As a senior leader, you’ve spent months, maybe years, learning how your manager thinks or what they need. They know your capabilities. The relationship may not be perfect, but it works. Then your manager changes, and that hard-won shorthand evaporates overnight. You’re starting from scratch.

Management transitions are accelerating at every level, driven in part by high leadership failure rates. Each transition brings disruption and risk: a shift in priorities that could sideline you, visibility that erodes or a working relationship that never quite gels. But it also carries a genuine opportunity. How you show up in the first weeks can shape how you’ll be seen for years, and the stakes don’t get much higher.

Yet when their manager changes, many people take an overly passive approach to navigating this transition. It may feel circumspect to wait and see, wise to feel things out, but it isn’t. Here are two strategies to make the most of it.

Hit Reset

Learning you’re getting a new manager can trigger a mix of emotions, from relief and excitement to frustration, trepidation and loss. One SVP I coached considered her longtime manager her closest thought partner, mentor and advocate. When he announced his retirement, she felt deeply sad and exposed. If a transition similarly stirs up difficult emotions in you, notice and name them to reduce your reactivity and ensure those feelings don’t unconsciously color how you receive someone new.

When you learn who your new manager will be, resist letting others’ opinions form yours. Reputations travel fast but are often incomplete or outdated. One tech leader I interviewed had braced for a difficult dynamic with his new manager based on secondhand accounts, only to find them to be positive and supportive. Commit to forming your own view in real time.

If you’re feeling unenthused about the transition, deliberately ask yourself: What’s the opportunity here? What’s the best-case scenario? This isn’t forced optimism. Research on loss aversion shows we feel losses more acutely than equivalent gains, which means you’re more likely to focus on what you might be losing than what you might gain. Intentionally scanning for opportunity may help you notice and seize possibilities that would otherwise remain obscured.

Mind the Gap

When a manager departs, there’s often a gap before the next one arrives, which can stretch for months at senior levels. Many people treat this period as dead time, but that’s a lost opportunity.

If an interim leader is appointed, invest in that relationship even though it’s temporary. Get clear on their expectations and priorities. Share your career aspirations and any stretch assignments you’re hoping for. They bring a different vantage point and network than your previous boss and may open doors you didn’t have access to before. If you have a development goal you’re actively working toward, ask for their input. They may have fresh ideas and even offer to help.

If a performance review cycle is approaching, proactively give your interim manager what they need to evaluate you fairly. One client was four months into reporting to an interim manager when review season arrived. He pulled his previous performance evaluations, distilled his key contributions and made their job easy. The result was his most generous raise and stock bonus in over five years.

Finally, use this window to expand your internal network. Without a permanent manager in place, you have more latitude to reach across the organization than you typically would.

If you’re just starting out in the work world — or in a new job — one of the very first regular meetings on your calendar is likely to be a one-on-one meeting with your boss. This may seem like just a routine way for them to check in on your work, but these one-on-ones can fundamentally influence your workplace experience, your relationship with your manager and your future growth and success.

Through research for his recent book, “Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings,” one of us (Steven), found that these meetings are most productive when they are focused on the employee — on your needs, concerns and hopes — not just whatever is top of mind for your manager.

Steven’s research revealed five critical behaviors for you to use in your first one-on-one with your boss, and beyond.

KNOW WHAT YOU NEED

In advance of each meeting, consider any short-term problems you’re facing as well as your long-term development. Think about your job, your career, your team and the company you work for. What can your manager help you with? Where can they provide guidance or context? Once you’ve been in the role for a while, you can also think about areas where you might be struggling. This will help you thoughtfully answer any questions your manager poses and to ask good questions yourself.

BE CURIOUS

Go into every one-on-one meeting with the goal of wanting to grow and learn from your manager and from the experience of the conversation itself. Actively engage through asking questions, listening, expressing your thoughts and taking notes.

Pay attention to your non-verbal communication as well. Sitting upright, leaning slightly forward, smiling and maintaining good eye contact — if that feels comfortable for you — can all help express curiosity in a way that engages your counterpart.

BUILD RAPPORT

Use your meeting to get to know your manager on a personal as well as a professional level. Greet them enthusiastically and learn about their interests by asking them questions about themselves and their work.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable to the extent that you feel comfortable to make the conversation more meaningful and rich. Try to enjoy the process and look for opportunities to express gratitude to your manager for taking an interest in you and your success.

