How to Develop Your Leadership Skills at Work - The Muse

How to Develop Your Leadership Skills at Work - The MuseHow to Develop Your Leadership Skills at Work Ever feel like youre at the bottom of a long chain of authority? Pretty sure there arent enough resources at your company to help you develop essential skills thatll get you moving up that chain? Well, youre not alone. According to the annual Global Millennials survey, cited by Business Insider, most young workers (two-thirds) are planning to leave their positions by 2020. And 71% of the people planning to jump ship in the next two years will be doing it because they feel there arent enough leadership development resources available at their current organization. While thats a clear indicator that companies have a lot to improve upon on their ends, a lack of clear opportunity isnt always a good reason to leave a job you like. There are plenty of different ways to develop your leadership skills- even if there arent any official programs or tracks in place for you. Because being a lead er isnt about having the anfhrer title, its about stepping up and becoming the kind of person others aspire to be. So, because you shouldnt have to leave your job to find chances for growth in your career, here are ways to create these opportunities for yourself- no matter where you work. 1. Get to Know Your TeamAll good leaders know their team members- their strengths, weaknesses, and how people can best complement one another. And Im not saying you need to make some Devil Wears Prada-style flashcards of everyones information just start with simple conversations and build from there. Take the time to really get to know your company, its history, its values, its industry, and the departments and people that keep it all going- even if bonding with co-workers doesnt always come naturally to you. Do you think your babo got where she is now without doing the research or understanding the context of her work first? If you find this to be a challenging, create time on your calendar to mak e sure it happens, whether its a 30-minute lunch, or just a five-minute coffee run with someone you dont know too well.2. Help a Co-worker OutNotice anyone whos super busy or stressed out lately? Offer your spare time to help him out or take on some of his tasks. No matter where you fall in the hierarchy, you still need to embrace a team player mentality- and that means recognizing the value of working together toward a common goal. It takes great maturity to be able to prioritize whats needed most and respond to that, even if it doesnt immediately benefit or interest you to do so. If you genuinely work at being a point of support or guidance to your peers, youll learn so much more about communication, collaboration, and trust than you would by getting militrischer abschirmdienst your job wont send you to that leadership conference. Bonus Im pretty sure everyone would also love you because an extra hand is almost always appreciated.3. Take InitiativeYou can always go above and beyon d at your current job by taking on more responsibilities around the office. The more you do, the more you learn about your workplace and what makes it run smoothly.If you notice something lacking at your company, you can easily flex those management muscles by recognizing small weaknesses and developing plans to address them. They can range from being good for the long-term, such as writing up a new training manual or re-organizing the internal drive, or just be about helping out right now, like showing a new person on a different team how to use the copy machine. These acts- both big and small- show your boss that youre a self-starter. Even more, advocating for your co-workers or showing around a new employee are all ways to practice management, no matter your current position.4. Ask for MoreAt the end of the day, if you dont feel that youre growing enough at your company, quitting your job shouldnt be your first impulse. Sure, if there really seem to be no opportunities to improve , you can consider looking for something new. But a conversation with your boss might be all it takes to shake things up for your work responsibilities.The key is not to go into the conversation on a negative note, but rather to come prepared with specific ideas for ways in which you could work on your leadership skills. Maybe you volunteer to lead team meetings, or perhaps you suggest mentoring new employees, or if youre more of a behind-the-scenes person, you revise those old style manuals. If nothing else, this conversations great practice for advocating for yourself- seriously, no one has ever solved a problem by ignoring it. Chances are, your boss will really respect you for your dedication to the company and enthusiasm for taking on more. As long as youre able to complete your current work, odds are high you wont be turned down.Leaders dont just happen because other people made them that way. It takes practice, and if you look hard enough and get creative, youll notice plenty of hidden opportunities all around you to strengthen that leadership muscle. Photo of team courtesy of Milton Brown/Getty Images.