#Leadership: Agile Leadership and the Manager/Entrepreneur…Remaining Flexible is One of the Most Important Traits a Leader can Possess–Especially Today.

June 13, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Over the last number of years, the word “agile” has been tossed around in numerous ways. The most common use has roots in the programming world, where “agile” is regarded as one step forward from “waterfall” as a means of making incremental improvements, to assure that the final product grows and is adjusted through the development process to be aligned with customer demand. In recent years, agile has emerged as “agile leadership.”

IMAGE: Getty Images

Some people have a rigorous notion of agile. Others prefer to use agile as a synonym for the ability to be flexible and responsive to a particular situation. Fortunately or unfortunately, the term itself is used in a non-concrete way.

What does agile leadership mean? At its core, my approach to agile leadership is predicated on the assumption that leadership is as much about how one adjusts one’s leadership style to a situation as it is on the embedded personality characteristics of the leader. Agile leadership, in this sense, implies contingency that how one leads is dependent on how one analyzes and views a particular situation.

For example, if the situation is one of stability, minimum uncertainty, and routinized expectations, then, as a leader, you lead in one way. If the opposite is true–unstable environment, high uncertainty, and ambiguous expectations–then, as a leader, you lead in another way.

Leading a manufacturing division is one thing; leading R&D is another. Leading when customer expectations are clear demands one kind of leadership; leading when customer expectations are not clear demands another.

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Agile leadership demands a mindful consideration of the context and an ability to adjust your leadership style appropriately. Agile leaders are able to vary their leadership style along a continuum. The question, of course, is what is this continuum?

The classic distinction is facilitative and directive leadership. The challenge for an agile leader is to balance their directive and facilitative style. Directive leadership sustains control by allocating resources, making expectations clear, defining goals, and establishing the parameters of success and failure. Facilitative leadership is based on giving individuals maximum flexibility and autonomy–giving them flexible goals, and letting them define and deal with parameters and constraints on their own.

In balancing these two leadership styles, an agile leader needs to be clear about which style is appropriate. During lean and difficult times, you may want to explicitly define goals, with the assumption that by delineating goals and specifying expectations will allow you to better control resources. In times of growth and abundance, you may want to define goals more broadly and give autonomy to be open to opportunities.

The challenge for an agile leader is to understand which style is appropriate at which type in time. The challenge is to balance leadership styles.

In these times, agile leadership is a special challenge for managers & entrepreneurs because they are caught on the horns of a dilemma. On the one had, they want to lead in such a fashion to give their organizations and teams the space to be innovative to assure the cutting edge. On the other hard, entrepreneurs have a short leash when it comes to resources and time. They have to be continuously accountable to assure a concrete ROI. The need to stimulate creativity and innovation may demand that the entrepreneur place a greater emphasis on their facilitative style while the shadow of ROI may demand that they emphasize their directive style. Agility is the capacity to juggle both styles as necessary. Entrepreneurial leaders need to get beyond blinders and personality and be aware of when one style suits the situation better than the other.

Even before “agile leadership” was in vogue, leaders of organizations of all sizes were well aware of it. The name may be a fad, but agile leadership has always been a core behavioral trait of successful managers & entrepreneurs.

#Leadership: 6 Words For Stopping Blame & Increasing Accountability… When people Mess up at #Work, they Dodge #Accountability & Shift the #Responsibility to Someone Else. This is Called Blame.

June 12, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

So when #Employees Blame Each Other, it’s Up to #Leaders to Turn that Blame into #Accountability. How? By using 6 simple words: “Let’s discuss what we CAN control.” Let me explain…

Sometimes when people mess up at work, they dodge accountability and shift the responsibility to someone else. This is called blame.

Far too many of us have experienced an employee missing a deadline and trying to throw a colleague under the bus for their mistake, like:

“I couldn’t get this report done on time because of that jerk Pat in accounting. Pat’s the one that never gives me the data on time, and that’s the reason my report was late. How can I be expected to get the report done on time when Pat is always holding up my data?”

Everyone is going to mess up at some point, but blaming others for mistakes is not a healthy or responsible coping mechanism.

One reason that blame is so unhealthy is that it’s aggressive and attacking. It’s one thing to make an excuse like “the internet crashed,” which points fingers at an inanimate object, but it’s quite another to cast aspersions about another person (or group of people). Those ‘other people’ will learn of the blame, hurt feelings will abound, the blame may be reciprocated, and on it goes. In other words, blame is highly contagious.

