I confess. I originally thought of this article being about managers undermining your leadership. I even thought about a line from an old Gordon Lightfoot song: “Sundown, you better take care if I find you bin’ creepin’ round my back stairs.”

You can feel the threat in it. The sting of betrayal; the unwillingness to tolerate it.

But I figure we are dealing with enough negativity these days. Better to be positive. More “Sunshine on my shoulders.” Thank you John Denver.

(And if you are too young to know these songs, they are classics - and also known now as elevator music).

I’ve led both boosters and underminers. The one I cherish; the other I still cringe at the thought of them.

Managers Who Boost Your Leadership

You work hard as a CIO to articulate purpose, reinforce mission, communicate values, and implement a strategic system with good communication and accountability. You are about people first, and then processes and technology.

Boosters understand this. They know that their role is to reinforce and multiply your efforts. Booster managers focus on providing:

Alignment – They translate your vision into actionable plans, ensuring their team’s work ladders up to broader goals.

Communication – They anticipate needs, share insight without prompting, and keep youfrom being blindsided.

Accountability – They take full ownership and hold their team to high standards.

Trust - They champion your credibility and decisions internally, reinforcing unity.

Development – They invest in their team’s growth, multiplying your talent pool.

Crisis Management – They shield you in moments of chaos by stepping in and stabilizing quickly.

Culture  – They embody and reinforce your values and leadership tone.

Not to be negative, but compare that with manager qualities you don’t want.

Managers Who Belittle Your Leadership

Belittlers send mixed messages – They contradict or openly disagree with your direction, creating confusion and dissent.

Belittlers are gatekeepers – They block or distort information that you need.

Belittlers shift blame – They deflect responsibility.

Belittlers build silos – They hoard information, resources, or wins, weakening cross-functional collaboration.

Belittlers are Passive-Resistant – They say “yes” but delay or quietly ignore your directives (This is a big one. It stems from personality dysfunction. Watch for this).

Belittlers have inconsistent standards – They erode organizational trust by applying policies or goals unequally.

Belittlers amplify crises – They escalate problems rather than solve them. (Drama)!

Whenever I see headlines that discuss the difference between managers and leaders, I swallow the distaste. Managers are leaders, or they shouldn’t be managers. To think of them otherwise leads you and them to think of themselves differently. 

Unless they understand that they are leaders, and specifically, an extension of and an avenue of your leadership, then they will measure with a different standard than what you have for them. They will measure by how the team helps the manager accomplish what the manager is accountable for, rather than measure their leadership as a multiplication of yours.

You boost. That’s why you are who you are and where you are. Belittlers have a low ceiling. You do not.

Managers boost your leadership when they understand, embrace, and are measured by how they do what you would do in their shoes.

Because they are walking in yours.

‍