Powerful Questions for Leaders, no. 20

What do you do when you need to “coach up” or otherwise inform, influence, or encourage someone above you in the org chart?

I’ve really been enjoying Dr Hayley Lewis‘ sketch notes lately and this one seems especially handy.

Let’s face it, we all find ourselves in these tricky, oftentimes political, situations. You know, the ones where we know more about the situation than our leaders because we are closer to the problems, and need to affect their decisions.

What we do in those moments can have lasting effects — for our companies, our leaders, our customers, and for us. It’s a question of moral authority — How do you balance your moral or ethical obligations with your personal safety (psychological or otherwise)?

Please share what you’ve tried, how it went, and what you learned in the comments.

Do you know someone who is especially good at “coaching up”? If so, tag them here to recognize their talent and to invite them to the conversation.