So when employees blame each other, it’s up to leaders to turn that blame into accountability. How? By using 6 simple words: “Let’s discuss what we CAN control.” Let me explain…

When someone blames, they’re basically trying to shift attention away from themselves. They’re saying ‘don’t look at me, look at that other person.’ And they’re doing it because they don’t want you to pin them down for whatever mistake they made. It’s similar to a magician distracting the audience while they’re pulling off the real trick somewhere else.

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Blamers are typically quite good at derailing conversations and sending them in another direction. Let’s imagine your employee Pat is late with a report. You call Pat into your office and have this brief dialogue:

If Pat says their line with enough intensity, many bosses will get sucked into a conversation about Bob and how Bob didn’t get the numbers, or the Accounting Department, or whatever. And this allows Pat to sidestep any real accountability. Pat may escape a conversation about why they didn’t inform the boss of this problem sooner, or why they didn’t work more effectively with Bob, or why they didn’t submit the other parts of the report, etc. And all of those topics are more actionable than griping about Bob and the Accounting Department.

So instead, let’s redo that conversation using the 6 words I mentioned above: “Let’s discuss what we CAN control.”

• Boss: “Pat, the report I needed from you is past deadline.”
• Pat: “Well I can’t possibly control that because Bob in Accounting didn’t give me the numbers I needed to finish the report.”
• Boss: “OK, I hear that, but I don’t want to talk about Bob. Let’s discuss what we CAN control.
• Pat: “I told you, I don’t control anything. It’s Bob’s fault, not mine.”
• Boss: “Listen, I don’t want to talk about Bob. Let’s discuss what we CAN control. I don’t want to talk about anybody else. I don’t want to talk about anything outside of our control. And right now, there are things we control. We control our reactions, we control certain parts of the reports, etc.”

In this scenario, you’re directing (and redirecting) the conversation back to the central issue: what you CAN control. This approach doesn’t allow the employee to dodge accountability, but neither is it a vicious reprimand. It’s a simple statement that says ‘we’re not changing topics, we’re not discussing other people, we’re only talking about what we CAN control.’

By not allowing the conversation to veer off track into an emotional blame game, the employee will be forced to start taking ownership. It moves the conversation away from fixing blame and onto fixing the issue.

Talking about issues we don’t control is, by definition, an exercise in futility. If we don’t control something, what’s the point of spending the next 30 minutes griping about it? We may as well gripe about the weather; it’s a waste of time and has absolutely no bearing on the weather.

But when we keep redirecting the conversation back to issues we actually DO control, we teach our employees that there is something controllable in every situation. And that, in turn, improves their accountability.

Mark Murphy is the author of Hundred Percenters, Hiring for Attitude, founder ofLeadership IQ, NY Times bestselling author, a sought-after speaker, and he also teaches a weekly series of leadership training webinars.

Forbes.com | June 12, 2015 | Mark Murphy

#Leadership: 9 Brilliant Business Books you can Read in an Afternoon…Best Business Books under 150 pages. All you Need is an Afternoon to Read Through these Greats.

June 12, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Starting a new book can seem daunting and overly time-consuming. The good news is there are several short business books loaded with powerful information about selling, managing, and investing. We compiled a list of the best business books under 150 pages that you can start and finish in an afternoon.

All you need is an afternoon to read through these greats.

It’s no secret that reading can help you get ahead. The most accomplished people tend to love to read.

However, starting a new book can seem daunting and overly time-consuming. The good news is there are several short business books loaded with powerful information about selling, managing, and investing. We compiled a list of the best business books under 150 pages that you can start and finish in an afternoon.

‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson

Penguin Books/Amazon

“Who Moved My Cheese?” made it on “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John’s list of business books that changed his life.

Johnson’s parable was an instant hit when it came out in 1998 and has continued to be a bestseller over the past decade. It tells the story of two mice, Scurry and Sniff, and two sprite-like people, Hem and Haw, living in a maze where the location of the cheese suddenly begins changing every day.

Johnson wrote the book as the internet started becoming more accessible, causing companies around the world to adapt and learn new ways of doing business. Its lessons on how to let go of a fear of change are timeless.

‘As a Man Thinketh’ by James Allen

Tribecca Books/Amazon

This short classic should be on every entrepreneur’s bookshelf. Published in 1902, “As a Man Thinketh” contains wisdom that transcends time. Author and coach Tony Robbins says he often recommends it to people “because it’s so small and easy to read and so profound.” He’s read it at least a dozen times.

In the book, Allen emphasizes that your life is completely under your control rather than in the hands of fate, luck, or external circumstances. To be successful, he says you must first be successful in your mind.

‘How to Lie with Statistics’ by Darrell Huff

W.W. Norton & Company/Amazon

If “How to Lie with Statistics” worked for Bill Gates, it could work for you. The business magnate and bookworm included Huff’s 150-page book about how statistics can be deceptive on his list of summer must-reads.

