As we head into 2026, the challenges and opportunities ahead demand more than another list of resolutions that won’t survive January. Thriving in an age of rapid change, complexity and disruption starts with inner change – how we think, our daily habits, and how we relate to others. The foundations of emotional and psychological wellbeing are now core to performance, resilience and effectiveness, not side notes.
Everything begins with mindset. The way we interpret setbacks, ambiguity and pressure shapes our experience and our performance. Rather than reacting automatically to challenges, choose to see them as opportunities for learning and growth. This doesn’t mean ignoring difficulty and tough challenges. It means consciously directing your energy toward constructive and considered responses. As many wellbeing experts highlight, negative thinking or fear-based responses can create a spiral of frustration and anxiety, whereas choosing a purposeful, growth-oriented mindset fuels resilience, clarity, agility, and creative problem-solving.
Humans are wired for connection, and the quality of our relationships deeply influences our emotional wellbeing and professional effectiveness. Research on wellbeing shows that supportive, energising connections create belonging, boost morale and provide the emotional resources needed to navigate stress. This is not about surrounding yourself only with mirrors and positive people, it’s about building a network of people who challenge you, support you, energize you and help you grow.
Time management alone won’t get you through the complexity of modern work. What matters even more is how you manage your energy – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Regular rest, reflective practices, and intentional boundaries replenish your capacity to think deeply and act decisively. Just as wellbeing models emphasise holistic health, investing in your emotional and psychological fuel enables sustained performance, not short spikes of productivity.
Remember that sleep is not a luxury; it’s essential to achieve mental clarity, peak performance and wellbeing. Aim for 7–8 hours a night, and switch off technology by around 9 p.m. if you can. Blue Zone longevity research consistently highlights sleep, strong evening routines and time with loved ones as foundations of long, healthy lives—reminding us that rest and connection, not constant digital stimulation, are what truly sustain performance and flow.
That age-old advice about working on weaknesses misses the bigger point: lasting impact and career success comes from amplifying your natural talents and strengths. When you apply and amplify your strengths with purpose to make a real difference at work and beyond, your engagement rises and your performance accelerates. This doesn’t mean ignoring opportunities for improvement; however, it does mean focusing performance and development on areas where you are most likely to add greatest value and feel most energized.
Optimism is a choice, not a denial of reality. In uncertain and tough times, balancing hope with realism helps people make better decisions and stay resilient. Progress rarely comes from dramatic breakthroughs; it comes from small, consistent improvements. When people notice what’s working, build on small wins, and believe that progress is possible, hope grows, and with it, wellbeing, momentum and sustained performance.
Transformative change rarely comes from grand gestures or overly ambitious goals. As the saying goes, we are a product of our daily habits. Instead, choose one habit that genuinely supports your wellbeing, energy and sense of purpose – whether that’s reflection, intentional breaks, or connecting regularly with someone who matters. Small, consistent actions may feel insignificant in the moment, but through the compound effect they build into greater clarity, energy and purpose over time.
Rather than dramatic leaps, ask yourself a grounded question: What’s one decision you’ve been postponing that could meaningfully improve how you live or work? Change worth investing in often starts with one intentional choice made today rather than tomorrow.
Thriving in 2026 doesn’t come from doing more; it comes from becoming more intentional, more resilient, and more connected. The inner work on mindset, relationships and wellbeing now pays dividends in performance, fulfilment and impact in the years to come.
That’s the trap. Thriving in 2026 is less about pushing harder and more about building clarity, energy, and strengths-led momentum. TalentPredix helps organizations and individuals turn self-insight into practical action through strengths assessment, strengths-based development, and feedback that actually fuels growth. If you want to build a more resilient, high-performing culture, book a demo or get in touch.
Personality and strengths assessments have been part of organizational life for decades. They are widely used in hiring, development, coaching and team effectiveness. Yet as AI reshapes how work is done and how decisions are made, a hard truth is emerging: describing people is no longer enough, particularly when this is done in a generic way that pigeon-holes people. In the Age of AI, assessments must clearly demonstrate the value they create.