ASK FOR FEEDBACK

Your regular one-on-one with your boss is a critical opportunity to ask for feedback about your performance.Take the initiative to solicit their feedback during one-on-one meetings. Not only does doing so give you what you need to improve your performance, but also signals your receptivity to your supervisor’s point of view.

RECEIVE FEEDBACK WELL

Sometimes constructive criticism can be a hard pill to swallow, even if you’re the one who asked for it. By making a conscious effort to remain positive even in these tough moments, you can transform challenging feedback into a tool for growth.

To do so, start by remembering that your boss’s feedback can help you improve as it reflects their honestly held point of view of your behavior. Be patient and keep in mind that not everyone is skilled at delivering feedback. And even if you don’t agree with the content or its delivery, thank your supervisor for sharing their thoughts with you — after all, they’re making an effort to help you grow.

If you want to advance in your career, but your boss isn’t invested in your professional development, it can be demoralizing and frustrating. If you’re feeling underutilized and underestimated, remember this: Your career is yours — and yours alone — to define and navigate. It’s essential that you know your worth, even when it’s not being reflected back to you.

Through my work as a career coach, I’ve learned that while our managers should be advocates for our advancement, that’s not always the case. Here are four approaches to help you move forward without your manager’s support.

— FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL: Your mindset and actions are your keys to success. It’s not your boss’s actions (or inactions) that are pivotal to your advancement. What truly matters is how you decide to respond to a situation — and what you do next.

Embrace a positive mindset — that’s a proactive choice you can make no matter the circumstances. Continue to do your best work for your boss, endeavor to exceed expectations, keep lines of communication open and be a positive team member. At the same time, remain laser-focused on your career objectives and next steps.

— MAKE YOUR OWN CAREER COMMITMENTS: Creating a personal set of commitments enables you to be intentional and impactful when setting your goals and planning the next steps for your career. To do this, reflect on the next 12 months. Ask yourself questions such as, What do I want to do more of at work? What skills do I want to acquire?

Next, look at your responses and assign one immediate action item to each one. Then, decide what you’ll work on first. Use your responses to create a career map that aligns with your goals and puts you in the driver’s seat.

— BROADEN YOUR VIEW: There are so many stakeholders who impact how you work. Make a list of people who matter to your career, in addition to your boss. This list may include your peers, direct reports if you have them and senior leaders. Explore how you can continue to cultivate relationships with these people.

Creating this list and taking positive actions based on it will remind you that your career doesn’t start and end with one relationship dynamic. Remember, even if your direct manager is not investing in your professional growth, there will be other people who can impact your growth. Keep setting your intentions and exploring options, ideas, opportunities, conversations and connections that can help establish the foundation for your next actions.

— FORGE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS TO HELP YOU GROW: After you’ve made your “people who matter” list, think about any gaps in your network. The most important roles to consider are mentors and sponsors.

Do you currently have a mentor? If you don’t, commit to identifying more than one. Is there a person at your company who could be a sponsor? If your boss cannot fulfill that role, consider who could become an advocate for you.

Don’t let an indifferent manager derail your ambition, career values or goals. Align your actions with your ambition. If you know you can do better, commit to aiming higher.

The best leaders don’t wait for a promotion to step up. They begin practicing long before then. In its purest form, leadership at work is the ability and desire to accept responsibility for your career. It involves having a vision that benefits not just yourself, but also your organization and colleagues.

You may not be a manager yet, but there are three actions you can take to hone your leadership skills right now and become a highly respected and influential team member.

1. DEVOTE TIME TO DAILY GROWTH.

You’ve probably heard the famed analogy: You must help yourself before you can help others. That’s why it’s important to commit to and dedicate time for daily growth. When we improve our skill set and become a slightly better version of ourselves than we were the day before, we initiate the process of becoming more valuable in terms of what we can offer.

That said, merely improving in any area doesn’t guarantee that it will translate to your work. A more practical approach is to seek out a mentor or respected leader in your organization and ask for their advice.

Beyond this, look for opportunities to learn outside of work.

2. DISCOVER AND EMBRACE YOUR PERSONAL STRENGTHS.

Aspiring leaders often mistakenly believe that they should spend the bulk of their time trying to improve their weaknesses. But when it comes to building influence, your advantage will lie in discovering your strengths and using them to the best of your ability.

3. IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.

Many people think that all leaders need to be naturally talented public speakers. But this is another misconception. When it comes to leadership, making genuine connections is more advantageous, and anyone can learn how to do this.

