So... who’s actually leading this?

Published 10 days ago • 3 min read

It's official, Reader. It's summer! 🌞

Last time, we talked about managing up—how to navigate your relationship with your boss, especially when expectations are unclear or support is scarce.

But here’s the thing:

Most of the work doesn’t get done “up.”
It gets done across.

Across departments.
Across silos.
Across agendas, personalities, and power dynamics that no org chart can fully explain.

If managing up is about building support…
​Managing across is about building momentum.

It’s the difference between being technically right and actually making progress.
The difference between a brilliant plan—and a plan that actually gets implemented.

So how do you do it?

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4 Strategies to manage across
(especially when you don’t have direct authority)

1. Identify the linchpins

Not all collaborators are equal.

Some people hold keys to access, resources, or cultural buy-in. Others may not have the title—but they’ve got the influence.

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Find them. Build real relationships. Because getting their support can save you months of friction later.

One of my clients worked behind the scenes to get a recent report in front of the new vice provost for student success.
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The report tied career preparation directly to retention. After a few intentional conversations, the result? Career success became a major component of the university’s new student success initiative.

2. Lead with curiosity, not control

You might want to lead with your brilliant solution. But when you’re working across teams, that can backfire fast.

Start with questions like:

  • “What’s working well in your area?”
  • “Where are you feeling friction?”
  • “What would success look like from your perspective?”

People support what they help shape. Curiosity is your way in.

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Another client recently asked these exact questions to the VP of enrollment—someone she’d worked near but never really with in 20 years.
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Within weeks, he was being tapped for admissions events and gained access to a first-year student platform he didn’t even know existed. A whole new door opened... because he asked.

3. Translate your goals into shared wins

This isn’t about selling out your priorities. It’s about framing your work so that others see how it helps them succeed.

If it sounds like more work or a detour, you’ll lose them.
If it sounds like progress on their goals—you’re in.

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At one campus, faculty told me they didn’t want centralization of anything. “That’s fine,” I said. “What would make it easier for you to support your students in their career journey?”
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The answers came quickly. Out came a list of needs, frustrations, and hopes. The mood shifted. Suddenly, they were eager to collaborate with their College administration—not because of a mandate, but because they were heard.

4. Create clarity, even when no one asked you to

Managing across often means entering chaos.
Conflicting deadlines, missing context, slow responses—welcome to committee life.

Be the person who brings clarity:

  • Send the follow-up note
  • Offer a next step
  • Capture the decision that almost got made

No one will say it out loud, but everyone will thank you.

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I see this all the time with career-related efforts. Everyone wants them—but no one knows quite what to do with them. It becomes a hot potato.
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I’m working with one client right now who’s quietly taking the reins. She’s coordinating across units, setting expectations, and establishing next steps. Why? Because who better to lead a campus-wide career initiative… than the director of the career center?

Where are your campus leaders going for career updates?

If it’s not obvious, that’s a problem.​

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Managing across is about soft power.

It’s about listening well, translating constantly, and helping people see the bigger picture.

It’s also the skill that separates those who get stuck…
from those who actually get things done.

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Free Event Alert!

Join me to a discussion about all things career services leadership on Thursday, June 26th, from 12-1 PM ET. Registration is capped at 50 (and it's almost full, so register today!)

Things you might want to read:

What’s one relationship across your organization you’d like to strengthen this month?

P.S. The leaders I coach had the courage to stop spinning their wheels—and get help. No one gets a gold star for struggling alone. If you’re ready to make strategic moves with real support, let’s connect.

P.P.S. Did someone forward this to you? Join our community here!

Rebekah Paré

Founder and Chief Strategy Officer,

Paré Consulting, LLC

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