In seventeen years at the same company, I went through two changes in the leader above me. The first one went well. I built trust quickly, found a rhythm with my new leader, and grew a great deal under that partnership. The second one told a different story. Our working styles and priorities pulled in different directions almost from the start, and no matter how much effort I put into building that relationship, it never quite found its footing.
That second experience eventually led me to a clear realization: the healthiest path forward was a different one. I left, and I built something of my own. That decision led to a happier, healthier version of me, both personally and professionally. I sleep better. I lead on my own terms. I get to build a business around the values I care about most.
I share both experiences because they taught me different things. The first showed me what it looks like when a new leadership relationship works, and what I could contribute to make it work. The second showed me what it looks like when it doesn't, and what to do when that's the case. Everything that follows here comes from both chapters, even though this piece isn't about the details of either one.
Here is what I want to focus on. Not managing up, a phrase I have never loved. It suggests maneuvering, like the goal is to handle your leader rather than work honestly with them. What actually matters is communication, flowing in both directions. You communicate well with the leader above you, and you communicate well with the team below you. A leadership change puts pressure on both relationships at once, and both deserve real attention
With your team, give them something steady
When my CIO changed, I focused first on my team. They were watching closely to see what would shift, and my job was to give them solid ground.
I told them plainly that we would keep performing at the same high level we always had. Their work and their standards stood on their own, independent of who sat above me. I increased the frequency of my one on ones and used that time to genuinely listen. What were people worried about? What questions were sitting below the surface? Most people navigating a leadership change need less information than they need to feel someone is paying close attention to them.
With your new leader, move first
The relationship above you calls for a different kind of energy. Waiting for a new leader to piece together who you are and what you manage takes too long and leaves too much to chance.
Get time on their calendar early. Bring them the history. Walk them through current projects, budget, and priorities as an honest orientation, not a formal pitch. Then tell them how you work best. Do you prefer written updates or verbal check ins? Do you want clear direction or do you thrive with autonomy and a general target? Most leaders will welcome this. Volunteering the answers builds trust faster than almost anything else you can do in those first weeks.
The through line here is simple. Set expectations early. Advocate for yourself and your team. Share progress honestly, and when something is getting in the way, bring a possible solution along with the problem. Trust builds through consistent transparency, honesty, and respect, shown over time, not through one carefully worded meeting.
When the fit truly isn't there
Sometimes you do all of this well and the relationship still struggles to click. That happens more often in professional life than most people admit, and it says something about compatibility, not about your competence.
If you find yourself here, speak up directly. Share how the dynamic is affecting your ability to lead well, focused on impact rather than complaint. At the same time, shield your team from that friction. Your job is to absorb it, so they can keep their focus where it belongs.
Bring in outside perspective too. A peer, a mentor, someone inside your organization and someone outside it. Clarity tends to show up fastest in conversation with people who care about your wellbeing and have no stake in the politics.
I have been on both sides of this. A leadership change that became one of the best working relationships of my career, and one that pointed me toward something even better outside the company. Both taught me the same lesson from different directions. How you show up for your team and your new leader matters more than how the change itself unfolds. Sometimes that effort builds something great. Sometimes it clarifies that your best path is elsewhere. Either way, showing up well is never wasted.
A question to carry with you:
If the leader above you changed tomorrow, how would your team describe the way you showed up for them?
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