How can you better understand your manager's perspective?

Take the time to research who it is they are accountable to. You need to know who your stakeholders are. Oftentimes, your manager is acting on behalf of key stakeholders and not necessarily doing what they deemed to be the correct path. Yes, they can influence it, but they are not all powerful and ultimately a lot of very integral stakeholders are going to have a bigger say than them despite the fact that they're the one running the show. When you come to know what difficulties they are facing and what pressures they are getting behind the scene, it's easier for you to support them and help express to your teammates why certain decisions are being made.

Biggest thing I can say is, find out what they need. It really helps if you can find out your boss's weak points and support them. I like to be that person for my boss. I try to be there for the areas she needs me in which are the areas that she either doesn't have the time, energy, or skill to perform at the level she needs. A good leader is not going to be unhappy with you saying hey I'm good at this, let me take care of it for you. Make yourself available where you can, and often that is going to contribute to you learning skills that will help you advance in the role, especially within your organization.

It is definitely important to make sure that your manager doesn't just think that you feel they are useless. Mind you, we've all had useless managers. I'm not saying that they don't exist. However, the concept of positive deviance indicates that everybody's got something. Your manager got there for a reason, hopefully not nepotism or other favoritism. Recognize them for what they're good at. Reinforce it. You're not the only one who needs encouragement. You're not the only one experiencing imposter syndrome. Your manager needs the same kind of support you need, and there's no guarantee that they are getting it from their manager. If they're on top of the pile, I can almost guarantee that they're not getting what they need from those above.

Leading questions about priorities are really important, especially when you're starting perhaps a new cycle or a new year. Talk about the budget, talk about what has to happen. What are the big goals for the organization for the year. What are the drop dead items that need to be accomplished in order for your team to be deemed worthwhile and successful. Set achievable goals alongside your manager. Make sure that you know what it is that you are expected to be responsible for accomplishing and where that falls in the big schematic of what is important for the department as a whole.

You have to learn to communicate with everybody. It doesn't matter if it's your manager or your co-worker. Yes, it can be harder to communicate with the manager because they're over you and a lot of times people feel like they can't possibly question anything or disagree in any way. There are definitely some places where that's the case, poor leadership is a very real issue even in the modern world. However, if you come to know your manager, how they like to communicate, what they prioritize, then you can learn to speak their language. You can emphasize the things that matter to them or the things that are emphasized as mattering to them from above. That helps bridge a gap.