Although it was written in 1954, Gates promises it doesn’t feel dated. Rather, it will make you feel smarter and more skeptical of the things you read.

‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’ by Og Mandino

Bantam Books/Amazon

To be great in business, you need to be a great salesman. If you can’t sell your ideas, product, or services, you won’t make it.

In “The Greatest Salesman in the World,” which has been around since 1968, Mandino offers several simple, yet powerful, truths in a very clear and compelling style. His parable takes place in ancient Jerusalem and is about a camel boy, Hafid, who’s master is a very wealthy trader. Hafid hopes to uncover his master’s key to success, and the trader guides him by passing on 10 scrolls filled with wisdom.

‘The One Minute Manager’ by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

Blanchard Family/Amazon

Another one of Daymond John’s picks, “The One Minute Manager” is a guide to effective communication between bosses and their employees.

Blanchard and Johnson say managers can explain a task to employees within a minute, as well as take just 60 seconds to offer praise or criticism. In addition to describing the “one-minute manager,” the authors offer advice about lowering barriers between managers and their employees, and how to communicate as directly as possible.

A new and updated edition of this business bestseller, “The New One Minute Manager,” came out in May.

‘The Investment Answer’ by Daniel C. Goldie and Gordon S. Murray

Hachette Book Group/Amazon

Goldie and Murray’s guide to investing, “The Investment Answer,” is under 100 pages and focuses on five decisions every investor has to make. These include whether to invest alone or with a professional; how to allocate among stocks, bonds, and cash; and when to sell or buy assets.

Murray, a Wall Street veteran, and Goldie, a financial adviser, keep their guide brief and jargon-free for any investor — experienced, beginner, and everyone in between.

‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ by George S. Clason

Classic House Books/Amazon

Clason’s celebrated bestseller will teach you everything you need to know about personal finance through a compelling series of parables that take place in the historical city of Babylon.

“The Richest Man in Babylon” teaches you the principles of paying yourself first, living below your means, and investing in yourself, among other timeless financial lessons.

‘Marketing: A Love Story’ by Bernadette Jiwa

Bernadette Jiwa/Amazon

Jiwa compiles several popular blog posts in her book about great marketing in a digital age.

“Marketing: A Love Story” encourages a different approach to business and entrepreneurship: to stop selling things and start telling stories. In a day when consumers are much more aware about how they’re being marketed to, it is becoming more important to see through the eyes of customers and convey exactly how they are going to feel if they buy into your product or idea.

‘Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals’ by Thomas Corley

Langdon Street Press/Amazon

To be successful in business, it’s important to establish good personal finance habits.

“Rich Habits” author Thomas Corley spent five years studying the lives of both rich people and poor people, and managed to segment out what he calls “rich habits” and “poverty habits,” meaning the tendencies of those who fit in each group.

His 94-page book outlines these findings and shows how even the simplest of habits, such as regular exercise or calling friends on their birthdays, could increase your chances of attaining wealth.

Now check out the best business books to read in your 20s:

Flickr / Francisco Osorio

30 business books every professional should read before turning 30

http://www.businessinsider.com/9-brilliant-business-books-you-can-read-in-an-afternoon-2015-6?op=1#ixzz3crgB9Dlz

Your #Career: 7 Secrets to Writing a Standout Cover Letter…Here’s what Hiring Managers are Looking for in a Cover Letter That will Set you Apart from the Rest

June 12, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

While it’s Important to work on your Résumé and ensure it sparkles, a Cover Letter can be just as Important. This Often Overlooked Tool can Make all the Difference.

girl laptop working computer entrepreneur

Address red flags, highlight achievements and state your availability.

Here’s what hiring managers are looking for in a cover letter that will set you apart from the rest:

1. Give your credentials

What do you want people to know about you first and foremost during your elevator pitch? This is exactly what you should include in the first paragraph of your cover letter.

While your résumé outlines your work experience and credentials in short sentences, the next section of a cover letter should highlight your biggest accomplishments with some detail. This is an opportunity to showcase what you want to stand out on your résumé.

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2. Prove you’re the best fit for the role by showing how you can help solve the employer’s problem

The whole premise of getting past “gatekeepers” to be considered for an interview involves convincing them you’re right for the job. Instead of showcasing why you should be considered, let your succinct accomplishments speak for themselves while showing how you can meet the company’s needs.

3. Highlight distinct accomplishments

Since the purpose of a cover letter is to express your interest in the role and briefly mention why you’re a fit, instead of rewriting your résumé, take this opportunity to highlight an award or achievement. For example, point out recognition within your group for exceeding sales quotas on an annual basis or jumping in to manage a team in your department in addition to your own daily responsibilities.

