Tips for Supporting Your Boss

Bosses are human; they make mistakes. I know. That's not a profound statement. What is far more interesting is how you will respond when your boss stumbles. Will you: - Stand back and watch the situation unfold? - Sit still and talk about your boss to others? - Step up and provide your boss feedback? Great team players know that it is far better to talk to someone than to talk about them. They are committed to helping everyone (including their boss) to get better. I'm not naive. Giving your boss feedback can come at a cost. Not every leader is open to feedback. However, you owe it to your boss, yourself, and your teammate to find the motivation, courage, and skill step up and provide your boss feedback. Here are seven ideas that can help you to get it right. 1. Avoid public criticism Look for opportunities to discuss the issue one-on-one with your boss. Criticizing your boss in an open forum rarely ends well. 2. Declare your intent Don’t make your boss assume your intentions. Clearly state why you share your thoughts and how you hope they are received. 3. Offer suggestions, not solely criticism Criticizing is easy. Trolls on the internet do it all day long. Provide suggestions or alternatives for your boss to consider. 4. Demonstrate loyalty Talk to your boss, not about your boss. Don’t host a meeting after the meeting to tell others why your boss is wrong. Be loyal when he is and isn’t present. 5. Recognize that your boss has feelings too Your boss’s ego could be closely connected to the idea you address. Keep that in mind and treat her like you would like to be treated. 6. Speak up Failing to share your thoughts can be worse than poorly conveying them. Don’t sit by and watch your boss fail. Step up and speak up. 7. Be direct but respectful When you do address the issue, don’t be cagey or coy. Explain your concerns clearly, but do so in a respectful tone and manner. Make it a great day! Patrick #feedback #leadership #success

7 ways to make your boss win big And boost your value while you're at it When I was at JPMorgan, I watched a junior analyst transform her relationship with her VP through one simple shift: instead of just doing her job, she started making her boss shine. The result? Within 3 months, she was invited to executive meetings and given high-visibility projects. Here are 7 genius ways to make your boss look good: 1. Be The Early Warning System Spot potential issues before they become problems Keep your boss ahead of critical deadlines → Create a "Risk Register" each Monday with 3 potential issues and their solutions - share it in your 1:1s 2. Master The Executive Update Filter out noise, focus on what matters Structure updates to be "forward-ready" → Use the 3-part format: "Project status, Key wins, Needs attention (if any)" in all communications 3. Amplify Their Vision Reinforce their strategic priorities in meetings Connect team activities to their bigger goals → Write down your boss's top 3 priorities and link every major project update to one of these goals 4. Own The Prep Work Make their meetings more effective Ensure they never get blindsided → Create a 5-minute pre-brief document for every important meeting with: "Key players, Core issues, Potential questions" 5. Be The Solution Hub Turn complaints into action items Present options, not just problems → Present 3 solutions for every problem, plus 1 recommended course of action 6. Track & Showcase Wins Document team achievements Package success stories → Maintain a "Wins Database" with metrics, testimonials, and outcomes they can reference in their presentations 7. Build Their Network Connect them to useful information sources Help them stay relevant → Set up a 15-minute weekly "Industry Pulse" briefing with: "1 trend, 1 competitor move, 1 opportunity" ♻️ Repost to help professionals accelerate their careers ➕ Follow Kabir Sehgal to get a little better together

It may sound silly, but I highly recommend giving positive feedback to your boss regularly. Most professionals don't do it - and that's exactly why you should. As people rise in their careers, they tend to have higher expectations with less positive feedback. That's fine for the executive or manager - most don't mind. But if you are an enterprising, successful professional you should take advantage of this. You have the opportunity to learn from this person, and the ability to shape how they manage you. Use positive reinforcement the same way they might with you! Tell them when they do something that works for you, and they'll notice it and double down on it. Don't suck up to them. That's cheesy and counter-productive. Instead, just say "hey that really worked for me" or "I was learned a lot by seeing you do X". FWIW you should also provide negative feedback as well, but that's for another post 😄