When the leadership above you changes, your job changes, even if your title and day-to-day responsibilities remain the same.
A new general manager arrives. Your boss gets a new boss. A new CEO starts asking why things are done the way they are. Or your own boss leaves, and the person who replaces them sees everything differently.
On paper, nothing about your role has changed. In practice, a lot has. The priorities you were working toward may not be the priorities anymore. The person who used to back you may not have the same influence. And the unwritten rules about what gets noticed, what gets approved, and who to go to are being rewritten while you’re still working.
This is the second of the five moments that tell you it’s time to get help with your leadership.
Key Takeaways
- When the leadership above you changes, the expectations around your role change with it, usually without anyone saying so.
- Your boss is often caught in the change too, and may be defensive, distracted, or resistant.
- This moment can feel like a threat, but it’s also one of the best openings for visibility you’ll get.
- The shift is from protecting how things were to understanding what each person above you needs now. A guide helps you make that shift faster.
What Changes When Someone New Is Above You
Every leader has a way of seeing the business. When a new one arrives, they bring new questions, new priorities, and new definitions of what good work looks like.
That ripples down. The strategy your team built may suddenly be up for review. Ideas that were shut down last year may be welcome now. Ideas that were safe last year may now look like the old way.
And the people in between feel it most. You may be trying to support a boss who is uneasy about the change while also trying to show the new leaders what you can do. That’s managing up and down at the same time, and it takes a different kind of attention than doing your job well.
What It Looks Like From Where You Sit
A lot can change when there is new leadership above you. Here are some possible shifts to watch for.
- Priorities shift and no one explains why.
- Work your old boss valued is now being questioned.
- Your boss seems tense, defensive, or checked out.
- You’re not sure whose direction wins when the new leader and your boss disagree.
- You’ve lost the visibility you had, or suddenly have more than you know what to do with.
It’s Common, and It’s Not a Verdict on You
When the leadership above you changes, almost everyone underneath it feels unsettled for a while. That’s normal.
It’s easy to take things personally: to read a new leader’s questions as criticism, or a boss’s resistance as a lack of support. Usually it’s neither. Everyone is adjusting at once, and most of them are protecting something they haven’t said out loud.
This isn’t a sign you’re failing. It means you’re at an inflection point.
What Changes With Guidance
The leaders who handle this well stop asking, “How do I keep things the way they were?”
They start asking, “What does each person above me need right now?”
A new leader needs to understand the business quickly and find people who can help them move. A boss caught in the change may need to feel respected for what they built. Those needs can pull in different directions, and you’re in the middle.
That’s where listening and empathy matter most. They help you understand what’s behind someone’s resistance, so you can work with it instead of against it, even when the person is above you.
On Wednesday, I’ll share how one leader managed a resistant boss and new leadership at the same time, and ended up with more influence than before.
Where to Start
You don’t have to figure it all out this week. Three small moves will help you see where you stand.
- Map who’s above you now. Write down your boss, your boss’s boss, and anyone new who influences your work. Next to each name, write what you think they care about most.
- Notice what your boss is protecting. If your boss is resisting the change, ask yourself what they might be afraid of losing. Credibility, control, and the strategy they built are good places to start.
- Ask one new leader one question. Before you pitch anything, ask what they’re seeing and what they want to understand better. Then listen.
These will show you the landscape. Navigating it, especially when your boss and the new leadership don’t agree, goes faster with someone outside the situation who has seen it before.
Why Now
New leaders spend their first months forming opinions about who can help them. And next year’s priorities are being set this quarter.
When the leadership above you changes, the first impressions you make now will shape your role in 2027. It’s better to decide how you want to show up than to find out in February how you’ve already been seen.
Plan Your 2027 Leadership Move
If the leadership above you has changed this year, let’s spend 45 minutes on it. I’m offering a limited number of free 2027 Leadership Plan calls on Zoom this fall.
We’ll talk through what’s changed, sort out what’s really going on and what you can control, and choose one first move for Q1. Within two business days you’ll get a one-page plan, no commitment necessary.
Limited slots, through December 16.
Book your 2027 Leadership Plan call
Keep Learning
Five Moments That Tell You It’s Time to Get Help With Your Leadership: the other four moments, and how to tell which one you’re in.
From Expert to Leader: Empathy at Scale: how one leader used empathy to bring a whole company together.
Learn more about Kami’s and Marcus’s journeys in the journey preview library.
Find out more about the framework here.
FAQ
What should I do when I get a new boss?
Start by listening. Learn what they care about, what they’re trying to understand, and how they like to work before you pitch new ideas. Early questions build trust faster than early answers.
How do I manage up when my boss resists the new leadership?
Try to understand what your boss is protecting, often credibility or a strategy they built. Validate that, even if you don’t fully agree. People are more open to change when they feel respected.
Is a leadership change a threat or an opportunity?
Often both. New leaders are looking for people who can help them understand the business and move it forward. If you approach them with curiosity rather than defensiveness, a leadership change can be one of the best chances for visibility you’ll get.
How is the 2027 Leadership Plan call different from a sales call?
You bring what’s changed. We sort out what’s going on and pick one first move for Q1. You get a one-page written plan within two business days. No commitment necessary.