It doesn’t have to be long; in two sentences, succinctly reference the accolade so you stand out from other cover letters in queue.

4. Address any potential red flags

If you think something may immediately catch the recruiter’s eye in a negative light, politely address it. For instance, if the position you’re applying to is in New York, and your résumé address reflects Chicago, a recruiter may automatically disqualify your candidacy thinking: “We won’t pay for relocation, so this candidate is not a fit.”

Recruiters typically appreciate when candidates are up front and address concerns before assumptions are made. This also demonstrates a sense of maturity. Say something like: “While I realize my address reflects Chicago, I intend to move to New York within the next several months at my own cost.”

This will put the recruiter’s mind at ease and allow him or her to consider your candidacy based on just that — your candidacy — and not location.

5. State your availability

Make sure your preferred start date is clearly stated in your cover letter. Is it immediately? Is it after giving two weeks notice? Is it within four months? Stating you’re not available for four months may hinder your chances of getting the job, because hiring managers will likely want to fill the role as soon as possible.

However, keep in mind that they may be building a pipeline for an expanding department. By stating your availability up front and being clear in the beginning of the interview process, you won’t waste anyone’s time — including your own.

6. Be clear and accurate

During an interview, how you say things is just as important as what you’re saying. The same applies to a one-dimensional piece of paper. Your cover letter should be clear, concise and free of grammatical errors!

Make sure you spell check your résumé and cover letter and give them an extra copy edit to make sure nothing was missed. In fact, have another person give them a read-through for errors.

It often takes only a few seconds for recruiters to review a cover letter. Two things always stand out: the length and grammatical or spelling errors. Take the extra time to review your cover letter and make it easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to say “yes” to your candidacy.

7. Include your contact information

This may seem basic, but there are plenty of cover letters out there with nothing more than a candidate’s name. Keep all your information readily available to make it easier for the recruiter to find and get in touch with you. Include both your email address and phone number on each page of your résumé and cover letter. This shows you’re detail-oriented and look forward to being contacted.

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2015/06/09/5-secrets-to-savvy-cover-letters#ixzz3cqBafuLn

Your #Career: The 15-Step Guide to Nailing any #Job Interview … Nailing a Job Interview is all About Preparation, but Where Do you Start?

June 11, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’ve made it past the #Résumé Robots and the scrutinous eyes of the recruiter to land an in-person interview. This is your chance — perhaps your one shot — to wow the hiring manager and stand out from the competition.

Nailing a job interview is all about preparation, but where do you start?

We collaborated with Business Insider’s director of talent, Stephanie Fogle, to come up with the ultimate interview guide, from start to finish.

Follow these steps and pay attention to these details to help land your dream job:

nail any job interview infographic

We collaborated with Business Insider’s director of talent, Stephanie Fogle, to come up with the ultimate interview guide, from start to finish.

Follow these steps and pay attention to these details to help land your dream job:

#Leadership: 3 Reasons Work-Life Balance Makes or Breaks You as an #Employer…In our World of Constant Connectivity & Blurred Responsibilities, the Balance Between #Work & #Life can Plague the General #Workforce. Thankfully, it Can also be a Primary Selling Point for Savvy & Competitive #Employers.

June 11, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In Today’s “Always On” Economy, #Work-Life Balance is Becoming an Increasingly Precious Commodity for #JobSeekers and #Employees alike. But when it comes to achieving this balance, who is responsible for making it happen? Are your employees tasked with separating work from the rest of their commitments? Or, instead, does the onus of flexibility fall on company leaders?

IMAGE: Getty Images

Both. Both employees and companies must work together to maximize our most precious time so we have enough for both work and life outside of work.

The challenge to balance the two is a given in 2015. No matter what the job or industry, you will not find an employee or applicant who doesn’t struggle every day to make this balance happen. And that’s why you absolutely cannot compete in the talent market without presenting some element of this balance as a natural part of your corporate culture.

Here are three reasons why:

1. The rest of our culture is balancing out. Once upon a (long) time (ago), the questions surrounding work-life balance would have been unspoken for the most part. Work and family were separated by gender roles, oftentimes. Someone tended to stay home to manage the affairs there, while someone else went off to work. And we also ensured that work was a place you went to and then left–you couldn’t really manage work from home, and you couldn’t manage home from work.

That was history. We all know these dichotomies are changing. While we still have a long way to go, workforces are more balanced now between men and women. In fact, according to a recent article, “Women today are more likely than men to complete college and attend graduate school, and make up nearly half of the country’s total workforce” (but income inequality between men and women is still a problem). And gender aside, today’s families are also more diverse. They split roles differently, and they have completely different expectations for who does what.

