Emerging Leaders: Raise your hand now for management responsibilities

Feel that? It could be one of the many seismic demographic shifts taking place in the global work force today - which means that, if you're interested in moving into management, there's never been a better time to raise your hand and take the lead.

You might have heard that the baby boomers are sticking around, and that's partly true - at least for now. According to the Economist magazine, while their less-educated peers are opting out of the work force, your white-collar, 'knowledge worker” baby-boomer colleagues are continuing to participate in the corporate work force far longer than any other generation preceding them.

But until now, that trend has somewhat disguised an even more dramatic shift. According to Deloitte's 2014 Millennial Survey, 'Millennials will comprise 75 percent of the global work force by 2025.”

Think about that for a moment. While 2025 may sound like the stuff of science fiction, in only the next 11 years, baby boomers will have all but completed the handoff to members of Generations X and Y.

In some sectors, such as the oil and gas industry - where this is known as 'the great crew change” - companies already are bracing for the unprecedented retirement of up to 50 percent of professional employees within the next decade.

So what does that mean for younger, emerging leaders?

In a 2013 report titled, 'Young Managers Rise in the Ranks,” Ernst and Young noted that there already has been a significant shift in Generations X and Y moving into management roles in the past five years.

This generational shift brings with it new challenges, as corporate cultures move away from a traditional structure based on rank and tenure to one in which younger people take over roles long held by more seasoned professionals, or get promoted to manage co-workers - including some that are older than them.

Who is poised to take the lead?

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, if you are on the cusp of outgrowing your role as an individual contributor, or have been thinking about raising your hand for a management role, you might want to wave that hand in the air, pronto.

Employers will need continuity in their management ranks as those demographic shifts take place.

Generation Y are eager to become leaders, and according to Deloitte's survey, do not believe that businesses are doing enough to help them develop those skills.

But 70 percent of respondents across all generations who participated in Ernst and Young's survey agreed that it is Generation X who are currently best equipped to hold management roles.

The takeaway

If you're a baby boomer, raise your hand now to manage and mentor others using the knowledge you've accumulated over the course of your career. Millennials, seek out management development opportunities and speak to your management about the coming demographic shift to build your case for why now is the ideal time to cultivate your generation's leadership skills.

And if you're Gen X, ask for a promotion.

In any case, there's simply never been a better time to contribute to your organization's long-term prospects by raising your hand for management responsibilities.

' Jo Miller is founding editor of BeLeaderly.com and CEO of Women's Leadership Coaching Inc. Twitter handle: at @BeLeaderly.