Terrified of traveling with your boss? Don't be — it's the best career move you can make

So you've just got off the phone with work and you're in a cold sweat. You're going to a client meeting in a far off land — and you'll be traveling with your boss.

For most people, the thrill of travel is swiftly overshadowed by the frightening uncertainty of traveling with the person that signs your paychecks. However, as someone that has regularly traveled with his boss (and not just the boss, but the CEO of the company), I'm here to tell you that traveling with your boss is a great opportunity. In fact, it could be the best career move you'll make. Here's why:

Travel eliminates routine and shifts focus

Routines have a way of stifling creativity, so every trip is an opportunity to eliminate routine and shift focus to new approaches of current challenges. Routines also have a way of keeping your boss from noticing your great contributions. Your goal during the trip should be to re-focus some of that attention on yourself and your accomplishments with the team. You don't want to be blatant here; rather, you want to work in a side angle, talking about a project that you worked on.

Fewer interruptions

There are so many interruptions throughout a typical work day, which usually means that you can't get 5 minutes of pure alone time with your boss. Traveling is bookended with large blocks of downtime and peppered with meals and drinks during which you'll have your boss's ear. Take these moments to ensure success for the priorities at hand that led to the trip, as well as to brainstorm improvements and other contributions that might move the business forward operationally. If you play your cards right, you'll move up the corporate ladder, you'll also start traveling more regularly with both your boss and his boss as well.

Openness to new ideas 

Travel opens the mind, and while business travel is often less-than-glamorous, a change of scenery can still be refreshing and offer new perspective. By following your boss' lead, you can take the opportunity to discuss project specifics or bigger picture items during those inevitable one-on-one drinks and/or dinners.

You don't want to press too hard, but be prepared to talk about the business at the more macro level. Prepare yourself by thinking through some key talking points and don't miss this opportunity to show how mentally engaged you are with the business. This is your chance to share your razor-sharp analysis of business challenges, while also softly hinting at your desire to get more involved. First, show that you are capable, then demonstrate proficiency in areas that you might want to soon be promoted into.

Like a boss

If you are in an organization where you are seeking to rise up the ladder, it's essential to understand the culture that currently exists. You need to learn more about your boss — who she is, what makes her tick and how she got to where she is today. By understanding the path of senior leaders, you'll start to grasp what you need to do to start behaving like a boss.

Managing up 

This last skill is critical for every employee to master — you need to learn to manage your boss (called managing up) — and getting alone time on the road can help with this. You have a real role to play when it comes to setting expectations and understanding the psychographics of your boss so that you can be most successful. For example, if you know that your boss always forgets an important piece of a project, be prepared to step in with the missing information.

You should be under-promising and over-delivering in specific ways that matter most to your boss, painting both you and your boss in the best light. You are mutually dependent and most great bosses realize this. So own your relationship. Traveling together helps facilitate that process in many ways, especially by offering a clearer understanding of your boss' humanity.