Managing Up and Across: Build Influence and Trust

Strong leadership isn’t just about managing direct reports — it’s about building strong, strategic relationships in every direction. Managing up and across is a core leadership skill that helps you align with your boss, collaborate effectively with peers, and move work forward with greater trust, support, and impact.

When done well, managing up and across isn’t political or complicated. It’s about build ing trust, influencing outcomes, and collaborating across teams. Managing up and across gives you the power to move work forward, solve problems faster, and ensure your team’s contributions are recognized and valued.

In this blog, you’ll find practical strategies you can apply immediately to strengthen your leadership credibility, influence key decisions, and create better outcomes for your team and organization. Whether you’re refining your skills or building new ones, you’ll discover actionable insights to help you lead more effectively in every direction.

What Is Managing Up and Across?

Managing up and across is about building strong, productive working relationships with both your leaders and your peers. It’s a leadership skill that goes beyond formal authority, focusing instead on communication, alignment, and shared success.

Managing up means working effectively with your boss or senior leaders. It’s about understanding their priorities, anticipating their needs, keeping them informed, and helping them be successful — which, in turn, helps you and your team succeed. It also involves respectfully advocating for your team’s needs and ensuring that your work aligns with broader organizational goals.

Managing across means collaborating successfully with your peers — leaders of other teams, departments, or functions. It’s about finding common ground, building trust, setting mutual expectations, and working toward shared goals. Managing across strengthens collaboration, breaks down silos, and drives stronger results across the business.

Managing up and across isn’t about manipulation, politics, or controlling others. It’s about building credibility, creating influence, and making it easier for your boss, peers, and team to work together successfully. When you master this skill, you become the person others trust to lead projects, solve problems, and create positive momentum across the organization.

Why Managing Up and Across Matters

When you manage up and across effectively, you position yourself — and your team — for greater success. You create stronger alignment, open up more opportunities, and build the kind of trust that helps ideas, initiatives, and careers move forward.

Managing up ensures that you and your team are working on the right priorities, that you have the resources you need, and that leadership recognizes the value you’re delivering. It helps you anticipate changes, stay aligned with organizational goals, and advocate for your team’s contributions in a way that builds credibility and influence.

Managing across strengthens collaboration between teams, prevents misunderstandings, and creates a more agile organization. By building strong relationships with peers, you can reduce friction, find faster solutions to shared challenges, and create a stronger network of support throughout the business.

When you manage up and across well, you also create important visibility for yourself and your team. Other leaders become more aware of your capabilities, making them more likely to proactively include you in key conversations, cross-functional initiatives, and strategic planning efforts. Increased visibility opens the door to learning more about the business, building new skills, and accessing advancement opportunities that might otherwise stay hidden.

Organizations today are complex and fast-moving. Leaders who can’t manage up and across often find themselves isolated, out of the loop, or struggling to move their projects forward. Those who master it, however, are trusted partners — the ones people look to when they need results, innovation, and leadership.

Setting the Stage for Success: Building Trust, Credibility, and Relationships

Managing up and across becomes much easier when you’ve already built a strong foundation of trust and credibility. Leaders and peers are more likely to listen, support, and collaborate with you when they see you as reliable, capable, and committed to shared success. Rather than trying to influence relationships on the spot when you need something, setting the stage early helps ensure that collaboration flows more easily when it matters most.

Deliver consistent, high-quality results.

Trust starts with competence. Meeting your commitments, producing strong work, and following through on what you say builds a reputation that others can rely on.

Demonstrate ownership, accountability, and a strong work ethic.

Leaders and peers respect those who take initiative, own their outcomes, and stay solution-focused — especially when challenges arise. Being seen as someone who doesn’t pass blame or make excuses strengthens your standing.

Accept feedback openly — and act on it when appropriate.

Welcoming feedback shows humility and a commitment to growth. Reflect on the input you receive, apply it when it can make you or your work better, and demonstrate that you are invested in continuous improvement. People are much more willing to invest in someone who is coachable and evolving.

Build cross-functional relationships proactively.

Don’t wait until you need something to reach out to leaders or peers in other areas. Taking time to learn about other teams, understand their priorities, and show support early makes future collaborations smoother and more productive.

Show openness to collaboration and shared success.

The best leaders are seen as partners, not competitors. Being generous with information, credit, and resources helps position you as someone who others genuinely want to work with.

Network strategically inside your organization.

Make a point to connect with colleagues across departments, attend cross-functional meetings when appropriate, and stay engaged with broader organizational initiatives.

By laying the groundwork through trust, credibility, and authentic relationships, you make it much easier to manage up and across effectively when the stakes are high. You won’t have to “sell” yourself — your reputation will already open the door.

The Core Principles of Managing Up

Managing up is about making your boss’s job easier while advancing your own goals and your team’s success. It’s not about being a “yes person” — it’s about being a proactive, trustworthy partner who can anticipate needs, offer solutions, and align work to broader business goals.

Understand your leader’s goals, pressures, and communication style.