Communicating in a way that feels accessible and relatable to others will ultimately increase your ability to influence. You can practice this skill by being intentional in your interactions with others. Keep these three factors top-of-mind:

VULNERABILITY: Displaying vulnerability helps dismantle the barriers that people naturally construct when communicating with someone new or in a professional setting. Once you breakdown those barriers, it will be easier for them to receive your message.

AUTHENTICITY: In a world where everyone is trying to impress others and project an image that doesn’t reflect who they truly are, radical authenticity stands out. Be yourself. What does this look like? Leading by example and going first rather than following the pack is always a good place to start.

EMPATHY: Every person we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Whether it’s a one-on-one interaction with a co-worker, a team meeting or even small talk during a lunch break with a friend, keep in mind that we’re all dealing with some issue or problem that’s eating away at us. Be willing to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Being an influential leader has nothing to do with your title or where we rank in the organization.

The more you can add value and influence others, the better your career trajectory will be, as will the impact you make.

When your boss leaves for a new job, it can trigger a wave of introspection. You might find yourself thinking about your goals, your sense of loyalty and whether your own career is headed in the right direction. Perhaps most importantly, the departure raises a question: Should you follow?

It’s natural to feel worried or uneasy about what lies ahead either way, according to Nancy Rothbard, a professor of management and the deputy dean at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “

In the end, it’s up to you, says Arika Pierce Williams, a leadership development consultant and the president and founder of Piercing Strategies. Here, according to Rothbard and Williams, are the three questions you need to ask yourself before you follow your boss to a new opportunity.

1. DO I KNOW WHY MY BOSS IS CHOOSING TO LEAVE?

People move on from jobs for many reasons, your boss included. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re miserable or that they think your current company is doomed.

While it’s impossible to know exactly what’s driving their decision, it’s worth trying to understand your boss’s motivations when you’re considering following them out the door. Williams recommends asking your boss to have an offline, one-on-one conversation. They’re likely to be more candid in private than they are in public with the team.

Having this information can help you make more informed decisions about your own path, she adds. It might also prompt you to look closely at your role and organization and see if it matches your personal and professional goals.

2. HOW CRITICAL HAS MY BOSS BEEN TO MY SUCCESS?

Your boss’s departure is likely to have a deeper impact if they’ve been more of a mentor than a manager to you. You might worry about your career growth without their guidance or your standing at your company without their advocacy on your behalf, says Rothbard.

Rothbard recommends evaluating the breadth of your connections at work, or what she refers to as your personal “ecosystem of sponsorship.” Look at potential avenues for growth and advancement. If you have mentors and sponsors other than your boss, and if you see possible ways to move up in the company without your boss’s direct backing, this departure could be a chance for you to explore new opportunities. It might even be a way to step out from under their shadow.

“But if you don’t have other sponsors and you don’t see a pathway for growth without the support of your boss, that’s when you’re going to be more concerned about remaining,” she says.

3. HOW WORRIED AM I ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION’S FUTURE?

Your boss’s leaving has an effect on your career trajectory, but it also has implications for the larger organization. “You’re not just thinking, ‘What’s in it for me,’ but also, ‘Where’s this company going and what’s going to happen to it as a result of this departure?’” says Rothbard.

This is especially true if you subscribe to your boss’s vision and leadership style. “If you believe this person is so essential to the organization’s future, you’re going to be more worried about their leaving,” she says.

Rothbard suggests taking a hard look at the potential successors in line for your boss’s position, assuming you’re not among them. Consider whether you trust these prospective leaders to guide the organization in a way that fits with your values or if you fear they might steer it in a direction that concerns you.

Relentless scrutiny, constant hovering, incessant meddling — anyone who’s ever worked for a micromanager knows the drill. It’s a daily struggle of being second-guessed and sidelined. In a word, it’s oppressive.

But while working for a micromanager is frustrating and annoying, there are things you can do to improve the dynamic. Here’s how our experts suggest you achieve this.

UNDERSTAND YOUR BOSS’S INTENTIONS

Your first order of business is to figure out what’s behind your boss’s micromanaging tendencies. Is your boss otherwise respectful and considerate? Maybe they’re genuinely trying to help, but their methods and cadence don’t match your work style or expectations. Are they naturally detail-oriented and conscientious? Micromanaging might be a personality trait. Are they a first-time manager? Perhaps they’re insecure. On the other hand, if your boss’s intentions lean more toward undermining you, you may need to work on an exit strategy.

