Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win

was recommended on a podcast.while there are some interesting historical stories, i am not sure the length is justified by the 'leading up tidbits'. the leading up tips aren't really earth shattering anyway - have a good relationship with your boss, give your boss an accurate picture of the situation and all the info they need.the story about the UN and Rwanda rubbed me the wrong way too. the blame for the failure IMHO didn't rest at all with the General reference. it rested with the larger UN organization. The General was clear with what would happen if they didn't act, and they didn't.you could leave out the stories and shrink the advice to about 10 pages, even then i am not sure it would be worth reading.not sure if i'll bother to finish the book - i'm about half way through.

I read this book soon after it first appeared (in 2001) and recently re-read it, curious to know how well its core concepts and insights have held up. My conclusion? Very, very well. At the outset, for those who have not as yet read Michael Useem's brilliant book, it would be helpful to understand what he means by "leading up." As he explains, "Leadership has always required more than a downward touch: It needs to come from below as well as from the top, and leaders today must reach up as never before. As organizations decentralize authority, they put a premium on a manager's capacity to must support above as well as below...The challenge is to help both those below us and those above achieve what we all want accomplished. If we expect our subordinates to furnish us with unvarnished information, unbiased advice, and unswerving support at the times when it really counts, we need to have cultivated a culture that encourages and rewards them for doing so."Thus there are two separate but related leadership challenges: To create a culture in which both "leading up" and "leading down" are among the most important core competencies, and, to do everything humanly possible to develop those skills in those at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise. In this book, Useem explains with meticulous care how to achieve both objectives. At this point, I presume to share two opinions of my own with which Useem presumably agrees. First, that mutual trust is the "glue" that holds all organizations together. Healthy relationships are nourished and sustained by it. Also, that both "leading up" and "leading down" must be among the core competencies of greatest importance and highest priority. Everything humanly possible must be done to develop the skills they require to generate and sustain a continuous flow of "unvarnished information, unbiased advice, and unswerving support at the times when it really counts."In this volume, Useem focuses on eight quite different real world situations to demonstrate what the consequences can be when there is a presence or absence of "leading up" and "leading down." For example, in Chapter 1, he explains how General Robert E. Lee kept his Commander in Chief (Jefferson Davis) fully informed whereas General George B. McClellan did not. In fact, McClelland scorned President Lincoln as "not a man of strong character." At the same time, General Joseph E. Johnston viewed his own Commander in Chief, Davis, with equal scorn and was eventually replaced, as was McClelland. As Useem suggests, the "leading up" business lesson to be learned is that "the vital bond between commander and commander in chief, between manager and executive, is an enduring and enriched relationship. For that, an open flow of information and an open display of respect are essential." Lee and Ulysses S. Grant exemplify that; Johnston and McClelland do not.In Chapter 7, "Designing a Future Your Boss Can't Quite Envision," Useem explains how Charlene Barshefsky negotiated the U.S. trade agreement with China on behalf of president, Bill Clinton, and how Domingo Cavallo stabilized the Argentine currency on behalf his president, Carlos Menem. Obviously, these are quite different situations in terms of ultimate goals as well as perils as well as opportunities. Each situation required different strategies and tactics. However, there is a "leading up" business lesson to be learned from both: "Building the lateral backing that your superiors need to implement a contentious but otherwise sensible initiative is an essential precondition for ultimately making it happen. The indispensable elements for success: a judicious combination of compelling concepts, detailed prescriptions, and retail persuasion."If anything, this book is even more relevant and more valuable now than it was when first published several years ago. Thank you, Michael Useem.

One of the best books you could ever read to learn how to combat the difficulties of continually defeating yourself, and fighting an uphill battle against difficult leadership in the workplace; or any walk of life... this should be required reading for all.

I loved the book. It broke down easy to understand concepts for how when we fail to “lead up” we can just as easily be blamed for the organizational failures when we ourselves never voiced our criticisms.

Anyone dealing with a difficult boss can gain from this book. Useem is spot on when he shows that leading is not just leading below working for you. All bosses make mistakes--subordinates have the responsibility to speak up--but in a way that will make a difference.

This is one of the most effective leadership books I have read. It is believable and pragmatic. The points are well backed up with substantial anecdotes. Overall the book is a pleasure to read. Because Useem has solid points on being a good follower and a good leader in addition to his main focus, I find this an excellent tool when I mentor junior people. The themes of each chapter make for great discussion and can easily be applied to situations faced by young leaders.

Good quality

ok

リーダー本をいろいろ読んでみていたのですが、resonant leaderというamazon.comで評判がよい本を読んでも、ピンとこなくて、途中でこちらを読み始めました。南北戦争のときのことから入るので、多少歴史を知っていたほうがいいのかもしれませんが、自分はほとんど知りません。ただ、言いたいことはわかるので、やっぱりまともに問題をとらえることが結局はうまくいく、ということなんだと思います。上の人をleadするという考え方自体が、とても腑に落ちたので、まだ読んでいる途中ですが、よかったと思います。たいてい、上のことは上にお任せ、になっていますよね。