How can a simple IT specialist become a leader?

Question

Computers

Good day.
I've been doing IT for some time now at various companies where, as it turns out, there's no way to get promoted - there's work to be done, there's a person above that takes care of the IT department as a whole.
Employer vacancies clearly distinguish between these two positions: an IT employee with experience in areas, and an IT manager with experience in a leadership position. The first is clear, but the second is surprising: if everyone needs leaders with experience, then where, in what place to look for this step, which will allow you to move from an ordinary team member to a team leader?
I talked with colleagues, everyone agreed that promotions in our environment are a rare, unpopular thing, and those who are now in leadership positions were invited to these positions on "acquaintance"-recommendations and thus began to work without the requirement of experience in leadership sphere.
Is there no other way?
>Why do you need it?
I want to try myself in this area, because what I regularly do is starting to get wildly sick of it. Or a simple answer will do: if you want, why not? Maybe I'll try, understand that it's not mine and switch to something third.

Answer 1

Still, there are alternatives:
http://habrahabr.ru/company/profishop/blog/201852/
And there are reasons not to become a leader:
http://habrahabr.ru/post/165091/
But if you still decide, then for example:
http://habrahabr.ru/company/alconost/blog/159399/