DO SOME SELF-REFLECTION

If you feel your new boss is applying extra scrutiny to your work compared to others, a little soul-searching is necessary. Think about comments or observations your boss has made or feedback you’ve gotten about your performance and consider whether there are any patterns.

SEEK (AND PROVIDE) FEEDBACK

Next, talk to your boss about your performance and how you could work together better. Bear in mind that feedback is a two-way conversation. Don’t point fingers, and don’t mention the word micromanager.

Instead, focus on specific behaviors and their impact on your work. Say something like: “Last week I had a deadline for the Jones Project. We exchanged multiple emails leading up to the deadline, which was disruptive and interfered with my ability to concentrate and efficiently complete the project. What can we do differently to ensure you’re confident in my progress, while allowing me to focus on my work?”

BUILD TRUST BY ANTICIPATING YOUR BOSS’S NEEDS

Once you’ve got a better grip on your boss’s motivations and gotten feedback on your performance, focus on establishing credibility.

All the standard advice of getting along with a new boss applies here: Pay close attention to how they like to communicate — Zoom? Slack? Old-fashioned telephone? Be adaptable and resourceful in meeting their expectations. And create a system for tracking what you’re working on and keep your boss informed. Anticipating what needs to be done and proactively addressing your boss’s concerns doesn’t just keep them happy — it also serves your self-interest.

DEVELOP COPING MECHANISMS

Your micromanaging boss’s behavior will not change overnight. And even when you notice improvements, they may still have some habits that annoy you. Separate the personal from the professional. This way, it’s easier to appreciate their positive qualities while dealing with a management style that has you taking deep breaths and counting to ten more often than you’d like.

Focus on what you like about your job: the skills you’re developing, the network you’re building and experience you’re gaining. Do what you need to do to preserve your well-being and maintain boundaries, she adds.

CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS

If your boss is intentionally sabotaging your work, experts say that unfortunately, there’s not much else you can do. It might be best to start searching for a new job, either within your organization or elsewhere. Think about your overall job satisfaction, the potential for growth in your current role and the effect of the micromanagement on your mental health and professional development. Consider whether the benefits of sticking it out in your position outweigh the challenges you’re facing.

Some leaders don’t just respond to crises — they thrive in chaos, rushing in to “save the day,” often from problems they unknowingly created. Meet the “firefighter” — the boss who runs on urgency, constantly pulling their teams into high-stakes battles, rewarding reaction over strategy and exhausting heroics over efficiency.

A firefighter boss’s leadership style isn’t built for sustainability. So, what do you do if your boss refuses to let go of the fire hose? Based on my experience and research, here are some ways to navigate working for a firefighter boss.

CELEBRATE NONEMERGENCY WINS

If the only time a firefighter boss receives praise is after a last-minute save, they’ll keep chasing crises to recreate that moment. Instead, attempt to redirect the praise: Highlight moments where proactive planning saved time, effort or money. For example, during a team meeting, you could say:

“I wanted to discuss a new approach to recognizing our team’s efforts. While we often celebrate the number of fires extinguished, I believe we should shift our focus to prevention. Highlighting ‘days without incident’ can showcase our proactive planning and crisis prevention strategies. This model not only emphasizes safety and efficiency but also recognizes the value we bring to the organization by reducing emergencies and the subsequent damages.”

RESIST THEIR CHAOS — STAY CALM

The more frantic a firefighter boss’s team is, the more they believe their leadership style and reactive tactics are validated. But you don’t have to play along. Instead of immediately responding to every declared emergency, set boundaries and resist matching their intensity. To do that, you can ask clarifying questions, present data and reframe the situation in a way that prioritizes logic over reaction.

Maintaining composure and engaging in clear, candid communication can be an effective way to manage a high-stress boss. Staying calm not only diffuses the urgency displayed by the firefighter boss but also encourages a more measured and analytical response from them.

REDIRECT THEIR NEED FOR SPEED

Firefighter bosses often measure success by how quickly problems are solved, not by how effectively they’re prevented. Rather than opposing their reactive instincts, a more effective strategy is to redirect that energy toward long-term outcomes — by presenting proactive efforts as a series of fast, measurable wins.

For example, instead of saying, “We need six months to fix this system,” try, “In the next three weeks, we can reduce the risk of failure by 40% through a proactive fix.” This framing satisfies their need for speed while aligning them with the logic of sustainable improvement. The key is to translate stability into a language they would understand: momentum, metrics and results.

Firefighter bosses don’t need to be your downfall — but you must take control of how you engage with them. By shifting what they value, resisting their chaos, setting boundaries and redirecting their energy, you can thrive under their leadership without becoming collateral damage.

In the end, remember that the best way to beat a firefighter boss is to make sure there’s nothing left for them to put out.

Working for a leader who always changes their mind is a maddening yet common experience.

Here are several strategies I’ve used with my clients in this situation:

BE SPECIFIC WITH YOUR QUESTIONS

If you work for a leader who always changes their mind, asking, “What do you think?” will put you on the fast track to a mountain of rework.

When asked for general feedback, most bosses will come up with something to change or add. It’s your job to point them to where they can be most helpful. Defining the feedback scope is crucial.

Asking for feedback on something specific gives your boss’s racing mind a place to land. The clearer you can be about what feedback you’re looking for, the more efficient and effective your conversation will be.

When you’re thinking about the specific questions you may want to ask your boss, it can be helpful to consider prompts like:

— What is my boss good at?

— What’s the most urgent component of what I’m discussing?

— What could potentially derail success?

— When considering all the elements of my plan, which will have the biggest impact on my success?

DEFINE THE “EDITING” PHASE

In some industries, like video, manufacturing or publishing, there is a defined deadline. In others, there isn’t a specific cutoff point. You can continue to change things. It’s expensive in the long run, but in the near term, there often isn’t a consequence.

Here’s some language you can use to define a “weigh-in period” with your boss: “In our initial conversations, we agreed the timeline of X was our goal. That means we need to have all feedback collected by Y. Otherwise, we will not hit our target, and that will result in Z.”

Your boss likely has a plethora of projects and timelines in their brain. A simple reminder of when the “editing” phase is ending, and what’s at stake if you linger, is often all a seemingly indecisive boss needs to confidently close the loop.

POLITELY PUSH BACK

You don’t want to be thought of as someone who refuses change, but constantly bending to the whims of your boss’s last-minute muses doesn’t serve you well either.

If you greet perpetual pivots with “no problem!” you are a willing partner in this frustrating dance. Consider politely pushing back with language like: “I understand your feedback. I know we both want this (product, project, etc.) to be successful. I appreciate you taking the time to weigh in. I want to come back to our objective of X. We’ve changed this several times.” Do you think the current version won’t accomplish the objective? And is the change worth the investment of (X amount of time), or would that time be better served by prioritizing Y?”

EXAMINE YOUR OWN RELUCTANCE TO CHANGE

Some bosses constantly change their minds because they don’t think through their directives, don’t value the time of their team or aren’t clear about the end game.

But many leaders change their minds because, even though it might be frustrating and create more work for you, the circumstances warrant it.

You don’t want to work for a leader who never changes their mind. Good bosses are willing to try something different, chart a new course or clean up a misstep. Change comes with the territory of progress. If every minor “edit” triggers a fight or flight response for you, it’s worth exploring the root of your reluctance.

Your boss is set on a strategy that sounds great in theory, but which you’re sure will be a logistical nightmare. Or maybe you’re in a team meeting, and everyone is nodding along to your boss’s idea that you believe will crash and burn. Speaking up in these moments takes finesse and nerve. How do you voice your concerns to your boss without being confrontational?

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

The first step is understanding the psychological and cultural dynamics behind why it’s hard to push back on your boss. “Most of us are brought up to respect and defer to authority,” Melody Wilding, an executive coach and author of “Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge” says. “Feedback, tough conversation and disagreements usually roll downhill; they’re not something we’re taught to give upwardly.”

EMBRACE DISAGREEMENT AS AN ADVANTAGE

Next, reframe disagreement as a necessity, not a risk. Speaking up benefits you, your boss and the entire organization, says Wilding. After all, when employees don’t challenge timelines, priorities or direction, companies waste money chasing the wrong goals.

GAUGE YOUR “PUSHBACK POWER”

Wilding suggests evaluating your “pushback power”: your ability to challenge decisions based on factors like tenure, your relationship with your boss and the state of the organization. Read the room: Is the business in crisis, where decisions must be made quickly, and everyone must be on board? Or is it stable, with room for feedback?

