions, from your boss and your team.
Check out my book, Serving Up, Coaching Down, to learn even more about the leadership mindset you need to succeed in the business world.
