LOAD THEM UP WITH CONTEXT. You should spend serious time explaining your company’s vision and objectives to your senior executives. This should be your No. 1 focus throughout the professional relationship. Senior managers will look to you to set and communicate the firm’s vision. Without it, they’ll perceive the ship to be rudderless.

LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU’RE WORKING HARD. Send e-mails early and late. Hold meetings on weekends and at odd hours. Be in the office or online all the time. Understand that managers older than yourself may have families that require them to live by different rhythms from your own. But expect them to be working long and hard, and make sure you’re always doing more than they are.

DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU’RE CALM IN A STORM. Good senior managers will follow people they think have good ideas and good judgment under pressure. They’re likely to believe that a young, entrepreneurial boss has good ideas, but they may be skeptical that he also has good judgment and calm wits. If you think you’re likely to grow anxious during a crisis, practice whatever Obama-style, mind-over-matter techniques you need to keep your voice steady, your humor intact and your body language relaxed.

SEEK THEIR OPINIONS, ESPECIALLY ON TOPICS OUTSIDE THEIR PURVIEW. As a younger boss, it’s assumed that you’ll be territorial about decision-making. A simple work-around is to ask for opinions early and often. Your senior managers will trust your process and feel that their experience is valued. And seeking their opinions on topics not in their immediate jurisdiction will also give them an idea of how the younger generation manages.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, REMEMBER THAT IT’S YOUR BUSINESS TO LEAD. You should invite the insights of your colleagues and benefit from their experience, but do not defer to their judgment when it contradicts your instincts. Trust yourself, no matter how senior your colleagues are. There’s a reason you’re in charge—you must never shirk the responsibility of making the final call.

Michael Fertik is the founder ReputationDefender, an online reputation management and privacy company, and the coauthor of Wild West 2.0.