Many of today’s commonly used assessments were designed for a very different world -one where categorization and self-insight were seen as sufficient outcomes. However, organizations now operate in environments defined by speed, complexity and constant adaptation. In this context, tools that label people without driving action, development and measurable impact are increasingly hard to justify.
Historically, personality models have focused on static descriptions of individuals. Traits are measured, profiles are produced, and insight is assumed to lead to better outcomes. In practice, insight alone rarely changes behaviour or delivers organizational impact. As budgets tighten and AI-driven tools raise expectations of precision and usefulness, organizations are asking a more demanding question: What difference does this actually make?
This challenge is compounded by the fact that many popular models rely heavily on correlational studies conducted decades ago. While frameworks such as the Big Five Personality Model have contributed useful insight, correlations tell us little about causation, development over time, or real-world performance. In the Age of AI, this is no longer sufficient. We need more longitudinal and predictive research that shows how personality and strengths evolve, and how they genuinely relate to performance, career success and adaptability over time.
This raises an important distinction between personality testing and strengths-based assessment – one that becomes far more significant in an AI-enabled world.
Traditional personality assessments are primarily descriptive. They focus on preferences and tendencies under normal conditions, often presenting people as relatively stable types or trait profiles. While this can support self-awareness, it offers limited guidance on how people can grow, adapt or perform more effectively as roles and environments change.
Strengths assessments take a different approach. Rather than describing personality, they focus on strengths – the underlying drivers of energy, potential and sustained performance. This shifts the conversation from “What am I like?” to “Where am I most likely to add value, grow and excel?”
Crucially, strengths-based approaches also explore how strengths can be overused. In complex systems, even positive qualities can undermine performance if applied without good situational understanding and judgement. Understanding when and how to dial strengths up or down is essential for effective leadership and decision-making, particularly as AI accelerates pace and increases cognitive load.
From an organizational perspective, strengths assessments are also more future-focused and predictive. By linking underlying human drivers to outcomes, they offer insight into where performance is likely to emerge, rather than simply describing how someone behaves today. This makes them far better suited to environments where adaptability, learning and judgement matter as much as technical skill.
Another major limitation of traditional assessments is that they often stop at the profile. Individuals receive a report, perhaps a debrief, and then little changes. To create real value, assessment insight must be integrated into personalised development pathways.
This is where AI offers significant opportunity. Agentic and adaptive AI can translate assessment data into tailored learning, coaching prompts and development actions that evolve as individuals grow. When strengths, motivations and values from next-generation strengths assessments like TalentPredix™ are continuously connected to real work, feedback and outcomes, assessment becomes a living system rather than a static snapshot, delivering far greater value for individuals, teams and organizations.
Work does not happen in isolation, yet most assessments still focus almost exclusively on individuals. In reality, value is created through dynamic interaction – between people, teams and systems. We need far more insight into how different strengths, motivations and qualities combine at work to drive outcomes.
Understanding powerful combinations – such as how strategic thinking interacts with execution, or how resilience complements creativity – offers far richer insight into performance than isolated trait scores. In an AI-enabled workplace, where collaboration between humans and machines is also increasing, this systemic perspective becomes even more important.
Finally, many traditional personality assessments underplay or ignore motivation and values, despite their central role in performance, perseverance and long-term engagement. Personality traits may shape how people think, behave and interact at work, but motivation and values determine whether they sustain effort, overcome setbacks and find meaning in what they do.
In a world of constant change and less predictable career paths, understanding what fuels passion, commitment and ethical judgement over time is essential. Assessments that surface and track these drivers, and link them directly to development and opportunity, are far better positioned to demonstrate lasting value.
The Age of AI is raising expectations across every aspect of work, and talent assessment is no exception. Personality and strengths tools must move beyond static description and legacy validation models. They must demonstrate how they:
Those that do will remain powerful enablers of human potential. Those that don’t risk becoming relics of a world that no longer exists.
In the Age of AI, assessment isn’t just about knowing more about people – it’s about helping people and organizations adapt faster, perform better and create meaningful value.
