The Art of Managing Up: From Execution to Strategic Influence

Nejat Abdurahman

Author of The Art of Managing Up

Influence Without Authority: Align Priorities. Drive Results.

Technical expertise and strong performance alone don't guarantee influence, career growth, or organizational impact. Professionals must also know how to build trust, communicate strategically, align with leadership priorities, and influence decisions, often without formal authority.

Managing Up is about taking ownership, strengthening alignment, and contributing to organizational success. When professionals manage up effectively, they reduce misalignment, improve communication, accelerate decision-making, and turn strategic priorities into execution.

Drawing from the book The Art of Managing Up, this interactive workshop equips participants with practical strategies to overcome common roadblocks, build trust and integrity, create strategic visibility, mobilize their leaders, communicate with influence, and develop relationships that strengthen collaboration and organizational impact.

Through DISC, Emotional Intelligence (EIQ), and Managing Up assessments, interactive learning, and personalized one-on-one coaching, participants translate insights into practical actions they can apply immediately.

What you’ll learn

Move beyond task execution to become a trusted strategic contributor who influences decisions, strengthens alignment, and drives results.

Identify the mindsets, assumptions, and behaviors that limit your ability to influence and contribute strategically.
Recognize your own Managing Up challenges and develop strategies to overcome them.
Use your Managing Up assessment results to identify priority areas for development.

Understand how integrity, reliability, and consistency shape professional trust and influence.
Identify behaviors that build or erode trust with leaders and stakeholders.
Develop practical commitments to strengthen your credibility and trustworthiness.

Learn to communicate the value of your work in ways that connect to organizational priorities.
Practice making accomplishments visible without relying on self-promotion.
Develop strategies to ensure your ideas, contributions, and potential are recognized.

Use insights from your leadership and communication assessments to understand and adapt to different leadership and communication styles.
Learn strategies to identify your leader's priorities, expectations, and preferred ways of working.
Develop strategies to anticipate needs, align expectations, and strengthen collaboration.

Apply concise, strategic communication techniques to present ideas and recommendations effectively.
Practice influencing decisions and navigating challenging conversations without formal authority.
Use emotional intelligence to adapt your communication to different stakeholders and situations.

Distinguish the roles of thought partners, mentors, and sponsors in professional growth.
Identify relationships that can provide perspective, advocacy, and opportunities.
Create an actionable plan to build and strengthen your strategic network.

Workshop agenda

Before the Workshop | Discover Your Leadership Profile
Complete your DISC, Emotional Intelligence (EIQ), and Managing Up assessments. Reflect on your leadership strengths, communication preferences, and opportunities for growth.
Morning Session | Build Trust, Ownership & Strategic Visibility
Explore the roadblocks to Managing Up, apply the Trust and Integrity Equation, and learn to make your contributions visible while strengthening credibility and organizational alignment.
Afternoon Session | Mobilize, Communicate & Influence
Learn to mobilize your boss, adapt to leadership communication styles, influence decisions without authority, and build strategic relationships with thought partners, mentors, and sponsors.
After the Workshop | Personalized Leadership Coaching
Meet privately with Nejat for a 60-minute virtual 1:1 executive coaching session to apply assessment insights, address a real workplace challenge, and review your personal Managing Up action plan.

Learn directly from Nejat

Nejat Abdurahman

Contact

Founder of N-BAC, a leadership advisory firm | Executive Coach, ICF PCC

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Who this workshop is for

Mid-Level Managers & Team Leaders
Emerging Leaders & High-Potential Professionals
Experienced Individual Contributors & Project Leads

What's included

Live sessions

Learn directly from Nejat Abdurahman in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Community of peers

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Certificate of completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Three Leadership Assessments

Includes DISC, Emotional Intelligence (EIQ), and Managing Up assessments to deepen self-awareness, identify development opportunities, and personalize your learning.

60-Minute Private Executive Coaching

A private virtual 1:1 coaching session with Nejat to apply your assessment insights, explore a real workplace challenge, and review your personal Managing Up action plan.

Practical Participant Workbook

A structured workbook with reflection exercises, tools, and practical activities to apply Managing Up principles to your professional challenges.

Personal Managing Up Action Plan

A personalized action plan outlining your key development priorities, specific strategies to strengthen trust, communication, visibility, and strategic alignment, and actionable steps to apply in your workplace.

Maven Guarantee

Your purchase is backed by the Maven Guarantee.

Testimonials

Nejat shared a mindset I want every member of my team to adopt: Become the CEO of your own career.
As a leader, I do not only need people who can complete tasks. I need people who can think with me, communicate clearly, update me before I ask, and help me see what happens inside the work.
I highly recommend The Art of Managing Up to any leader looking to build a more proactive, aligned, and high-performing team.
Tino Aliye
CEO, Tinova
The insights Nejat shared really hit home with me. Being a strong leader has to go further than leaving a good impression – we have to think about the influence we make and the lasting imprint that we as leaders have the ability to make. I had never deeply researched the topic “managing up” and wow the session was definitely eye opening.
Laura B
Chief Growth Officer, EPM
So much learning that you can reflect on and apply immediately! The Art of Managing-Up can be a career/ game changer!
Munira P
SSCM | PMP® | Scrum Master
This training had a lot of valuable insights that I could apply on the job. I liked the idea that managing-up is a win-win. By making my boss's life easy, I can also succeed.
Tamaki S
Senior Training & Curriculum Developer
This was the best content that I have seen on the subject of managing up. Nejat addressed the topic in a very systematic way and it felt very empowering.
Managing Up Session Attendee
Sr. Director, Learning & Development
This was one of the best training sessions that I have had all year! The level of interaction was great and really helped to facilitate the learning. It was also a smaller group so it was nice to be able to interact and engage with everyone.
Managing Up Session Participant
Public Service Leader, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)