Welcome to the Brilliance Brief. Every week, we break down leadership, mindset, and personal growth into something real and doable. Expect research-backed insights, a little storytelling, and practical ideas that actually fit into your life (even the messy parts).

My first real job came from an internship.

The company president I interned for hired me, then handed me a marketing director role at a large real estate company in Arizona.

I had no business getting that job. I’d never done anything like it.

He believed I could do it anyway.

I knew two things at the time:

#1: That relationship was the most important one I had at that company. 

#2: I had to make sure he never regretted the decision.

So I kept him informed constantly. 

I brought him problems with a plan already attached. I told him when something was going sideways before he could hear it from someone else.

There was no way I was going to let down the person who took a chance on me.

I got lucky. Nobody told me this was a skill. I stumbled into it because I didn’t want to disappoint him.

This instinct shaped my career more than anything on my resume. And anyone can learn how to do it.

There’s a name for what I was doing: Managing up.

Most people think this means playing office politics. Manipulation. Buttering up someone because they control your paycheck.

I get it. We’ve all watched people “manage up” in a negative way. 

Several years ago, I worked for a person who had our leadership team completely fooled. They thought he was fantastic. Below him, we all knew he was blocking anyone who might outgrow him.

The healthy version of managing up has nothing to do with flattery or becoming someone you aren’t.

It’s all about paying attention to what your boss is dealing with and finding ways to help. 

Your boss is one of the most consequential relationships in your working life. They help shape your growth, visibility, access to opportunities, and stability of your job. 

The more you proactively help your boss succeed, the more likely they are to advocate for your success.

Nearly every mentor who opened a door for me started as someone I was trying to make successful.

Managing up is leadership in action. Try these 5 habits:

Anticipate. Learn what pressures your boss is under. What are their priorities, goals, and numbers they’re measured on? Then line your work up with those.

Listen. Pay attention to what keeps them up at night. Learn how they like to communicate and match it.

Inform. Send updates before they have to ask. Surface problems early instead of letting them become surprises.

Gain trust. Deliver consistently. Own your mistakes out loud instead of hoping nobody notices.

Navigate. Adapt to how they work. Think of them a little like a client. What would make their job easier?

I created an infographic that went viral on LinkedIn. Click here to view the high-res PDF.

Sometimes you get the guy I described earlier. Great at managing up, terrible at managing down, and nobody above him can see it.

That happened to me, and I know how hard it can be. My advancement ran through someone who seemed more interested in blocking it.

What I did was stop depending on one person. I built relationships with other leaders in the company who could see my work directly. 

He eventually left. I was still moving up by the time he did.

Remember, managing up is a career skill. Not blind loyalty.

If someone constantly takes credit, blocks growth, or blames others, that is a signal to pay attention.

Send your boss a short update this Friday.

In bullet points, outline: 

Most bosses spend their week trying to piece together what their team is doing. 

When you do this, you’ll instantly stand out as someone who makes their job easier.

Stay proactive about what you can take off your boss’s plate.

Eventually they’ll start doing the same for you.

Talk soon,
Justin

P.S. Paper planner or phone calendar? 

Hit “reply.”  I’m curious.