Bottom line: We can’t make a neat line between work and “life” possible or even justifiable anymore. And as a result, everyoneneedsflexibility–because life has to go on in the midst of all this work.

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2. Technology is both the problem and the solution. While family and other roles have been shifting, technology has kept up at a wicked pace. Now, because of laptops and smart phones and WiFi and the cloud, we have constant remote connectivity. And because we know it’s possible to work from anywhere, we don’t just need flexibility, we expect flexibility. So, we have enabled work to invade the home, and we have our day-to-day issues outside of work entering the office via messages, emails and texts. But, the same technology that enables work to disrupt our non-work lives, also enables us to break the confines of the office and be productive while also being more physically present at home. We no longer think of work as a place you go, and home as the place you retreat to after work. Because we know that we have the tools to be more productive on both sides of the equation, that work-life line gets blurred. Home creeps into the office, and work comes home on a daily basis, through emails and texts and tools like Slack or social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

To expect any employee to have the ability to detach from this technology, or to shut off this kind of connectivity, is counterintuitive.

Remember: This same technology is what is driving your business. These are the same tools you expect your employees to use in their jobs. In turn, they expect their employers to give them the autonomy and the trust to manage how they use that technology. They will decide how to divide their time, and as long as they are productive on both sides, they don’t want interference.

3. The struggle to acquire top talent is real, and it’s competitive. I won’t mince words: This is only going to get harder. As I have pointed out in other articles, there simply is not enough skilled talent to meet the demand. The talent you are trying to acquire has impressive skills, and they are going to have lots of choices about where to work. If you choose to approach work-life balance as a perk, as something that’s a “nice to have” on a bullet point list alongside game rooms and team dinners, you’ll be edged out by competitors whose culture see it as a given, whose entire employment brand is built on giving freedom and flexibility to their employees. According to the most recent Jobseeker Nation Survey, 38% of applicants–both male and female–value work-life balance predominantly when considering a new job. Your very real task now, as a company leader, is to ensure that your work culture embeds this balance naturally. You do this by extending autonomy, by incorporating the right technology, and by–frankly–learning as you go.

Does this mean we’re headed to a world where everyone should expect or evendemand the right to work from anywhere? Absolutely not! Resounding no. Corporate executives must invest the time to understand the jobs they have available, the skills required, and which positions lend themselves to greater flexibility–and which do not. There will always be jobs that require hands-on work on a daily basis. No matter how good the cloud or videoconferencing gets, there are times when those tools will never substitute for being in the same room at the same time. But, if you can minimize the hours that require physical presence, you’ll be far better positioned to attract the qualified talent that’s dominating the landscape today. Their quest for flexibility and balance is only going to intensify. This has been, and continues to be, a cultural challenge for many companies. Don’t be rigid. Design your jobs carefully to maximize their flexibility, hire the best employees you can, empower them with the best tools, and trust them to make the best use of their time for your company–at work and at home.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

PUBLISHED ON: JUN 11, 2015

Inc.com |

BY DAN FINNIGAN

President and CEO, Jobvite@jobvite

#Leadership: 10 #Novels that Will Make you Smarter about #Business…No Matter your Passion or Profession, these Stories will Entertain while Teaching you about #Business

June 11, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When we talk about “Business Books,” we’re typically referring to works of Nonfiction. But if you’re looking to learn about #Leadership, #Entrepreneurship, or #CareerDevelopment, there’s no reason to limit your browsing to one section of the bookstore. Some of the most memorable and inspiring lessons on these topics come from fiction.

Reading Book in Library

For people at all levels of a business, the book offers meaningful lessons on the relationship between leaders and followers and the tension between teamwork and individuality.

Buy it here >>

http://www.businessinsider.com/novels-that-teach-you-about-business-2015-6?op=1#ixzz3clWLbiK4

#Your Career: 9 Habits Everyone Should Master Before Turning 30…Develop #Habits in your 20s that Shape the Rest of your Life

June 11, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Your 20s are a time of discovery. You figure out who you are, what you want, and how to make it happen. The habits you establish during this time tend to stick and become the foundation of your adult life. Establishing positive ones can be the difference between success and failure.

young professional walking

Develop habits in your 20s that shape the rest of your life.

We’ve sorted through a variety of advice from entrepreneurs, academics, and media influencers and found a few recurring themes. Here are the habits everyone should master early on to set themselves up for a lifetime of success.

Learn from every failure.

“Listening is like programming a computer,” author and investor James Altucher writes. “You take stuff in, you process it, you spit life back. Learning is different. It shatters your life.”