Take the time to learn what’s most important to your boss — their key objectives, their biggest challenges, and how they prefer to communicate. Aligning to their preferences builds trust and reduces friction.

Align your work with what matters most to them.

Focus your efforts where they will have the greatest impact on your leader’s goals. Help connect the dots between what your team is doing and the larger organizational objectives your leader is trying to achieve.

Anticipate needs and meet them before being asked.

Stay a step ahead by anticipating questions, challenges, or support needs your leader might have. Deliver information, recommendations, or solutions proactively. Being prepared not only saves time but shows that you are thinking beyond your immediate tasks and considering the bigger picture.

Set expectations and boundaries early — and realistically.

Proactively clarify deliverables, timelines, decision-making authority, and communication rhythms. When new requests come in, communicate clearly about what’s possible under current circumstances. Instead of saying, “We can’t do that,” shift the conversation toward what you can do. This approach demonstrates problem-solving, not resistance, and reinforces your credibility as someone who manages commitments thoughtfully.

Advocate for your team’s achievements respectfully and transparently.

Ensure your boss knows about your team’s successes, but present them in a way that highlights shared wins and organizational progress. Give credit to individuals where appropriate and tie successes back to the broader business impact.

When you manage up well, you make yourself an indispensable partner. You free up your leader’s time, strengthen your own credibility, and create more space for growth and advancement for yourself and your team.

The Core Principles of Managing Across

Managing across is about leading alongside your peers — not competing with them. It’s about building strong, collaborative relationships with leaders in other teams, departments, or functions to drive shared success. When you manage across effectively, you create networks of support, accelerate decision-making, and build trust that strengthens the entire organization.

Build authentic, trust-based relationships.

Take time to learn about your peers’ goals, pressures, and challenges. Show a genuine interest in their success, and invest in the relationship even when there’s no immediate payoff.

Establish a shared vision and overlapping goals.

Look for common ground regarding goals, challenges and opportunities. Building a shared vision can be ongoing or project-specific, depending on the situation. By taking time to define where priorities overlap, you’ll make collaboration easier and help align efforts toward common outcomes.

Recognize when compromise is necessary.

Effective collaboration often requires letting go of being “right” and focusing instead on progress. Sometimes you’ll need to concede your preferred approach, respect a peer’s perspective, and work together toward a solution that benefits everyone. Flexibility and mutual respect are essential to maintaining trust.

Maintain mutual accountability and fairness.

Collaboration works best when everyone feels ownership and responsibility. Clarify roles, expectations, and deliverables at the start of joint efforts, and hold yourself accountable for what you commit to — just as you expect others to.

Share credit and celebrate cross-functional wins.

Recognize contributions from other teams openly and sincerely. Publicly celebrating shared successes strengthens relationships and encourages future collaboration.

Strengthen the organization through better collaboration.

When leaders manage across effectively, teams work together more seamlessly. This reduces redundancies, eliminates waste, prevents rework, and often leads to better solutions the first time around. Collaboration across functions improves organizational agility, strengthens innovation, and increases overall efficiency.

Managing across well means you are seen as a true partner — someone who builds bridges, not barriers. Over time, this reputation not only makes your work easier, but also enhances your visibility and credibility across the business.

Key Skills You Need to Master for Managing Up and Across

Managing up and across requires specific leadership skills that allow you to build trust, influence outcomes, and collaborate effectively across different personalities, levels, and teams. The stronger these skills, the easier it becomes to navigate relationships and drive meaningful results.

Communication

Clear, consistent communication is at the heart of managing up and across. It’s not just about sharing information — it’s about listening carefully, tailoring your message to your audience, and ensuring mutual understanding. Strong communicators know when to be direct, when to probe deeper with questions, and how to adjust their tone and style depending on who they’re engaging.

Emotional Intelligence

Leading across relationships demands a high level of emotional awareness — both of yourself and others. Emotional intelligence allows you to read situations accurately, manage your own reactions, empathize with different perspectives, and maintain professionalism even under pressure. It helps you build connections, defuse tension, and foster trust over time.

Political Awareness

Every organization has formal structures — and informal ones. Political awareness isn’t about manipulation; it’s about understanding how decisions are made, who holds influence, and how work really gets done. Leaders who are politically aware know how to navigate complex networks, align with key stakeholders, and advance initiatives without unnecessary friction.

Adaptability
No two leaders, teams, or situations are exactly the same. Managing up and across requires flexibility — adjusting your approach based on context, feedback, and evolving priorities. Adaptable leaders stay open to new methods, respond thoughtfully to changes, and keep progress moving even when circumstances shift.

Mastering these skills doesn’t happen overnight. It takes intentional practice, reflection, and a willingness to keep learning. But over time, strengthening these capabilities will help you build more powerful partnerships — and position yourself as a leader others want to work with.

