Upward Communication: Representing Your Team With Executives
Leaders often think about communicating “down.” We pass priorities and goals from above to our teams. But strong leadership also requires communicating “up” — representing your team well with executives.
Upward communication is about being a bridge. It means giving your leaders the information they need to make good decisions, without bogging them down in minutiae. It’s showing how your team’s work connects to bigger goals, raising blockers and risks early, and clarifying what’s needed from above. Done well, it builds trust both ways. Done poorly, it can stall projects, damage credibility, and even cause great work to be questioned.
A Tale of Two Outcomes
When I was Director of Engineering, I led a project to automate costly manual processes. We calculated the effort required, the savings it would generate, and the customer goodwill it would create. I built the case, presented it clearly to leadership, and they quickly signed off.
Throughout the project, I kept communication crisp: progress, status, blockers. The balance was right. Leadership trusted the work, and the project advanced smoothly.
But then new leaders came in. Instead of resetting and giving them the full context (the “why” behind the project) I tried weaving that backstory into ongoing updates. It quickly became muddled. The communication was no longer crisp, and leadership started questioning the value and the team’s ability to deliver.
The same project, the same team — but the way I communicated upward made all the difference.
Common Mistakes Leaders Make Communicating Upward
Not enough relevant information. Executives can’t support what they don’t know.
Too much detail. Flooding them with minutiae creates noise, not clarity.
Wrong cadence. Updates come too often or not often enough.
Not clarifying expectations. Leaders assume they know what executives want, instead of asking.
How to Communicate Upward Effectively
Reset when leadership changes. Don’t assume new leaders have the same context. Start with the why, then bring them into the what and how.
Ask what they need. Don’t guess. A simple, “Would you like weekly highlights, or a monthly deep dive?” prevents mismatched expectations.
Hit the sweet spot. Enough detail to show credibility, not so much that it overwhelms. Use headlines first, details second.
Show alignment. Connect your team’s work to company goals and priorities. Executives need to see how your work advances the bigger picture.
Raise risks early. Don’t bury blockers. Share them clearly, along with potential solutions or asks.
“Clarity is kindness.” — Brené Brown
Clarity isn’t just for the team below you. It’s also for the leaders above you.
Final Thought
Upward communication is one of the most overlooked leadership skills. When leaders do it well, they build credibility, gain trust, and help their teams succeed. When they do it poorly, even good work can be dismissed or delayed.
So here’s the challenge: look at how you represent your team to executives. Are you clear? Are you providing the right level of detail? Have you asked what they need from you?
Your team is counting on you to be their bridge. Make sure the message gets across.
Want to uncover blind spots in how you communicate up and down the chain? Try the free Fail-Safe Leadership Assessment.