No matter what your financial, intellectual, and moral circumstances are, you will make terrible mistakes and have to deal with unexpected and unfair challenges. That aspect of life is largely out of your control, but you are always in control of your perception.

“Just relax,” Altucher says. “Those things are going to happen. Enjoy them. You can’t avoid them. These are opportunities to learn. That’s your only goal.”

Take measured risks.

“With no family to feed and no dependents counting on you, your 20s are without a doubt the years to take a leap and pursue your passion,” says Jessie Goldenberg, who abandoned a promising media career shortly after college to start her own business, the successful mobile fashion boutique Nomad.

Of course, taking risks to the point of being reckless is as bad or worse a habit than suppressing ambition. Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Workweek” recommends a simple exercise for weighing risk:

1. Fold a piece of paper into three columns.

2. In the first column, write down all of the things that could go wrong should your attempt fail. Think of the most terrible things possible.

3. In the second column, determine ways that you can mitigate the possibility of each of those bad consequences from happening.

4. In the third column, think of how you would recover from each of the scenarios you imagined and wrote in the first column.

Keep learning.

“Shark Tank” investor and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban became a billionaire in the tech industry, despite never formally studying computer science. It’s why he says the best lesson he learned in his 20s was that “with time and effort I could learn any new technology that was released.”

It’s not a boast, but rather a message that if you want to have a successful, enriching career, you’re going to need to make a habit of dedicating time and effort into acquiring knowledge that gives you an advantage.

Cuban explains that college is the time you pay to learn, but “now that you have graduated, it’s your chance to get paid to learn. And what if you aren’t a recent college grad? The same logic applies. It is time to get paid to learn.”

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Associate with those who make you better.

Tech entrepreneur and author Ben Casnocha has worked closely with LinkedIn founder and chairman Reid Hoffman for several years and writes that the greatest lesson Hoffman taught him was “that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time around. You really are the company you keep.”

There’s no need for maintaining toxic personal or professional relationships out of loyalty.

“If you really want to reach your highest potential you have to consistently surround yourself with people who challenge you, who are strong where you are weak, and work just as hard or harder than you do,” says Beth Doane, founder of Raintees.

Build meaningful professional relationships.

And on that note, don’t develop a habit of going to so-called networking events and blindly tossing out and collecting business cards with the hope that someone will get back in touch and help you out.

Always take an opportunity to meet someone interesting and talented, and prioritize personality over perceived usefulness, says Jon Levy, founder of the Influencers. “It’s adding diversity to your network that truly helps it. The reason is, every time you add an additional person that’s in your industry, you’re not expanding your network very much because you all probably know the same people,” he says.

He recommends taking Wharton professor Adam Grant’s advice. As Grant told Business Insider last year: “If you’re a giver, then you build quality relationships, and with those relationships you’re exposed to opportunity over the long term. You actually increase your own luck so far as you contribute things to other people.”

Value personality over perceived “usefulness” at networking events. Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr

Save and invest for the future.

It’s essential to develop healthy personal finance habits, and the earlier the better.

Consider taking a portion of your paychecks and putting it into an emergency savings fund, a stash of money you don’t touch until you absolutely need it. A good goal to start working toward is accumulating the equivalent of three months’ salary, says certified financial planner Jonathan Meaney.

And as Business Insider’s Sam Ro points out, it’s best to start taking advantage of compound interest as early as possible. Take advantage of your employer’s 401k plan if one is available, and consider investing in low-cost index funds.

Take care of your health.

A common theme among Quora users is wishing they’d shed the bad eating and drinking habits of their youth and developed a fitness regimen before the physical limitations of growing older began to set in.

“Your hangovers will be so bad at 28 that the idea of staying out drinking all night will be a hilarious idea to you,” musician Meggie Sutherland Cutter writes on Quora. Choose an hour at the gym over a happy hour every now and then.

Love what you do.

The late Apple cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs gave one of the most memorable commencement speeches ever from a podium at Stanford in 2005 a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life,” he said.

Jobs said this mindset will make you understand the importance of your work. “And the only way to do great work is to love what you do,” he said. “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

Settling means giving in to someone else’s vision of your life, or the pressure to prioritize salary above all else. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition,” Jobs said.

Keep work from overtaking your personal life.

As you strive to make something of yourself in your 20s, don’t develop a habit of ignoring your personal life.

“If I could go back in time, I’d introduce my 22-year-old self to a quotation by the writer Brian Andreas: ‘Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life,'” Huffington Post cofounder Arianna Huffington writes on LinkedIn.

