What one thing can you do to improve your leadership skills?

In a recent leadership conference one of the questions we were asked was ” What one thing could you do to improve your leadership skills?”

This week I heard Leadership expert John C. Maxwell say “the one thing you need to know, is that there is not one thing that you can do to improve your leadership”.
I can’t agree more with this statement. However, One thing that I’ve seen that receives constant neglect, is a persons desire to learn.

The human brain is truly like a sponge, It will absorb whatever you put into it. In turn whatever you put in you will also get out.

Continue to learn and continue to grow! As you grow so will your leadership ability.

One Place to start is John C. Maxwell’s “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”
Available at Bookbyte.com
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3 Apps You Must have

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My wife calls me a huge Tech Geek, but when I find something that works, I need to spread the word.  Every week or so, I’m telling her about some new app, gadget, or device that she needs to take a look at,  buy for me, or agree to let me go pick it up.  Although she criticizes me about them every time. She thanks me later, because she can’t see life without them.   Recently, I have decreed that I will never again to be a harborer of paper. With all this technology at my disposal, surely I can have a life without the paper clutter.  Thus started my journey to get my life as paper free as I can get it.  So how am I doing that?  I’m glad you asked! Here are 3 Apps that you must have!

In the vastness of digital storage, searching for anything can be a daunting task, especially if you have it spread across multiple hard drives, thumb drives, and CD/DVDs.  Before you take on any paperless endeavor I recommend you to take a moment and create your digital filing system.  At this juncture, it doesn’t matter where you have it, just get it out of paper and know where you are going to put it.  It may be helpful to have your electronic filing system mirror your paper filing system.  This way, it eliminates the guesswork. When it comes to storage, unless I am backing up data, I eliminated physical media. In place of physical media I recommend going to the cloud.

Cloud Storage

Either or both of these Apps allows you store your files digitally and access them anywhere.  Google Drive take things a step further and allows you to create files as well, but there is nothing that says you have to choose.  Use them both!  The most important thing is that you choose one that you will use.

In moving from paper to digital organization is key! In one of my most recent endeavors I started a process with the potential of creating about 300 pages of information,  just to fax to someone so they can store it digitally.  Now, does that make sense? With the ability to take photos, notes, voice memos, and attache outside files,   Evernote is my go-to App!  In fact, this article is started using Evernote.    If only it had a way to help me organize all the business cards I get from new people I meet.

Organization

Which brings me to my third must have App! I found this solely by accident, but it worked so I will  stuck with it.  Being a techie, I loved when I could scan contact information into my phone using the Blackberry mobile barcode.  But that was 5 phones ago (seems like a lifetime).    ScanBizCard lets you scan  a business card using your phone camera and adds or combines it to your contacts.  So now, even if you give me your business card, I don’t have to find you and ask you for another one because I lost it.

Paper Free

It is not difficult to go paperless. It does, however, require a complete change of your thought process.  Even if you make the switch, there will still be that one person that will want you to print a document to sign it,  just so they can store it electronically.

If you have an App that you use that will aid in the going paperless initiative let me know on www.bluestripesirm.com, on Facebook at Blue Stripes IRM or on Twitter @CoreyLStokes.

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15 ways to never run out of money!

I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t agree with 100% of the article, but for those who don’t know where to start. This is as good a place as any.

In February 2011,  The Consumer Report published an article that detailed 15 ways that you can protect yourself from running out of money,  no matter what income level you were. I have listed a few below that I have found valuable. But, as always, never take one person’s word; read the entire article to formulate an opinion for yourself. Then let me know what you think!

Live below your means – Nothing kills a financial dream more than trying to get too much too quick. Live within or below your means now. This way, later, you can live the way you want to.

Keep a budget – As I’ve said before, living on a budget is not a 4 letter word. This is actually a smart thing to do. Tell your money what to do. Don’t let your money tell you what it will be doing.

Start saving Early – The earlier you start saving, the more you will have later. No matter how much income you have, if you put a little away over a long period, in the end, you will have a nice-sized cookie jar.

Diversify your holdings – Having all your eggs in one basket is not wise. Mix up your portfolio.

Pay off debt – Living a debt-free lifestyle (don’t borrow money and live on less than you make) will help you to afford the things that you need and the things that you want. The basic rule of accounting  Let your assets outweigh your liabilities.

The law of 4% – Only withdraw 4% annually from your retirement (After you retire.) This way, you are not outpacing your retirement fund. This law assumes that you are earning interest on your money that is higher than 4%.

As stated earlier, these are only a few of the 15 steps detailed in the article. I urge you to continue your own research and discover the best methods that work well for you.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/february/money/financial-planning/overview/index.htm