More and more frequently I am realizing that top performers are smarter than the people who supervise them. The question then becomes, "How do they manage their boss in a way that is most effective?" I believe these are the six key steps to keep in mind:

1. Skip The Ego Thing And Look To Learn
2. Clarify Your Vision Of Success
3. Focus On The Value You Can Bring To Your Boss
4. See Yourself As The Head Of Your Own Firm
5. Do What You Believe Is The Right Thing To Do
6. Be Willing To Walk

SKIP THE EGO THING AND LOOK TO LEARN

Suggestion #1: leave the ego out of the workplace. What benefit do you, your boss or your organization receive by you bragging about being smarter than your boss? Don't do it. The role of the boss is a valuable one. Respect that role and learn from it. In athletics, the best coaches and managers are generally those individuals who were not the best performers. If Mark McGwire or Michael Jordan were to think that Tony LaRussa or Phil Jackson had nothing to offer to them, imagine what their careers would have looked like. Instead, they both constantly looked to gain a better understanding of their sport and life in general from these "bosses." You maximize the value of having a boss by continually looking for the answer to the question, "What could I learn from this person in terms of what to do or what not to do that would make me a more effective leader?" Keep a running list. Apply those things you would do and avoid those things you would not do.

CLARIFY YOUR VISION OF SUCCESS

As a top performer, I encourage you to ask your boss what their vision of success looks like. You might ask them, "If we are ultimately successful in this project, what will the outcomes look like?" Write down what they say and then send them a copy. At the bottom of the recap, ask the question, "Are we on the same page in terms of what your vision of success really looks like to you?" Once you have clarified this desired end result, you can then refer back to it when you are discussing your decisions. Without this common vision, you can work very, very hard and not do anything that enhances the progress of your boss's vision. Consequently, you will not be seen as a top performer.

FOCUS ON THE VALUE YOU CAN BRING TO YOUR BOSS

Once you know what your boss's vision is, you are then in a great position to bring value to them. Your boss is your customer. My definition of value is anything that increases the chances that the other person will achieve what they want to achieve. By understanding what your boss is trying to achieve, you can then consciously decide on what you can do to increase the chances that they will achieve what they want to achieve. Write down twenty-five ideas. Then narrow your list to your five best ideas. Send a one page letter to your boss and ask them which of these five items do they think would be of the greatest value to them. Take their input and turn these highest priority items into clear, specific and measurable projects.

SEE YOURSELF AS THE HEAD OF YOUR OWN FIRM

Once you have clarified the projects that will be of the greatest value to your boss, I suggest you visualize yourself as the head of your own consulting firm. You are now the CEO and President of Project Consulting, Inc. Your job is to run a project that best meets the needs of your customer (i.e. your boss.) Operate just as any successful entrepreneur would. Clarify what the objectives of the project are, how your customer will measure the progress of these objectives and what the value of achieving these objectives means to them. Ask your boss one or more of these questions, "What specifically are you looking for me to achieve? How will we measure the progress of these objectives? What is the value of achieving these objectives? How will our group or organization be better off as a result of achieving these objectives? How will we be worse off if we do not achieve these objectives?" Then offer your boss, the client, three options as to how you could successfully deliver these objectives. Ask which one they prefer. Then execute this option and exceed expectations.

DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO

While your boss is your customer, this does NOT mean that you should do everything they tell you to do. As a top performer, you have clarified the desired end result and the method for achieving it with your boss. Now it is up to you to decide how to turn the project into a success. Your client, the boss, can give you input, but you must make the final decisions and then deal with the consequences of your decisions. If you expect your boss to tell you what to do every step of the way, then you are not a top performer. You are acting as a person with the "Employee's Mindset." These are the people who say, "Just tell me exactly what you want me to do and I will go do it." These people require constant attention and actually hold the organization back from ever moving forward.

BE WILLING TO WALK

One of the traps that an individual can fall into is the trap of early success. When you have early success and the benefits of better perks start to come your way, then it becomes harder to do what you believe is the right thing to do. Consequently, I encourage you to always maintain the capacity to walk away from your job. No matter what. Even if it means you have to admit to relatives and neighbors that you are not as financially well off as you once were. Even if it means having to sell your house or car for a cheaper model. If you truly want to be a top performer, then you have to be willing to walk away from a client or a job. Once you lose this capacity, then you become a corporate slave who is held down by the golden handcuffs of perks. As you long as you know that you have the capacity to walk away from a situation, then you know you have the ability to continually serve your customers in the best way that you know of.

While you may be smarter than your boss, remember that this person is serving a tremendously important role in your life and career.

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