Huffington says that advice would have saved her from the “perpetually harried, stressed-out existence I experienced for so long.”

Learn when to take a step back from everything and appreciate what you’ve accomplished and what you already have. And if you are obsessed with your work, understand that you will actually be making yourself more productive by allowing yourself to enjoy life.

#Strategy: 9 #Foods to Eat to Give your #Brain a Boost…To Help you Start #Eating Smarter, we Compiled a List of Nutrient-Dense Foods from Psychology Today, #WebMD, & Other Sources.

June 10, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We all have a General Idea of What to #Eat to stay Lean & #Healthy, but Certain Foods can Help Give your Brain & #Body a Boost by Helping to Narrow Focus, Improve Memory, Relieve #Stress, and Reduce #Fatigue.

pouring wine tasting A man tests red wine in the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate in Castagneto Carducci, in Tuscany

Wine, in moderation, can be brain-boosting. REUTERS/Tony GentileRed

Broccoli and other greens contain a healthy dose of choline, for example, which studies suggest may help combat memory loss. And a recent study found a link between eating more blueberries and strawberries and a reduced rate of cognitive decline.

To help you start eating smarter, we compiled a list of nutrient-dense foods from Psychology Today, WebMD, and other sources.

Look out for these 10 ingredients on your next grocery run:

1. Salmon

Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for brain performance. Research finds that omega-3 deficiency can lead to fatigue, poor memory, and mood swings. Because your body can’t make these essential fatty acids, it’s important to get them from food.

Flickr/ImpromptuKitchen

The experts recommend wild salmon over farmed salmon, as it has much higher levels of omega-3s. If salmon isn’t an option, try tuna or halibut, which will also provide a healthy dose of omega-3s.

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2. Avocado

Avocados offer a lot more than creamy, delicious flavor. They may also provide your brain with a boost: Research shows, for example, that their high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids may help keep nerve cells in the brain healthy. Each serving of avocado also has 20 different vitamins, including potassium — which studies suggest may help control blood pressure — and lutein, which may help protect your eyes.

Flickr / threelayercake

A little bit of avocado can go a long way. Because avocados are high in calories, you need to add only a quarter or a half of one avocado to one daily meal.

3. Nuts

Nuts are bursting with vitamin E, which research suggests may help protect against some aspects of age-related cognitive decline. Many nuts are also rich in the essential omega-3 fatty acids mentioned above.

Flickr / rusvaplauke

While all nuts are great for general health, walnuts in particular may help boost your productivity; in addition to being packed with vitamin E and omega-3s, they also contain vitamin B6, which helps make serotonin and norepinephrine, the chemicals that transmit signals in the brain.

4. Spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens

Dark-hued leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses. Several studies suggest that spinach and broccoli may help protect against age-related problems and cognitive deficits. Also, both greens are rich in iron, an essential mineral that helps transport oxygen throughout the body.

Flickr/Glory Foods

Without iron, your body can’t make enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells, and you may experience low energy and fatigue if you haven’t had enough.

5. Berries

A study published in 2012 found that greater intakes of blueberries and strawberries were associated with slower rates of cognitive decline in older adults. The research team suspects this is because berries have a high concentration of flavonoids, an antioxidant that may have antihistamine-, antimicrobial-, memory-, and mood-enhancing properties.

Flickr/metaphoricalplatypus.com

Additionally, blueberries have more antioxidants — which help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals — than any other fruit and are relatively low in calories (there are fewer than 100 calories in one cup).

6. Red wine

Next time you’re out to eat, opt for a dish you can pair with red wine. In addition to being heart-healthy, red wine contains a key component — resveratrol — that may be linked to increased longevity. Most of the studies conducted on resveratrol have been done on animals, however, and more research is needed before determining its exact benefits.

Jamal Saidi/Reuters

Be sure to drink in moderation, as alcoho l slows down the brain’s ability to function properly by altering levels of neurotransmitters, the messengers sending signals throughout your body that control thought processes.

7. Beans

Beans are often overlooked, but they’re a great economical ingredient to add to your grocery list. They contain an ideal blend of complex carbohydrates and protein; this allows them to be digested slowly, which ultimately helps stabilize glucose levels and curb fatigue.

cookbookman17/Flickr

The experts recommend half a cup of lentils or black beans a day.

8. Dark chocolate

Harvard researchers recently conducted a small study that suggests a link between dark chocolate and brain function. The research team studied the effects of cocoa — specifically flavanol, a natural compound in cocoa beans — in 60 people between 67 and 77 years old by having them drink hot cocoa twice a day for a month. Study author and assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School Farzaneh Sorond told ABC News that the chocolate appeared to boost the brain’s blood supply, providing it with more fuel for the work that it does.