It’s time to shift from static labels to strengths-based intelligence that drives real decisions, development, and measurable impact. TalentPredix™ helps HR, Talent and Coaches translate strengths, career drivers and values into practical action for individuals, teams and leaders, especially in fast-changing, AI-enabled environments. Get in touch or book a free demo of TalentPredix™ today.
As the Digital Age accelerates change at dizzying speed, one truth has become clear – organizations can no longer rely on yesterday’s talent models to fuel tomorrow’s growth. Skills and competencies still matter, however, they are increasingly short-lived. Automation, AI, and emerging technologies are rewriting job requirements faster than most companies can update their competency frameworks.
So what’s the new blueprint for building a future-ready workforce?
It’s the powerful fusion of strengths + skills. Together, they help organizations unlock not just what people can do today, but where they are most likely to excel, adapt, and innovate tomorrow.
In a world where skills expire quickly, strengths endure. Strengths reflect how individuals naturally think, feel, and perform when they are at their best and most energized. They’re rooted in innate patterns – far more stable, transferrable, and future-proof than any job-related skill.
A skills-based strategy tells you what someone is capable of right now. A strengths-based strategy reveals where they’ll thrive, grow, and bring the most energy in future.
This combination is the secret sauce of future-ready talent design and optimization:
Organizations that embrace this dual lens become more agile, human-centred, and innovation-ready,no matter how quickly their landscape evolves.
Yet to truly empower people to achieve peak performance and thrive, two additional elements are essential:
Traditional talent systems focus on gaps, rigid job descriptions, and fixing weaknesses. However, high-performing organizations are flipping that script.
Strengths-based organizations:
When people work in their “zone of excellence and energy,” collaboration becomes smoother, performance takes off, and teams gain the confidence and clarity needed to innovate.
Making strengths visible is the first step to transforming a team. Science-based, next-generation strengths assessments like TalentPredix™ provide leaders with instant insight into what drives each person – their strengths, motivators, and values.
But visibility alone isn’t enough.
The real shift happens when leaders design work around those strengths:
When strengths shape day-to-day decisions, transformation accelerates because people stop working against their natural momentum.
Building a strengths-based culture doesn’t require a massive restructure. The most successful organizations start small and build steadily.
Practical steps include:
This phased approach reduces resistance, increases confidence, and helps managers see immediate benefits.
Many companies treat strengths as a one-time workshop or feel-good initiative. That’s where they fail.
The best performing organizations embed strengths deeply into:
They shift from a strengths program to a strengths mindset and talent strategy – a sustained, strategic way of hiring, developing, retaining and optimizing talent.
To build a future-ready workforce, organizations must evolve. Strengths give people the energy and potential to grow; skills give them the tools to deliver. Together, they form the most powerful talent blueprint for agility, engagement, and high performance in the Digital Age.
The future belongs to the companies who harness both, not one or the other.
The fix is not more complexity. It’s a clearer model: strengths as the anchor, skills as the update layer, and the right conditions for people to perform at their best. TalentPredix helps organizations measure strengths, motivations, and values, then translate them into practical decisions across hiring, development, teams, and workforce planning. If you want to build a future-ready workforce strategy that actually sticks, book a free demo of TalentPredix™ or get in touch.
Today’s business environment is defined by constant change – shifting and challenging markets, rapid technological advances, and evolving customer expectations. In this reality, leaders must do more than deliver results. They must manage energy, maintain engagement, and create positive employee experiences that sustain performance through uncertainty.
This is where positive leadership and strengths-based management come together.
Great leaders are not all the same. They are as unique as their fingerprints. They differ in style, motivation, and personality, proving there’s no one-size-fits-all checklist for leadership success.
What they have in common is self-awareness, passion for their role as leader and perseverance. They know their strengths, trust them, and call on them at the right time. They build complementary teams to cover areas where they’re weaker, ensuring their energy is focused where they add the most value.
Every leader casts a “shadow” over their organization. This shadow can either energise or drain the workplace. In a world of constant change, leaders must be intentional about creating a positive mindset and energy impact.
They do this by:
Managing energy isn’t about pushing people harder – it’s about creating an environment where energy flows naturally and productively.
The best leaders know there’s no universal formula for motivation. Instead, they help employees use their strengths daily – creating the conditions for flow, where challenges match skills, creativity thrives, and productivity peaks.
