FAST COMPANY ARTICLE

Millennial women are set to take on unprecedented leadership positions. Here’s how to prep for them.

1. Develop Your Executive Presence

Being an effective manager isn’t a skill you’re born with. It comes down to a set of learned behaviors—how to deliver a presentation, command a room, and inspire respect and loyalty. Pay attention to the ways you connect with people at work and what things you do earn confidence. Those traits will all factor into your executive presence.

2. Manage Your Energy

Work-life balance is often a matter of integrating the two into a livable balance. Base your priorities around the goals and activities that motivate you both at home and work. Burnout isn’t just the result of doing too much—it can also set in when you aren’t doing what energizes you. If you’re an extrovert, find ways to collaborate with people at work. If you’re an introvert, seek out more independent projects.

3. Think Positively

Martin Seligman, psychologist and author, found that optimism is something we can actually learn. Much the way positive thinking is about finding the upsides to the bad things that happen, a technique called “positive framing” involves accepting tough realities and countering them with action. When things go badly at work, limit the experience to its specific impact and don’t take it personally. Talk to trusted colleagues, and find a way to improve next time.

4. Use Storytelling to Advance Your Career

Stories are usually more memorable than facts. Many of us fixate on where we’re headed professionally and have lost sight of where we’ve been. Sometimes the best way to achieve our goals is to reflect on the past. Many of the most successful leaders excel because they control their own narratives. Keep a work journal. Write down what you’re doing and what’s working. Be ready to tell your story come promotion time or when asking for a raise.