Whether you are a manager or an employee, follow the six strategies recently shared by career development expert Kimberly B. Cummings in NPR to help you become a great leader. 

Leadership is an "art form," Cummings writes. Because it's not something everyone can or wants to do well, and it truly takes practice, she says, to "create a team atmosphere where people are happy, excited to come to work, and excited to do the work." 

She recommends exercising these techniques to develop your leadership acumen: 

1. Practice "radical transparency." Include employees in decisions that directly affect them. Ask for feedback on proposals and share important news before it becomes public. 

2. Study how your team works. Leaders should understand their team as a whole, understand the people on their team as individuals, and understand who has been on the team before and how they were treated. “Studying the ‘full 360’ of your team helps you develop your group as an ‘ecosystem’,” Cummings explains. “You are interconnected, after all, and the success of one person drives the success of others.” 

3. Seek mentorship. Most managers are not trained to be managers. If you find yourself in charge of a team, Cummings recommends reaching out to a supervisor you liked before and ask for guidance. 

4. Harness your power by "managing up." Don't wait for your supervisor to recognize your work. Instead, put yourself in the position to do the kind of work you love, Cummings writes. Schedule time with your supervisor to highlight how you have performed and what you are working toward.  

5. Don't wait until things get bad. If you are only trying to get out of a bad situation, you are starting from behind, Cummings states. 

6. Give your boss a preview of your potential. “If you want more leadership opportunities, give your supervisor a preview of what you can do,” Cummings writes. Ask yourself: How are you innovating your current role? Does your work have an impact beyond your team? How are you adding value to your workplace? If you have evidence-based answers for at least one or two of these questions, Cummings says you are positioning yourself well for your next role.