[johnny99k]

Before I was a consultant, I had a performance review that included 'leadership skills' as 'not meeting expectations'. I was a junior developer at the time and my manager admit to me that he never gave me an opportunity to be in a leadership position, but had to put something in the review.

I quit a few months later.

[tcgv]

Unfortunately, that's quite common. Team leaders and managers failing to perceive how their direct reports actively employ soft skills in their tasks, and also failing to provide guidance on how certain skills can be exercised and demonstrated at each seniority level.

For instance, what I consider to be strong signs of leadership skills in junior positions includes: commitment to finishing activities according to expectations, interest in fully understanding task requirements, start making limited autonomous decisions, and initiative to keep stakeholders updated on task progress and any changes in direction.