What It Really Means to “Lead Up” – And Why It’s a Skill All Leaders Need Now

Let’s talk about what it means to Lead Up – and why it might be one of the most underrated leadership muscles you can build right now.

Great leaders don’t just manage what’s in front of them. They shape what’s all around them.

Up Is Not Out of Reach

Too often, we think “leading up” means lobbying for attention. In reality, it’s about advocating for clarity, connection and truth – from wherever you sit, for the benefit of all.   It’s about broadening your perspective. Expanding your influence. And stepping into a wider field of responsibility.

What It Looks Like to Lead Up

· Share the truth Don’t sanitise reality. Businesses need unfiltered insight to make smart decisions. Tell the truth – even when it’s messy. Especially then.

“Here’s what we’re seeing. Here’s what’s getting harder. Here’s where momentum is building.”

· Frame problems with potential paths forward. Raising concerns is important. Pairing them with possible solutions is powerful. Even if your ideas aren’t perfect, the signal you send is this: We’re in this together.

“We’re noticing a disconnect here. We could test two small shifts – want to explore?”

· Bridge the vision and the reality. Help connect direction with the day-to-day. When strategy feels distant, your voice helps make it actionable.

“Here’s how the team interpreted that announcement. We might need to clarify or reset expectations.”

Why It Matters More Than Ever

In volatile times, when you lead with clarity, context and courage:

·        You help sharpen decisions before they become disconnects.

·        You build trust across layers, not just within them.

·        You model what empowered, distributed leadership really looks like.

And that creates the kind of alignment that outperforms, even in uncertainty.

A Final Thought

Leading up isn’t about having power – it’s about using your perspective as power.

It’s about being the connective tissue that holds vision and execution together.

It’s about stepping in, speaking up and standing for what your business and teams need and what others may not see yet, for the benefit of all.

What’s one insight you’ve shared upward recently – and what changed because of it?