I am live blogging at Catalyst One Day in San Diego. The theme for 2015 Catalyst One Day is “What Great Leaders Do.”

Why is Leading Up Important?

1. No organization will ever be what it could be without honest, upward communication.

2. Your ability to lead up now will help determine your ability to move up later.

• Biggest myth about leadership: You have to be in charge in order to lead. (positional power vs. personal power)
• People will follow a leader with a heart faster than a leader with a title.

Five Things that Matter when Leading Up

1. Honor matters.

• Honor publically results in influence privately.
• Respect is earned. Honor is given. 

2. Timing matters.

3. Motives matters.

• Don’t just point out problems. Bring solutions.
• There is a massive difference between thinking critically and being.

4. Initiative matters.

• The best team members don’t need to be told what to do because they intuitively find important things to do.
• If you’re willing to do what others won’t do you will earn influence others don’t have.

5. Truth matters.

• Truth always trumps flattering.
• If you are the point leader, you need to do everything you can’t to give opportunities for others to lead up.
• No organization will ever be what it could be without honest, upward communication.