8 Traits Every #GirlBoss Has

Gunning for a promotion? Aiming for an executive position at your company? Here are the skills you’ll need to develop if you want to get to the top spot.

- Gaby Ignacio

Our generation grew up being told we could do anything and everything we wanted. Now that we’re in the workforce and have become actual productive members of society, some of us are evaluating how (and when) we’re going to get to the positions we’ve always imagined we’d hold.

The downside, though, is that while we may have the skills necessary to perform our jobs, many of us have little to no idea beforehand of how to actively work towards a (possibly well- and-long-deserved) promotion—or even a coveted leadership position.

“A leader is built over time; it doesn’t just happen,” says executive coach Suzy Roxas. “You pick up skills and develop relationships along the way. You’re expected to have none of those at the beginning.”

The great news for ambitious 20-somethings is that you have exactly that: time. But you have to start honing those skills ASAP. “If you’re in your 20s, and you want to be the next girl boss, you have to start now. Start developing these skills and be aware of what you have to do, because that takes time. Get to know exactly what you’re good at and what you want, because the passion and the enthusiasm are going to get you where you want to be,” says Roxas.

Ready for even more good news? The idea that a leader must have a strong, iron-fist type of personality has evolved, and we’ve become more open to a more positive, supportive leadership style. That means even if you’ve always thought of yourself as an introvert, you can let go of the misconception that you’ll never get as high up the corporate ladder as your alpha female friends and colleagues. So, you wanna be on top? Read on: