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Managing Up
How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge by Melody Wilding
Andrew Levine
March 04, 2025
Your success isn’t just about what you do—it’s about how you work with those above you.
No matter where you are in your career, one skill separates high performers from the rest: managing up.
In Melody Wilding’s new book (released today), she flips the script on career growth and shows how to get what you need from the people in charge.
SMARTEST TAKEAWAYS
Master the Art of Managing Up
1️⃣ Understand Their Style: Every boss has a unique way of working. Are they hands-off? Detail-obsessed? Big-picture thinkers? The better you understand their preferences, the easier it is to adapt and get what you need.
2️⃣ Communicate Proactively: Instead of waiting for feedback or instructions, take the lead. Provide concise updates, anticipate questions, and frame challenges with solutions.
3️⃣ Set Boundaries Without Fear: Managing up isn’t about being a pushover—it’s about knowing when to say yes, when to push back, and how to assert your needs with confidence.
FROM THE AUTHOR
Why She Wrote This Book
Melody recorded a video specifically for Slightly Smarter readers! Watch it now…
INSIGHTFUL EXAMPLE
How to Get Heard
Emma had great ideas—but they kept getting ignored in meetings. Instead of pushing harder, she adapted. She studied her boss’s style, framed her points around company goals, and delivered them in a way that matched leadership’s priorities.
The result? Her boss started seeking her input, her influence grew, and she got the promotion she’d been waiting for.
BOOK FACTS
Managing Up
First Published: March 4, 2025
Print length: 320 pages
Listening length: 7:42
Ratings: Not available yet
WORTH WATCHING
Ways to Manage Up Without Sucking Up
EDITOR’S NOTE
Fast Lessons for Big Impact
It took me just a day to read Managing Up cover-to-cover. The book reinforced lessons I’ve picked up from the best managers I’ve worked for (h/t Jayar, Teal, and Brian) while introducing fresh strategies that stuck with me.
I was especially drawn to the insights on:
building buy-in and “pre-suading” (p. 76-79)
navigating always-on industries (p. 118-120)
locking in important meetings (p. 155-157)
If you want to work smarter, communicate bolder, and get more of what you need from the leaders in charge, this book is for you.
— Andrew
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