Developing Your Leadership Skills

As your college career begins to come to an end, your search for a real-world career begins. With a new real-world career comes training and mentoring, something similar to the experience as a freshman in college. Although these training experiences are very helpful, they only last for a few months before you are set free to work and figure things out on your own. This is where development of leadership comes in! These simple, yet effective strategies to enhance your leadership characteristics will not only be beneficial after the training process, but critical to your professional development.

10 before 10
This tactic may seem very familiar. The basis of it is to get a little boost each morning before 10 am. This boost can come from catching up on current events and news, watching a lecture from places like TED, reading a book review or devotional of some sort, or learning a new task. This tactic helps in getting "creative juices" flowing at the start of your day and also aids in time management. After 10am, most people's schedules get very busy, leaving no time to inspire for the creative learning process.

Current Events
This idea is almost common sense. How can you effectively do any job without staying up to date on the current status of your industry or company? Keeping yourself up to speed with current events only takes a few minutes out of each day( you can do it before 10 am!). Leaders stay in the know and are on top of the businesses and industries that they are in.

Networking
Now if you're an extrovert, this may come very easy to you. To develop leadership skills, try to connect with one new person each week. You never know where these connections may come in handy in the future. The may help in a crisis, financial situations, or even for favors. Always be ready with business cards or some sort of contact information and most importantly, FOLLOW THROUGH with your contact. Your connection is only as good as the follow up you have with them. Stay connected!

These simple strategies will dramactically effect your life in the workplace. Talking to those in seniority will become easier, projects may receive new insight, personal and business relationships may change for the better, and others will take note of your developing  leadership characteristics. These small yet effective changes can add more benefit to your career and even give you a leg up against your fellow colleagues.

3 Financial Strategies To Establish In Your Twenties!

1. Budgeting
Out of all the financial strategies to establish in  adulthood, budgeting is a foundation that MUST be set! Budgeting allows to you see how much money is coming in and out each month. A basic budgeting formula is the 50-30-20 rule:

• 50% for fixed expenses such as housing, food, and insurance premiums
• 20% for financial goals like debt payments, saving retirement, emergency funds
• 30% for variable expenses such as shopping, entertainment, and travel.

2. Saving

Another critical strategy to establish is the ability to save. Part of the budgeting process should allow for some of your income to be saved (the 20% part). Think of saving as "paying yourself first". This makes the process automated where you save before you spend for the month.

3. Reduce Your Debt

Now there are many opinions on if debt repayment should be an important thing to tackle in your twenties. On the one hand some think its more important to establish yourself financially before attacking those debts, especially if they are like students loans, which you will probably paying for the rest of your life. But I disagree. Grabbing your debts by the horns allows you to save over time by reducing how much interest is built up on the loans. It also helps build your credit score by showing your responsibility in handling loans.

These three strategies will build the foundation for making smart choices, creating financial freedom, and a strong financial future!