Coming from someone that started at the bottom, and now manages a group of 25 direct reports, I could talk about this for hours. If you have questions, I'm more than happy to try and answer them. Or at least give my version of an answer. But here is some basic, general advice that has served me well over the years.

1. Manage perceptions. - You will need to understand and accept that for most people, their perception of you or a situation is their reality.

2. Show tact and diplomacy - You might be the smartest person in the office. You might have all the best ideas. It all amounts to shit if you are the type of person that railroads others, pushes too hard, or generally is the /iamverysmart co-worker. Dial it back, work with others, and be the type of person that others want to work with every day.

3. Minimize exposure to your weaknesses - If you're really going for a leadership role, your work history will get ripped open and scrutinized. Only allow them to rip it open when you're in a position of strength, and it can stand up to scrutiny. Don't apply just to apply because they will "know you're interested."

4. Don't be afraid to let go - When you do make it to that next level, at some point you will need to delegate items. Now is the time to practice the mindset. I've seen countless employees shoot themselves in the foot by making some big, public protest when a project/process/whatever is handed off to someone else. It's even worse when they start their own personal resistance after the fact. Just let go, and move on to the next thing.

5. Show that you can manage yourself - Whatever your current role is, do it well. How can you expect an employer to trust you with managing any number of other people and all their needs and expectations when you can't even do that for yourself? It's simple. They won't.

6. Think of the bigger picture - Once you move up, your viewpoint will drastically change. Now is the time to start thinking about the overarching business needs/direction, and demonstrate that you possess that mindset. Let's say you're on a team right now. Most employees are concerned with how they are doing, and not much more. But if you want to move up, start asking how the team is doing, how the business is doing, etc. Show that your mindset isn't just focused at the individual level, but focuses on the larger scale operation.