Be Prepared to Do Your Boss’ Job.

If you want to be effective at your job, you have to know your boss’ job. You have to know how your jobs are connected. Anticipate what your boss needs from you and provide it. As you grow into your job, you should seek opportunities to learn aspects of your boss’ job. What are the things that she does that you can do?

Bosses are told that to become leaders, they have to delegate. If you want your boss to be a better leader, shouldn’t you help by asking for more? create a situation where they want to delegate to you.

You may receive resistance from yourself or even your peers. Don’t you have enough to do? If you start doing more, they’ll expect more from you and us. That’s not your job. It’s above your pay grade.

It is your job if you want to be effective. It is your job if you want to learn and grow. It is your job if you want to promote. Learning how your boss does their job make you better at yours and prepares you for a promotion.

The military has a culture where you know your job, the job below you and the job above you. This culture fills the very practical need for succession planning in a field where succession may come unexpectedly. It also highlights an aspect that most do not think of leadership: any spot you don’t hire for, you have to do.

This culture is useful in the civilian world also. Succession may not come as unexpectedly, but it does happen.

Learn your boss’ job.

Mid you want to learn more about leadership, check out my book, “Reflections on Leadership.”