In a constantly changing world, maintaining this flow is a competitive advantage that drives both engagement and performance.
Positive leadership is about balance. Leaders must help people:
The key is to address these risks constructively, building confidence rather than creating fear.
Growth fuels energy. Without opportunities to develop, even the most engaged employees can stagnate.
Positive leaders keep the workplace dynamic by offering meaningful stretch assignments that build on strengths while pushing people into new territory – whether through new projects, skills training, or coaching roles.
The leaders who will thrive in the future are those who:
Through purposeful alignment of strengths, the removal of energy drainers, and the creation of meaningful growth opportunities for employees, leaders can establish cultures of enduring performance, engagement and innovation.
It’s time to shift from deficit-based management to a strengths-driven, human approach that fuels engagement and sustainable performance. TalentPredix helps leaders understand their strengths, shape positive energy climates, and create the conditions where people thrive.
To explore how TalentPredix can strengthen leadership in your organisation, get in touch or book a free demo today.
This year’s Web Summit in Lisbon was an energy-fuelled, dynamic, and multicultural event. After several years of disruption caused by the pandemic, it was great to finally experience it firsthand. Below are some reflections from the event.
AI dominated almost every conversation, not just as a buzzword, but as a transformative force reshaping industries, workflows, and even business models. Many speakers highlighted the exciting potential of AI to revolutionize how we address customer challenges and unlock new sources of value.
At the same time, the tone wasn’t all optimism. A recurring question surfaced across sessions:
“What will be the net impact of AI on jobs?”
The honest answer: no one really knows, particularly when looking beyond the short term. I sensed a need for a more realistic, transparent dialogue about both the opportunities and disruptions AI will create. Rather than downplaying people’s fears, businesses and policymakers should help the workforce reskill, upskill, and prepare for an uneven transition – one that will bring new career opportunities to some and painful adjustment for others
There was strong consensus that as AI becomes more embedded in work, certain human capabilities will only grow in value – including critical thinking, creative problem-solving, learning & adaptation, and the ability to connect and collaborate.
As one speaker noted, AI doesn’t just plug into existing workflows – it demands an end-to-end rethinking of systems, processes, and even products. Yet too many companies are still bolting AI tools onto outdated structures without addressing the human change required.
To truly realize AI’s potential, organizations must invest as heavily in developing these critical human skills as they do in new technology. Without this balance, even the most advanced AI investments will fall short of their promise.
Leading in today’s environment is already challenging – with economic, political, and technological turbulence testing every assumption and practice. The rise of AI adds another layer of complexity, requiring leaders at all levels to empower people and create inclusive, adaptive cultures where everyone can contribute to shaping the future.
Modern leaders must:
The Web Summit made it clear that we’re entering a new era – one where technology alone isn’t enough. The real differentiator will be how effectively leaders harness both AI and human potential to create resilient, purpose-driven and people-first organizations.
This is your moment to rethink how you build leadership capability and future-ready skills. The organisations that will thrive are the ones that combine smart technology with a deep understanding of human strengths. TalentPredix™ helps leaders unlock this potential with science-based insights, practical tools, and a strengths-first approach to growth.
Get in touch or book a free demo to explore how we can help your people lead with confidence in the age of AI.
In a world obsessed with innovation, agility, and disruption, consistency has quietly slipped off the list of celebrated capabilities. Yet, if you look closely at the difference between good and great performers – in individuals, teams, or organizations – it often comes down to one thing: the ability to deliver high performance consistently, not occasionally.
Consistency doesn’t usually make headlines. It lacks the glamour of creativity or the adrenaline of rapid change. But in reality, it’s the hidden capability that turns potential into results. Just like an elite athlete, a consistent performer builds credibility, trust, and momentum. They don’t just excel once; they keep showing up, executing well, and improving steadily. Over time, that reliability compounds into enduring excellence.
In today’s digital age, information and sensory overload constantly compete for our attention. The modern workplace rewards adaptability and speed, often at the expense of depth and follow-through. Employees are urged to embrace change, pivot quickly, and take on new challenges, all important capabilities, but sometimes this culture of perpetual motion undermines stability.