APPRECIATE THAT TIMING IS EVERYTHING

It’s tempting to push back the moment your boss says something that doesn’t sit right with you. But, says Wilding, it’s often smarter to wait for a more opportune moment, like your next one-on-one, when the topic is still relevant, but cooler heads can prevail.

KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH

How you express disagreement depends on your manager’s style and priorities. Some bosses appreciate directness, says Wilding, while others take it personally. Bottom line: Know who you’re dealing with so you can present your concerns in ways that resonate.

ASK QUESTIONS

Lead with curiosity, says Robert Bordone, a Senior Fellow at Harvard Law School. Jumping to justifications can sound defensive and put you both in opposite corners.

APPEAL TO VALUES

When you disagree with a big-picture decision, Wilding suggests framing it around your role and responsibilities.

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

When you’re disagreeing with something your boss has already done — like pointing out a misstep during a client call — don’t rehash the past. Instead, Wilding advises focusing on the future.

LOOK FOR COMPROMISE

Another approach is to suggest a solution that isn’t all or nothing. This shows you’re flexible and willing to collaborate, while also conveying that you’re not just going to roll over.

KNOW WHEN TO BACK OFF

“In most cases, you should probably back off” if your boss really and truly isn’t willing to budge, says Wilding.

REFLECT — AND DON’T GLOAT

If you didn’t have luck persuading your boss, Bordone suggests taking time to process. Once you’ve cooled off, ask yourself: “What did I do that I thought worked, and what could I have done differently?” Remember: “Sometimes, you need to let bad decisions play out, so people listen to you in the future,” says Wilding. “I’ve seen situations where people’s managers come back to them and say, ‘I should have listened to you.’” If it turns out you were right in the end, don’t rub it in. “We have to let people face the consequences so they can come to that realization on their own.”

In an ideal world, higher-ups would instinctively and unquestioningly champion your efforts. But the truth is, your supervisor is busy juggling multiple priorities and your project may have slipped their mind. Most of the time though, leaders simply don’t recognize how impactful their advocacy can be or what obstacles you’re facing.

Your boss, like everyone, is tuned into their personal “radio station,” WII-FM (what’s in it for me?). To gain their support, you need to broadcast on their frequency. In other words, connect your ask to how it not only meets your needs, but also aligns with their priorities.

OFFER SPECIFIC IDEAS. Don’t leave it to your leader to figure out how to support you. Instead, come prepared with concrete suggestions. Identify specific stakeholders, meetings, presentations or company communications where your boss could advocate for your work. They’re more likely to say “yes” because you’ve done the thinking for them — and it also shows your understanding of the organization’s politics.

GIVE YOUR BOSS A SPIEL. By providing your boss with ready-made language they can share, you remove barriers to action and control the narrative, ensuring that your efforts are presented in the way you want them to be. For example, you might give your manager:

— Concise talking points about your project that they can easily incorporate into conversations or presentations

— A brief, polished script they could use to introduce you at company events or meetings

— Customizable email templates for connecting you with different stakeholders or promoting your work

— A set of frequently asked questions with clear, concise answers to help them field objections or defend your ideas to senior leadership

— Pre-written social media posts they can share on professional networks to highlight the progress or impact of your work

IMPLEMENT A WEEKLY WIN ROUTINE. Once a week or twice a month, send a brief email to your boss highlighting your team’s achievements, challenges overcome and upcoming milestones. By doing so, you’re handing them a neatly packaged “cheat sheet” of information they can use to impress their boss and peers. It’s a win-win: your manager appears on top of things — and your hard work gets the spotlight it deserves.

This simple routine also gets you into the habit of articulating and documenting your achievements which is a powerful way of boosting your confidence. Plus, come time for your performance review, you’ll have concrete examples at your fingertips and won’t have to scramble for data to make a case for resources or advancement.

LEVERAGE RECIPROCITY. The psychological principle of reciprocity says that when someone does something for us, we feel naturally inclined to return the favor. So, look for opportunities to highlight your boss’s leadership, priorities, strengths and successes. By showing that you value and promote their work, you make it more likely they’ll do the same for you. This isn’t meant to be a quid pro quo, but rather about managing up in a supportive way that builds trust and goodwill.

Sincerity is key. Don’t force praise where it doesn’t fit naturally. Just be on the lookout for little moments to acknowledge your boss’s ideas and contributions. This could be as simple as sending a quick note to thank them for their guidance on how to deliver tough feedback to an employee or being an active participant when they’re leading a workshop.