Leaders today aren't just bosses, they're self-starters who take charge. Upward leaders get results by helping their superiors lead. They make sure that good ideas don't die on the vine because a boss' understanding doesn't reach down deep enough into the organization. Upward leadership assures that advice arrives from all points on the corporate compass, not just from the top down. And it applies at every level: Even CEOs need to learn about leading up because they ultimately answer to their boards.Drawing on the extraordinary experiences of real people, Useem shows us what happens when those not in charge rise to the challenge, and also what happens when those who should step forward fail to do so.
COO David Pottruck learned how to lead with his superiors at Charles Schwab & Co. in order to radically change Schwab's core business.Had he been able to convince his superiors of the dire situation in Rwanda, United Nations commander Romeo Dallaire might have prevented the genocide that claimed 800,000 lives.The CEOs of CBS, Compaq, and British Airways concentrated on leading down when they needed to lead up their boards, too. The result: All three were fired.Mount Everest mountaineers admitted they might have protected themselves and others from harm during a fateful ascent if only they had questioned their guides' flawed instructions and decisions.Leading up is not the same as managing up. Managing up is running the office; leading up is taking the reins and exceeding what's expected. As hierarchies everywhere shed much of their rigidity, upward leadership at all levels becomes more possible - and more necessary. Leading Up is a call to action. It asks us to build on the best in everybody's nature, and it offers a pragmatic blueprint for doing so.