As a result, many professionals and organizations find themselves chasing novelty rather than mastering the fundamentals. Projects begin with enthusiasm but lose steam before completion. Teams pivot so often that they forget what they were optimizing for. Younger employees, eager to progress, can sometimes move between roles so quickly that they never fully develop the muscle memory of consistent performance.
In short, we’ve mistaken movement for momentum, and activity for progress.
If consistency is to regain its rightful place as a performance accelerator, leaders and organizations need to create the conditions that allow it to flourish. Here are four practical ways to do so:
Consistency may not be as flashy as transformation or innovation, but it amplifies both. Without it, change efforts falter and new ideas fade. With it, even modest initiatives can scale into lasting impact. In an age of constant flux, the ability to perform with steady excellence is no longer old-fashioned, it’s essential.
When everything around us moves fast, steady, reliable performance becomes a rare advantage. Shifting your focus from constant motion to consistent habits strengthens trust, raises standards, and creates more predictable success.
TalentPredix™ helps leaders and teams build the strengths, routines, and insights that sustain high performance. If you want to unlock more consistent results, get in touch or book a free demo today.
In our work with leaders and managers, we frequently meet individuals who identify as perfectionists. This isn’t surprising – many high achievers are driven by a desire to excel, and perfectionism often reflects deep commitment, ambition, and pride in delivering high-quality work.
At its core, perfectionism involves striving for flawlessness and holding oneself, and often others, to very high standards. While these traits can fuel professional success, they also carry potential downsides that may impact a leader’s well-being, relationships, and overall effectiveness if not managed with self-awareness and balance.
On the positive side, perfectionists often bring exceptional attention to detail, a strong work ethic, and high personal accountability. In certain contexts, especially technical or quality-critical roles, this can lead to outstanding performance. These individuals care deeply about doing things well and are often seen as reliable, competent, and committed.
However, the same strengths can become liabilities when taken to the extreme. Here are some common risks we’ve observed in working with leaders:
It’s important to note that perfectionism itself is not inherently bad. When managed well, it can be a powerful force for excellence and innovation. The key is developing self-awareness and learning to flex between striving for high standards and knowing when “good enough” truly is enough.
Some practical shifts include:
Perfectionism, like many leadership traits, lies on a spectrum. At its best, it fuels excellence. At its worst, it leads to burnout, disconnection, and diminishing returns. Leaders who recognise this duality and learn to temper their perfectionist tendencies with empathy, balance, and flexibility are far more likely to build resilient teams and sustainable success.
As with all strengths, the goal isn’t to eliminate perfectionism, but to manage it so that it serves you, your people, and your organization more effectively.
It is possible to keep the best of perfectionism while letting go of the self-criticism, burnout, and fear that hold your people back. TalentPredix™ helps leaders and organisations understand how perfectionism shows up in their strengths profile, culture, and performance – and how to turn it into a force for growth rather than a source of risk. If you would like to explore how our strengths-based assessments and leadership programmes could support your team, get in touch or book a free demo today.
Every hiring process carries a promise: if we select the right person, performance and motivation will follow. Yet too often, the glow fades after the offer is signed. New hires stall, teams lose energy, and leaders wonder why the carefully chosen “right person” isn’t delivering at the expected level. The gap isn’t usually skill. It’s the way we manage and motivate after the hire.
As I often say, “managers tend to hire for strength, then undermine motivation and morale by managing to weaknesses.” That single sentence explains a surprising amount of post-hire disappointment.
Motivation drops first, then discretionary effort (the extra effort employees choose to give beyond minimum requirements), then collaboration and customer experience. Early attrition rises, internal mobility stalls, and the original hiring business case collapses. None of this is inevitable.
You hired for strengths – keep managing for them. That doesn’t mean ignoring risks; it means organizing work so strengths do the heavy lifting while you actively mitigate performance limiters.
People feel seen for what they do best, and accountable for how they use it. Energy and discretionary effort rises, execution accelerates, and strengths multiply across the team. You preserve the hiring promise by aligning day-to-day management with the very reasons you chose the person in the first place.
