Managing up doesn’t mean sucking up, heeding your boss’ every whim, keeping any disagreement to yourself, or bending over backwards to make leaders happy. At least, it shouldn’t, not anymore, according to Melody Wilding, author of “Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge.”

Instead, she defines managing up as “strategically navigating relationships with those who have more positional power than you, namely your boss,” she writes in her book. “It’s a critical skill set for maneuvering through the complex web of power dynamics, conversations, and unspoken expectations that shape our daily work lives.”

Wilding wrote the book based on her own experience and expertise as a therapist, human behavior professor, and executive coach who’s worked with thousands of professionals — including at Google, Amazon, and other Fortune 500 companies.

“It is for anyone interested in earning more confidence, more control, more compensation at work,” she says, whether you’re an individual contributor, a first-time manager, or a senior leader. Rather than teaching you to kiss up to your boss, she says, it’s about “teaching those above you to value your ideas and treat you with respect.”

CNBC Make It readers tend to be ambitious professionals who want to be happier, smarter, and more successful with their money, work, and life. And Wilding, who is one of our contributors, has sharp insights and super actionable advice, especially when it comes to workplace dynamics and communication. That’s why we chose “Managing Up” as our September book club pick.

Wilding breaks it all down into 10 key conversations you might need to have with your bosses, from alignment and communication styles to advancement and money. She shares practical strategies and exact scripts to help you “get the respect and recognition you deserve.”

“Once you know what makes your boss tick,” she writes, “you’ll be able to work with them so smoothly it’ll feel like cheating.”

Ready to dive in? Start reading, request to join our LinkedIn group, and come chat with us and Wilding on Wednesday, October 1, at 10 a.m. ET, at our next CNBC Make It Book Club discussion. 

Any questions for the author? Drop them in the comments of this LinkedIn post (you’ll need to join our private group first, which you can do here). Or email them to us in advance at askmakeit@cnbc.com, using the subject line “Question for Melody Wilding.”

Hoping to get ahead? Our October pick is “The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life” by Sahil Bloom.

Have suggestions for future picks? Send them to us at askmakeit@cnbc.com, using the subject line “Make It book club suggestion.”

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