Navigating Common Challenges Without Losing Momentum

Even with strong relationships and skills, managing up and across isn’t always smooth. Leaders are human — they get busy, stressed, overwhelmed, or sometimes simply have different priorities. Learning how to navigate these challenges with professionalism and resilience is critical to maintaining trust and keeping momentum.

Working with busy or aloof leaders and peers

Sometimes the people you need are hard to reach or slow to respond. Stay visible without overwhelming them. Use brief, meaningful updates, and frame communication around what’s most relevant to their goals. When appropriate, ask for their preferred communication style or cadence to make it easier for them to stay connected.
When you’re waiting on answers or contributions that were committed to but not delivered, follow up politely and persistently. Frame reminders around shared goals and next steps. If necessary, escalate gently by highlighting the potential impact of delays, keeping the tone collaborative rather than accusatory.

Supporting overwhelmed or stressed leaders and peers

When colleagues are under pressure, they may seem short, distracted, or reactive. Approach these situations with empathy. Prioritize what’s truly urgent, offer clear solutions instead of adding more problems, and adjust timelines or deliverables where you can to provide relief without sacrificing important outcomes.

Dealing with micromanaging bosses or controlling peers

Micromanagement often stems from fear or uncertainty. Build trust by delivering high-quality work early, documenting agreements, and providing proactive updates. The more you demonstrate reliability, the more comfortable they will feel stepping back and giving you space.

Handling things not going your way

Not every request will be approved. Not every collaboration will go smoothly. When you encounter setbacks, it’s critical to manage your own frustrations professionally. Stay calm, maintain a constructive tone, and continue delivering your best work. Emotional reactivity — even subtle forms like passive resistance or negative body language — can quickly damage trust you’ve worked hard to build.

Professional resilience doesn’t mean ignoring legitimate concerns. It means addressing them thoughtfully and constructively, without letting emotions drive your behavior. Leaders who stay composed, focused, and solutions-oriented during challenges are the ones who are trusted with bigger opportunities down the road.

Tactics for Setting Expectations and Getting What You Need

One of the most important parts of managing up and across is setting clear expectations — and having the confidence to advocate for what your team needs to succeed. When you approach these conversations thoughtfully, you strengthen alignment, avoid misunderstandings, and increase your ability to drive results.

Use solution-focused, future-oriented language.

When setting expectations or asking for support, frame your conversation around achieving shared goals, not personal frustrations. Instead of focusing on obstacles, focus on options. Always stay focused on moving forward.

Frame your needs around shared organizational goals.

People are more likely to listen and act when they understand how your request supports broader business objectives. Tie your needs to impacts like customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, revenue goals, or strategic priorities.

Secure mutual agreements on priorities, responsibilities, and timelines.

Collaborate with other leaders to establish priorities, responsibilities and timelines. Participation in the process will promote buy-in and adherence to the plan. Be respectful if a leader needs time to digest a proposed plan before agreeing or requires more discussion before committing. Confirm mutual understanding up front to prevent conflict and confusion later on.

Leverage objective data to strengthen your case.

Data-driven requests are harder to ignore or debate. Bring relevant metrics, forecasts, or business cases into conversations to back up your points. Whether it’s workload statistics, customer satisfaction trends, or project risk analyses, objective information keeps discussions focused and fact-based rather than emotional.

Be prepared to articulate potential repercussions if necessary.

While the focus should always be on positive outcomes and solutions, there may be times when you need to professionally explain the risks of unmet needs. If you cannot secure critical support, calmly outline potential impacts on timelines, quality, or outcomes — not as a threat, but as responsible risk management. This ensures that leaders and peers can make informed decisions with full visibility into trade-offs.

Follow up and document agreements

After important meetings or discussions, summarize the key decisions, next steps, and responsibilities. Documentation ensures that everyone has the same understanding, allows for corrections if needed, and gives all parties a reliable reference point as time passes. It also reinforces your leadership credibility by showing that you are organized, proactive, and committed to accountability.

When you approach setting expectations with clarity, professionalism, and a solutions mindset, you build trust — and you make it easier for others to say “yes” when it matters most.

Conclusion

Managing up and across is a critical leadership skill that sets the foundation for stronger teams, better collaboration, and faster results. While developing these skills and building these relationships does take thought, time, and effort upfront, the payoff is lasting.

As you become more intentional about how you build trust, set expectations, and align with leaders and peers, these practices will start to feel like a natural part of how you work. Over time, you’ll spend less energy managing misalignments, resolving conflicts, and chasing down support — freeing you and your team to focus more on delivering meaningful results.

If you’re ready to sharpen these skills further, TopTalent Learning can help. Our leadership training programs are designed to develop the capabilities today’s leaders need to thrive, while our Managed Learning Services (MLS) offer fully customized programs that align to your organization’s unique culture, goals, and challenges.

Resources

To learn more about managing up and across, visit:

• Betterup – How to Manage Up at Work: 11 Strategies to Advance Your Career
• Harvard Business Review – The Essentials: Managing Up
• Forbes – How to Succeed in the Messy Middle: Managing Up, Down and Across

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