It’s time to shift from deficit-led management to strengths-based performance. At TalentPredix™, we help leaders, HR teams, and coaches unlock lasting motivation and results through science-backed strengths assessments, coaching, and consulting.
Get in touch or book a free demo today.
For too long, leadership thinking has been dominated by the myth of the “perfect leader.” Business books, political campaigns, and media profiles often portray leaders as heroic figures – larger than life, flawless, and capable of solving every challenge single-handedly. Even People Management magazine, in its August–October issue, reinforced this outdated idea by asking the unhelpful question: “What makes a perfect leader?”
But the truth is simple: there is no such thing as a perfect leader. Every leader, no matter how experienced or successful, has both strengths and weaknesses. Trying to hire for or develop the well-rounded, perfect leader creates unrealistic expectations that harm both leaders and the organizations they serve.
The “hero” model of leadership suggests that one person must be all things to all people – visionary, strategic, emotionally intelligent, decisive, operationally brilliant, and politically astute. However, in reality, no human being can embody all these qualities at once. History makes this clear: leaders such as Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, Walt Disney, and Richard Branson achieved extraordinary impact because of their standout strengths – yet each also had very visible shortcomings in other areas. Jobs was a brilliant innovator but often abrasive and difficult to work with. Churchill inspired a nation during war, but his impulsiveness and controversial views drew criticism. Disney was a creative genius, yet his perfectionism and financial missteps caused real strain. Branson built one of the world’s most recognisable brands, but his lack of attention to detail led to several failed ventures. Their legacies remind us that even the most admired leaders are far from perfect – their greatness comes from playing to their strengths and building teams that complement their weaknesses.
When we cling to the myth of the perfect leader, three damaging things happen:
Worse still, the hero-leader mindset can open the door to leaders accumulating too much unchecked power, sometimes pursuing their own agenda rather than serving their people, customers, and stakeholders.
Instead of expecting perfection, we need to help leaders understand and optimize their unique strengths. By leaning into what energises them, leaders can deliver real value, inspire others, and lead with authenticity.
Equally important is recognising and managing weaknesses. This doesn’t mean obsessing over flaws or trying to fix everything, but it does mean being aware of blind spots, building safeguards, and surrounding oneself with complementary strengths in the team.
Great leaders aren’t perfect; they are self-aware, grounded, intentional and agile. They know when to lead, when to listen, and when to empower others.
No leader can succeed alone, especially in the complex and uncertain era we are now entering. That’s why the focus should shift from idolising individual leaders to building energized, effective and emotionally intelligent leadership teams.
Strong leadership teams bring together a diverse mix of strengths, skills, and perspectives. A visionary strategist is complemented by a detail-oriented operator. An empathetic communicator is supported by a commercially driven decision-maker. Collectively, these leaders cover more ground, make better decisions, and deliver stronger outcomes than any “perfect” individual ever could.
When organizations build leadership teams with complementary strengths, they:
The challenges businesses face today – from digital transformation to sustainability, from diversity to rapid change – are far too complex for any single leader to navigate alone. Success will belong to organizations that embrace shared leadership, diverse strengths, and collective accountability.
It’s time to move beyond the myth of the perfect leader. Instead, let’s build strong, diverse leadership teams that harness individual strengths, safeguard against overreach, and work together to create lasting value for people, organizations, and society.
Unlock the power of strengths assessment, coaching, and team development to build resilient, high-performing leaders and leadership teams.
Contact us at us at info@talentpredix.com
In my 30 years of working in leadership development, one of the most common requests I hear from managers and leaders is: “How do I manage up?”
It’s a critical question. In periods of restructuring or cost-cutting, leaders often tighten control – making quick decisions with less consultation or input from their teams. While this may be necessary in moments of crisis, it can also create challenges for those who report to them. The good news is that managing up isn’t about agreeing with everything your leader says or trying to win favour in inauthentic or sycophantic ways – it’s about building a productive partnership based on mutual trust, openness, and collaboration.
Here are seven strategies to help you influence upwards more effectively.
