Employees mistakenly start to believe that they have what it takes to be a leader while bosses presume they are great leaders anyways. But being good at your job doesn’t necessarily mean you have proven you are a leader or have great leadership skills. According to Deloitte’s 2014 Millennial Survey, 75% of the global workforce by 2025 will comprise of Millennials; there has never been a better time to develop your leadership skills than now.
If you believe you’re ready to lead, here are 5 things to consider before taking on the responsibility and not failing miserably. These suggested leadership practices will prove to your boss that you’re ready for the next step.
1. Owning your Team’s Performance & Results
You may not create results anymore, but you do own them.
It is very likely that you were selected for a leadership or being considered for one because you have excelled in your tasks and responsibilities and now have a team to delegate. This does not mean you no longer have to own your team’s performance and results. 
A good leader molds and mentors for employees to flourish and be the best version of themselves- so learn to inculcate ownership and responsibility as your work characteristics.
2. Learn to Appreciate
If you really want to prove to your boss that you’re ready to be a leader, start recognizing your team’s great work — you can do this by calling out their successes, and roadblocks they’ve overcome. Learn to appreciate their effort and ideas that helped the team move forward.
Revealing your appreciation for your team members proves to your boss that you’re paying attention to the great work of someone other than yourself and how every individual contributes to the growth of an organization.
3. Be Positive
Always having a positive attitude is the key to winning your boss’s heart (professionally). Your leader might love your positive ‘get-it-done’ attitude and maybe one of the reason he specifically want you on difficult projects because you always approach everything with a positive smile.
4. Take on Challenging Tasks Head on
If you really want to leave an impression, don’t shy away from taking on difficult projects and getting your hands a little dirty. Proving you can handle a challenging client or solve a complex work issue will make you stand out for promotion.
5. Prove you can Manage Conflict
Resolving a conflict in the workplace is one of most sought after quality in a leader. A leader or manager must know his employees and clients. Knowing what makes people tick is one of the great qualities in a leader.
Learning the language of every individual and approaching them with that mindset helps resolve many conflicts and issues.
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