One of the fastest ways to accelerate your career in tech is simple to say but hard to master: build trust with the people above you. Whether you’re a tech lead, engineering manager, or aspiring staff engineer, your ability to manage up is just as important as managing your team.
When your manager knows they can count on you—without micromanaging or second-guessing—you become the person they want to promote, pull into bigger conversations, and rely on when it matters most.
Here are 10 ways to build that kind of trust:
1. Nail the Follow-Through
Your word should be as good as done. If you say you’ll take something on, own it fully. That means closing the loop, updating the right people, and not letting things fall through the cracks. The fastest way to build trust is to be the one who always delivers.
2. Communicate Like a Peer
Don’t just report what’s happening—summarize, interpret, and recommend. Great upward communication isn’t a task list, it’s a judgment call: “Here’s the situation, here’s what I think, and here’s what I’m doing.” It shows maturity and saves your manager time.
3. Show You Understand the Business
Tie your work to outcomes that matter. When you reference revenue, customer impact, SLAs, or risk reduction—rather than just tech for tech’s sake—you show your manager you understand the bigger picture. That earns trust fast.
4. Make Problems Easier, Not Harder
Everyone runs into blockers. What matters is how you bring them up. Leaders love when someone says, “Here’s the problem, here are 2–3 options, and here’s what I recommend.” You’re not dumping chaos—you’re bringing clarity.
5. Create Confidence, Not Surprises
There’s no faster way to make a manager nervous than radio silence. Even a 30-second update like “We’re still on track, nothing new yet” does wonders. The more you keep them in the loop, the more they’ll trust you to operate independently.
6. Keep Receipts (Quietly)
Track your accomplishments. Not to brag—but to make sure your impact is visible when needed. If your manager forgets what you’ve done, that’s on you. Keep a doc. Use it in check-ins. Be your own historian.
7. Ask for Feedback Like a Pro
Don’t wait for performance review season. Ask for feedback early and often: “What’s one thing I could be doing better in how I manage this?” It shows self-awareness, maturity, and a willingness to grow—three things every leader values.
8. Handle Ambiguity Without Drama
You won’t always get perfect direction. Sometimes leadership says, “Just figure it out.” If you can take vague input, structure it, and move forward without spinning out, you become someone they trust to lead more ambiguous work.
9. Be Calm in Chaos
When things go wrong—outages, incidents, missed deadlines—the calmest voice in the room becomes the anchor. If you can stay focused, communicate clearly, and keep people moving, your value multiplies in high-pressure moments.
10. Know When to Escalate
Don’t confuse trust with hoarding responsibility. If something is truly blocked, risky, or politically tricky—escalate. But escalate well. Frame the issue, show what you’ve tried, and ask clearly for the help you need. That earns respect.
The Takeaway
Trust isn’t built in a day—but it’s absolutely something you can influence. Every project, meeting, update, or incident is a small chance to either build trust or erode it. Stack enough of those moments together, and you become someone your manager relies on instinctively.
It doesn’t matter if you’re new to leadership or trying to level up—these behaviors will compound over time. Start small, be consistent, and watch how people start treating you like the leader you already are.
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