Managing Up as a Consultant

Why making your manager’s job easier is one of the smartest career moves in consulting

Sep 08, 2025

When we think about leadership in consulting, we often imagine leading business units, teams, or projects. But there’s another form of leadership that’s just as important—especially early in your career: managing up.

Simply put, managing up means making your manager’s or project lead’s job easier. It’s not about sucking up—it’s about being proactive, dependable, and aligned. And when you do it well, you not only help the team succeed but also make your own contributions more visible.

Why Managing Up Matters

In consulting, your reputation isn’t built just on client results—it’s also shaped by how you work with the people above you.

Leaders are stretched thin. Project leads and partners juggle dozens of priorities. If you can lighten their load, you’ll stand out.
Visibility is limited. Your manager doesn’t see every detail of your work. Proactive communication ensures your efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Trust compounds. When leaders know you’ll deliver without being chased, they’ll give you more responsibility—and opportunities.

How to Manage Up Effectively

Here are some practical ways to do it without overstepping:

Anticipate needs. Think one step ahead. If you know your manager will need a slide, summary, or status report, prepare it before being asked.
Communicate proactively. Don’t wait to be checked on. Send short updates: “Just finished X, moving on to Y. Expect draft tomorrow.”
Frame problems with solutions. Instead of, “We have a blocker,” try, “Here’s the blocker, and here are two ways we could solve it.”
Be clear about capacity. If you’re overloaded, flag it early. Leaders prefer transparency over missed deadlines.
Flag risks early. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you see a deadline slipping, a client expectation mismatching reality, or a technical hurdle looming, escalate sooner rather than later.
Make them look good. Deliver quality work that they can confidently present to the client. In consulting, part of your job is enabling others to shine.
Clarify expectations. Don’t guess. Ask: “What does success look like for this task?” It avoids rework and shows professionalism.

The Balance: Initiative Without Overreach

Managing up doesn’t mean taking over your manager’s job or second-guessing their decisions. It’s about filling gaps, smoothing rough edges, and making collaboration effortless.

Think of it as leading from where you are—not by hierarchy, but by reliability and foresight.