Begin by getting clear on what’s driving your boss: the pressures they’re under, their key goals, challenges and how their performance is evaluated. But go deeper: study their personality, motivations, strengths and leadership style. Do they prefer detailed updates or top-level summaries? Do they thrive on bold ideas or cautious, well-tested plans? Tailoring your communication to their unique personality and strengths shows empathy and makes it easier to be trusted and heard.
Trust is the foundation of influence. Consistency, reliability, and clarity matter – deliver on commitments, avoid surprises, and demonstrate credibility in every interaction.
But trust also grows from recognising that your boss is human too. Check in on how they’re doing, show empathy during stressful periods, and remember they have good and bad days like anyone else. Small gestures, such as occasionally inviting them for a coffee, lunch, or a drink can build rapport beyond day-to-day tasks. These actions, combined with anticipating their needs and offering support, strengthen your working relationship and increase your ability to influence.
Don’t wait to be asked – step forward with the strengths, skills and support you can offer. If your boss is under pressure, they’ll welcome someone who can lighten the load, solve problems, or provide fresh perspectives. This positions you as a valuable partner rather than a passive follower.
When you want to propose new ideas, start by actively listening to your leader’s perspective. Show genuine curiosity about their thinking, priorities, and concerns before jumping in with your own ideas. Ask clarifying questions and summarize key points they have made to fully understand their viewpoint and the reasoning behind it. Once you’ve listened, validate their perspective by acknowledging what makes sense or where you agree. This demonstrates respect, encourages openness and trust, and lowers defensiveness – creating space for a more honest and constructive exchange.
For example:
By affirming their perspective before adding your own ideas, you build alignment instead of conflict.
Managing up doesn’t mean being a “yes person.” Strong leaders value candour, respectful challenge, and honest feedback. Don’t be afraid to share a different view, but do so with tact, backed by evidence, framed positively, and focused on solutions.
When giving feedback, choose the right moment and try using the “more of, less of, differently” approach. For example: “It would help if we had more regular updates on the overall business, less overrunning meetings, and perhaps tried sharing learning more after each project is delivered.” This makes feedback clear, actionable, and balanced. Thoughtful candour not only builds trust but also strengthens collaboration.
Just as important, don’t hesitate to ask your boss for feedback on how you can strengthen your own contribution. A simple question such as, “What would you like to see more of, less of, or done differently from me?” signals openness, humility, and a willingness to grow. It also gives your boss permission to share constructive input that can help you be more effective and aligned with their priorities.
Take ownership of your sphere of influence and control – the areas where you can truly make a difference. Focus your energy on the issues and decisions you can shape, rather than trying to win every argument or push every idea through. This demonstrates maturity, perspective, and an understanding of the bigger picture.
To influence effectively, you also need to understand what influences your boss. Notice who and what shapes their thinking – whether it’s senior leaders, mentors, or external sources such as books, podcasts, or thought leaders they admire. Be aware of their core beliefs, values, and drivers, and align your approach accordingly.
By recognising your own sphere of influence and understanding what influences them, you can propose solutions, make decisions where appropriate, and engage in conversations that resonate. This not only lightens your boss’s load but also positions you as a thoughtful, strategic partner with strong leadership potential.
Influence is one of the most important leadership skills to master. It can be learned and strengthened over time. Seek out mentors, coaches, or peers as sparring partners to practise and refine your approach.
Here are some strategies that can help you strengthen your influence:
The more you practise these techniques, the more confident, persuasive, and effective you’ll become as a leader who can influence upwards with authenticity and impact.
Influencing up is about partnership, not politics. By understanding your boss’s needs and personality, building trust, offering expertise, validating their perspective, and being candid yet constructive, you can create a more effective working relationship. Patience is essential. Building a trusted partnership takes time, intention, and a positive belief that the effort will pay off.
In uncertain times, the ability to manage upwards with confidence and empathy is more than just a useful skill – it’s a career-defining one.
TalentPredix™ Founder James Brook is an experienced executive coach and business psychologist with nearly 30 years’ experience helping leaders in some of the world’s most successful organisations strengthen their leadership impact and ability to influence effectively.
To find out how James and the TalentPredix™ team can support your leaders, contact us at info@talentpredix.com.