Even if you are not currently a manager or an executive, you can be a leader. That’s because leadership is not a title, it’s a skill—something that can be learned, practiced, and improved.

“In its purest form, leadership at work is the ability and desire to accept responsibility for your career,” writes Matt Mayberry, a former American football linebacker turned global business consultant. “It involves having a vision that benefits not just yourself, but your organization and colleagues. Leaders are skillful at influencing others to believe in that vision and gaining followers that will help them make an impact.”

Mayberry recommends three actions that will help you hone your leadership skills:

• Work on growth daily. Set aside time each day to work on yourself. Seek a mentor to help guide the choices you make. Also, look for opportunities to learn outside of work. “Study areas related to human psychology: What motivates others? What skills do effective coaches need? How do you make someone feel psychologically safe?” Mayberry adds. “These are competencies every great leader should possess.”
• Celebrate your personal strengths. Identify your strengths, and then showcase them to your colleagues. Your strengths are what set you apart. “Research indicates that focusing on and developing weaknesses diminishes employee energy, productivity, and motivation. Developing strengths, on the other hand, improves employee performance, productivity, and self-confidence, while also increasing engagement and reducing turnover,” writes Mayberry.
• Connect with people.  Your ability to communicate is the key to making genuine connections with other people. To become a better communicator, focus on three areas: vulnerability, authenticity, and empathy.

Mayberry concludes that “the more you can add value and influence others, the better your career trajectory will be, as will the impact you make.”

Read more at: You Don’t Need to Be “the Boss” to Be a Leader from the Harvard Business Review.