Leading in a Different Direction

New Book From Wharton’s Michael Useem Looks At Benefits of Leading Up

An unexplored yet critical side of leadership is leading up, getting results by helping to lead your boss, asserts leadership expert Michael Useem. In today’s environment, leadership is required at all levels of an organization, and, ironically, many leaders fail because the people who work for them are reluctant to challenge their command.

In his new book, LEADING UP: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win (Crown Business; November 6, 2001), Useem encourages upward leadership when decisions stall or situations degenerate. Through narrative examples of people in tough situations who succeeded or failed at leading up, Useem demonstrates that leadership can and must be practiced at all levels of an organization.

More than just “managing up,” or learning to get along with the boss on a day-to-day basis, leading up actually adds value, exceeding the expectations of the position. Rather than undermining authority or seizing power from superiors, leading up is stepping in when the boss needs help and support in a way that benefits everyone.

A distinguished professor of leadership and change management at the Wharton School, Useem frequently encounters people on both sides of the equation – those who want to know how to lead from below and those who want to encourage their employees to take on more responsibility and challenge them. He explains that though leading up can be risky, it can be rewarding to both those who are willing to challenge their leaders and those who are not afraid to hear criticism and input from below.

“Leading up can save an organization when the peril is greatest and the right course of action most difficult to see.”

Leadership is more than just being the boss, because even bosses sometimes fail to make the difference they should, says Useem. We live in a world of decentralized organizations where an empowered workforce is encouraged to give honest feedback and advice as well as display loyalty to their superiors. “Command and control on high are giving way to insight and initiative down under,” he says.

Useem fills his book with lessons on different aspects of leading up from all walks of life.

O During the Civil War both General George McClellan and General Joseph E. Johnston disdained and ignored their respective Commanders-in-Chief, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. By refusing to keep their commanders informed they lost the cooperation and support that they needed to win the campaign around the Confederate capital of Richmond. Robert E. Lee, who replaced Johnston on the Confederate side, was open and frank with Davis and received the trust and troops he needed, while a fed-up Lincoln eventually replaced McClellan.

o Despite being difficult to work with early in his career, David Pottruck of Charles Schwab & Co. learned from his mistakes to become a better listener rather than railroading his associates into agreement. When the time came to convince his CEO and board to change their entire business, bringing trading to the Internet, he was able to persuade them to take a large risk that ended up turning the company into an industry leader.

O At the highest altitudes on earth, where every step is a life and death decision, Sandy Hill Pittman and Beck Weathers did not question their climbing guides, Scott Fischer and Rob Hall, when one seemed ill and the other provided inadequate instructions for their climb to the top of Mount Everest. Eight lives, including Fischer’s and Hall’s, were lost unnecessarily that day. Pittman and Weathers might have protected themselves and others from grievous physical harm had they been willing to question their leaders’ authority.

o Charlene Barshefsky single-mindedly pursued the negotiation of the U.S. trade agreement with China even though her boss, President Clinton, was not completely convinced to go through with it. As the president wavered, she pressed ahead and persuaded him to accept the agreement. In much the same way, Domingo Cavallo of Argentina pursued a radical monetary plan to end hyperinflation, despite the complete opposition of his plan to the platform on which his president had run. Both received broad mandates from their presidents to achieve goals, but little specific direction. Both achieved their goals despite setbacks and criticism, through absolute focus and skillful handling of their bosses.

Other cases in the book include a U.S. Marine General who reported to six commanders with varying agendas; a U.N. force commander who tried to avert the genocide in Rwanda; executives at CBS, Compaq, and British Airways who did not understand where their boards stood; and even Abraham and Moses who questioned the edicts of God. Through detailed analysis of these situations, Useem illustrates the different aspects of leading up and following the leadership of subordinates.

General rules of upward leadership are spread throughout the book in 50 “Lessons in Leading Up,” which concisely demonstrate the practical ideas highlighted by the stories. Useem also offers a guide to creating a company culture of leading up.

Michael Useem is Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Useem is the author of The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All, and he organizes leadership trips to the slopes of Mount Everest and the battlefields of the Civil War for MBA graduates and corporate managers.

Title:                 LEADING UP: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win
Author:              Michael Useem
Pub Date:          November 6, 2001
Published by:     Crown Business, New York, NY
Price:                $29.95; hardcover
ISBN:                0-8129-3310-9
Pages:              320 pp.