Building Relationships with Managers

Strong relationships build strong teams. And in any organisation, the relationship that matters most is the one between you and your manager.

Whether you are new in your role or experienced in your field, how you connect with the people above you will shape your effectiveness. It determines trust, influence, communication, and your ability to lead within your lane. Building that relationship should never be about politics or performance. It’s about alignment.

When you build trust and respect with your manager, you create a foundation for success. You earn a voice in decisions. You strengthen communication within your team. You gain mentorship and guidance that accelerate your growth. And you build a working environment where collaboration feels natural, not forced.

These relationships matter because they multiply effectiveness. When trust exists between you and your manager, communication becomes smoother. Feedback flows both ways. Information moves faster. Problems get solved sooner. The knock-on effect is better performance across the whole team.

Trust also builds opportunity. Managers who trust their people share more responsibility. They include them in bigger decisions. They invest in their development. When your manager knows you will deliver, you gain influence, not through title, but through reliability.

A good relationship also enhances satisfaction. When you feel supported, respected, and seen, your motivation rises. You work harder not because you have to, but because you want to. That sense of shared purpose creates loyalty and consistency. It builds culture.

At Kaizen Summit, we describe this process through the Relationship Framework passed down to us from our partners at Echelon Front: trust, listening, respect, and influence. These are not abstract ideas. They are daily disciplines that build alignment both up and down the chain of command.

Trust comes first. It begins with you. Trust your manager’s experience. Trust that they want to achieve the same mission, even if their approach differs. You earn their trust by delivering consistently, by following through, and by keeping your word. Reliability is trust in motion.

Listening comes next. Listen to what your manager asks of you, and deliver on it. Listen in meetings, in one-to-one discussions, and in the way they communicate priorities. Pay attention to the intent behind their instructions. When you demonstrate that you are aligned, you make their job easier and your position stronger.

Respect is shown through curiosity. Ask questions. Seek guidance. Respect the time, effort, and decisions that come with leadership responsibility. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you do have to recognise the weight of their role. Respect creates space for dialogue, and dialogue builds understanding.

Then comes influence. To gain influence, you must first allow yourself to be influenced. If your manager suggests a change, consider it. If they ask for a specific approach and it doesn’t harm the mission, follow it. Choose your moments to push back carefully. When you show that you can adapt and take direction, your influence grows. When the time comes to challenge or advise, your input will carry weight because it’s grounded in mutual respect.

Relationships are two-way. Managers need to invest in their people, but the responsibility does not rest solely with them. Everyone has a role in maintaining alignment. You cannot expect your manager to build trust if you are unwilling to engage. You cannot expect understanding if you are not listening.

One simple question clarifies this: does it help your mission to have an antagonistic relationship with your manager? The answer is always no. Every strained relationship up the chain weakens the team’s ability to execute. Improving that relationship, no matter who is right or wrong, is an act of leadership.

Building better relationships with your manager also improves communication across the organisation. It reduces friction between departments and encourages collaboration between teams. When communication flows upward smoothly, decision-making becomes faster and more informed.

This kind of alignment doesn’t happen by accident. It takes humility, patience, and consistency. You cannot build trust overnight, but you can start immediately by focusing on your actions. Deliver on promises. Communicate clearly. Show respect in disagreement. Seek feedback, not validation. Each of these small steps compounds into credibility.

Over time, credibility becomes influence. Influence becomes trust. And trust becomes partnership, the kind that drives results far beyond what either person could achieve alone.

Strong relationships up the chain of command are not about impressing management. They are about enabling leadership at every level. When people communicate clearly, respect one another, and take ownership of their responsibilities, everyone wins. The team performs better. The organisation becomes more adaptable. And individuals grow into stronger, more capable leaders.

You can’t control every dynamic at work. But you can control how you show up. Over-deliver. Listen actively. Communicate in simple clear and concise language. Seek to understand before seeking to be understood. And remember that the goal is not to be liked, it’s to be aligned.

When trust flows both ways, leadership becomes easier. When respect replaces friction, progress accelerates. And when people feel heard, valued, and supported, performance follows.

Build that relationship. Earn that trust. Lead through humility. It’s not just about managing upward, it’s about leading across.

That’s how you turn hierarchy into teamwork. And that’s what true leadership looks like.