Developing your leadership skills

It's never too early to start developing your leadership skills. Even if you don't play a leadership role in your company yet, you can:

• Ask for "stretch assignments." Seek out challenging projects that will test your capabilities.
• Look for mentors. Rather than focus on a single adviser, cultivate relationships with a diverse group of successful individuals in your organization. *
• Take advantage of organizational resources. Learn about leadership development programs offered by your organization. Ask for sponsorship to attend local conferences or programs that build leadership skills.
• Pursue international opportunities. An overseas assignment is often a powerful résumé-builder. If that opportunity isn't immediately available, look for other ways to gain experience. For instance, join a team involved in a project that will be launched internationally.