I mentioned in one of the earlier posts about having a POV on a solution when you go to your leader/manager with a problem. In the same lines, have a plan of action. Not just - here is a solution I recommend and why - but here is the timeline of when it can get done and the steps to get it done.

Example: you are building a feature and the manager asks when this will go live - you say "end of quarter, we're going to go beta." The questions that can come up in a manager's head will be why beta, what is the path to GA, have you considered the bugs and enhancements that might come up during beta feedback, etc.?

Have a solution, and also have a plan of action - next steps, dates, drivers.