Managing Up: Proactively Driving Your Legal Career

In today’s workplace, careers aren’t built by waiting for direction. You cannot wait until a quarterly or annual review to find out what you should be doing. Otherwise, important jobs will be taken by those employees who do take initiative. 

This makes the ability to “manage up” a critical skill. It’s about taking ownership of how you work with leadership. Managing up is the difference between simply completing tasks and actively contributing to how work gets done. 

What Does “Managing Up” Actually Mean?

Let’s face it. We’re all busy. 

Managing up isn’t about controlling your manager or overstepping authority. It’s about aligning with the firm’s goals and taking responsibility for what you can control. At the same time, managing up requires communicating in a way that helps leaders make better decisions with as little effort or involvement on their part as possible. 

For example, imagine you’re a real estate paralegal supporting a busy firm. You just met with your manager and learned the team is currently closing around 15 deals per month. Leadership wants to get to 20. If you’re simply waiting for instructions, you keep processing files as they come in. But if you’re managing up, you start thinking differently. 

You might ask: Where are deals getting delayed? Are there gaps in communication with clients or leaders? Would better tracking systems help move files faster? Could stronger relationships with agents lead to more referrals? 

Professionals who manage up effectively don’t wait for perfect instructions. They ask clarifying questions early, align their work with broader business goals, and keep stakeholders informed without being prompted. This level of proactive communication improves efficiency while empowering employees to become more self-sufficient in their roles. 

What Can One Person Do? 

Communicating proactively and thinking beyond your immediate responsibilities reduces bottlenecks and lets leaders focus on higher-level strategy. It creates a more agile organization, where information flows quickly, and decisions are made with better context. 

This makes managing up more than a career skill. It’s a business advantage. 

Going back to a real estate paralegal who’s trying to move from 15 closings to 20 closings per month, they identify several possible options that may help. 

• Creating and sharing a checklist of everything needed from the buyers and sellers (reduces back-and-forth communication and speeds up closings)

• Implementing case management software or building a tracker in Excel to highlight bottlenecks and issues (solves problems that might cause delays)

• Ask all satisfied customers and stakeholders for reviews at the end of every closing (builds credibility and SEO)

Actions like these build trust over time internally and with external stakeholders. They signal reliable, strategic thinking and a broader understanding of how to drive success in the business. 

The Leadership Role in Managing Up

Managing up isn’t solely the responsibility of employees. Leaders play a critical role in creating an environment where it can happen effectively. 

This starts with clarity. When priorities, expectations, and decision-making frameworks are well-defined, it’s easier for teams to anticipate needs and act proactively. Psychological safety also matters. Employees need to feel comfortable asking questions, offering input, and raising concerns early. 

A Shared Approach for Better Outcomes

Managing up works best when it’s a shared responsibility. When employees take initiative, and leaders provide clarity, the result is a more aligned, efficient, and resilient organization. 

The ability to align talent with leadership priorities isn’t something that happens by chance. It starts with intentional hiring and development. At Squadron, we help organizations identify professionals who don’t just execute. They think ahead, communicate effectively, and contribute to stronger, more aligned teams.