leadership

Stack of fiction books on a desk

5 Ways To Read 5 Books A Week

Posted on by Zinga H

Stack of fiction books on a desk

I prefer non-fiction myself.

Great leaders take in a lot of information, and when you are just starting out with your passion you may find there is hardly any time to sit down and take in everything you need to know in order to launch your successful venture. Having no time is a limiting mindset that will hold you back. Fortunately reading books has gotten a lot simpler these days. Here are the 5 ways to read at least 5 books per week in order to maintain my edge and personal development.

Change Your Attitude About Reading 

First, you do not  have to read every word of a book to have successfully read it. While yes there are some books  worthy of being fully read, a lot of books will be perfectly useful if you use speed reading practices. Skim, scan,  and  trust your ability to understand concepts without reading every word.

Read on Your Way To Work

One of my favorite websites on the entire internet is my library’s e-book collection. Filled with a host of free e-books and audio books waiting to be taken in by any library card. Check out your library and see if they offer audio book options, which now can often be played through your smartphone. If not YouTube has an extensive collection of audiobooks as well.

Read before you clock in 

Always get to work half an hour early. In that half hour, you can change your world. Or if that’s not possible then the time before you clock in for lunch is another space of time to spend reading. Typically I set a ten-minute clock and go as far as I can. Progress will always be made with consistency.

Read during your downtime
If you are at work, there will be downtime. While I advocate using that downtime to be a better work, that could also include being a better leader, which is applicable in any industry or company. Once again go to your library’s website to see if they have electronic books. Another possibility is letting an audiobook play in the background in lieu of your awesome work playlist.

Read during chore time 
Unless you have a maid, you will have to do a chore or two. The point here is there are some weekly activities you naturally do, like the laundry, dishes, or whatever is going on in the fridge. Use the time to put an audiobook on in the background.

Always find ways to acquire more knowledge for that is the substance of creative thinking, which is the habit of success.

photo credit: Recent, present and future reading material via photopin (license)

Nothing can dim the light that shines within you. By Maya Angelou

3 Ways To Put Yourself First so You Can Lead Better

Posted on by Zinga H

3 Ways to Put Your Self First

Nothing can dim the light that shines within you. By Maya Angelou

Nothing can dim the light that shines within you.

A mastery of personal leadership is essential step before influencing others around you. This includes control over how you communicate with your self and others, how you motivate yourself, and how your body’s message comes across. All of the skills are also the easiest to achieve because the subject is quiet easy to work on. YOU being the subject at hand. The only way you can improve your personal leadership is by putting your self first. Now this isn’t the only kind of leadership; there is team, business, global, societal, and many other leadership areas requiring the use of a principled recipe of skill sets. If you can master personal leadership first you will be able to easily and flexibly become more confident in other areas of leadership as well.  So how can you put yourself first without becoming self-centered? Here are five easy practices:

1.     Have a day carved out for you: Pick a day out of the week where you cater to your physical, mental, and emotional being. Pamper your self in whichever way you see fit, even if it’s only for a few hours on that day. I enjoy doing a longer session of yoga, writing, listening to my favorite playlist and having a freestyle dance workout session, and watching movies/marathons with my husband. Having a YOU day is a great way to remember you are your closest friend.

2.     Write/Draw/Speak your values: Your values become your priorities, and whatever you prioritize comes true. Knowing what your values are and checking back in with them on a regular basis keeps your focus centered so your drive can move forward.

3.     Make your vision of the future be the wildest, most awesome, future your could possible choose. Successful leadership thrives on a motivating end-goal. If you are setting your sights to short then you may end up with a less then stellar destination. Go for the gold because your subconscious won’t find solace in the status quo.

Personal leadership requires you to take into account the leader and the follower, which is why it is an excellent gateway to more advanced and complex levels of leadership. In addition, it builds your drive and motivation to go after where your leadership is best placed. Take time to remember your self-interests and make sure they align with your values, and you will be well on your way to your most abundant and joyous success.