Don’t overlook the fact that you are working for a boss.  Keep him or her informed.  Whatever the boss wants, within the bounds of integrity, takes top priority.

The intent here is not to encourage fawning behavior or narrowness of scope, but only to suggest that for the organization to achieve its goals, everyone must be on the same page.  If you are going around your boss, you’ve left a key contributor out of the loop.  

On the other hand, if you believe that your boss is not seeing the big picture or is headed in the wrong direction, you should speak up and be straightforward about your concerns.  If you have a good boss, your candor will be appreciated and valued; in fact, it will improve your relationship.

When your boss gives you an assignment, make it a priority, even though you may want to work on something else.  Remember that you often don’t know who gave your boss the assignment in the first place.  It could have been the President or CEO.