Justin Sullivan/Getty

Don’t overdo it, though, because this food needs to be consumed in moderation to work its wonders. WebMD suggests eating a small, 1.6-ounce piece of dark chocolate a day (an ounce is about the size of a book of matches).

9. Cayenne pepper

Hot peppers are rich in capsaicin, a natural pain reliever and fat fighter that research suggests may help you cut back on calories and assist in the body’s breakdown of fat. So the next time you’re preparing a meal, rather than reaching for the salt or black pepper, the smarter choice may be a pinch of cayenne.

indian spices Flickr / sara marlowe

#Strategy: 10 #Skills That are Hard to Learn but Pay Off Forever…The Best Things in Life may be Free, But that Doesn’t Mean they Won’t Take Time, Sweat, & Perseverance to Acquire

June 10, 2015/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In an effort to ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn? We’ve highlighted our favorite takeaways.

The Best Things in Life may be Free, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire. That’s especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills.

man laptop listening woman speaking explaining

In an effort to ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn? We’ve highlighted our favorite takeaways.

1. Time management

Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it’s important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains.

“The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan,” she writes. “Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I’m really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date.”

2. Empathy

“You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don’t care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath,” writes Kamia Taylor.

Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business.

“Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit — esprit d’corps — motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck,” she writes.

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3. Mastering your sleep

There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it’s often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights.

Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.

Flickr / Pedro Ribeiro Simões20-minute power naps can give your brain a much-needed boost.

4. Positive self-talk

“Ultimately it doesn’t matter what others think of you,” writes Shobhit Singhal, “but what you think of yourself certainly does, and it takes time to build that level of confidence and ability to believe in yourself when nobody else does.”

On the other side of positive self-talk is negative self-talk, which Betsy Myers, founding director of The Center for Women and Business at Bentley University, believes can slowly chip away at your confidence.

5. Consistency

Whether you’re trying a new exercise routine, studying for the LSATs, or working on an important project, Khaleel Syed writes that consistency is vital to maintaining any kind of success.

People often stop working hard when they reach the top, he explains, but to maintain that top position, they have to work harder and be more consistent in their work.

6. Asking for help

“I once was told in a job interview, ‘You can’t have this job if you can’t ask for help when you need it,'” Louise Christy writes. “Naturally, I said I could. Later, I found out that the previous person with that job had screwed up big-time because he was in over his head but couldn’t admit it and didn’t ask for help.”

She explains that knowing when you need help and then asking for it is surprisingly difficult to learn and do because no one wants to be perceived as weak or incompetent.

But a recent study from the Harvard Business School suggests doing so makes you look more, not less, capable. According to the study authors, when you ask people for advice, you validate their intelligence or expertise, which makes you more likely to win them over.

7. Knowing when to shut up — and actually doing it

“You can’t go around whining about every other thing that seems not-so-right to you in this world,” writes Roshna Nazir. “Sometimes you just need to shut up.”

There are many instances when keeping to yourself is the best course. “When we are angry, upset, agitated, or vexed,” writes Anwesha Jana, “we blurt out anything and everything that comes to our mind.” And later, you tend to regret it.

Keeping your mouth shut when you’re agitated is one of the most valuable skills to learn, and of course, one of the most difficult.

Natalia Budantseva-Strelka Institute/flickrThe first step to listening: stop talking.

8. Listening

Along with shutting up comes listening, says Richard Careaga.

“Most of us in the workplace are so overwhelmed with things to do — instant messaging, phones ringing. I mean, our brain can only tolerate so much information before it snaps,” Nicole Lipkin, author of “What Keeps Leaders Up At Night,” previously told Business Insider.

One tip for active listening is repeating back what you heard to the other person. “It makes things so much easier when everyone is on the same page,” she said.

9. Minding your business

“It takes ages to learn and master this,” writes Aarushi Ruddra.

Sticking your nose into other people’s work isn’t helpful and wastes time and resources, she says. “You have no right to put forth your two or four cents, even if you are the last righteous person standing.”

10. Mastering your thoughts

To do what you want to do and accomplish what you want to accomplish, you need to consciously direct your thinking, writes Mark Givert.

“The challenge is that we are the product of our past experience and all of our thinking is the result of this,” he says. “However, the past does not equal the future.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/skills-that-pay-off-forever-2015-6#ixzz3cgy81Z6K

‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson

‘As a Man Thinketh’ by James Allen

‘How to Lie with Statistics’ by Darrell Huff

‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’ by Og Mandino

‘The One Minute Manager’ by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

‘The Investment Answer’ by Daniel C. Goldie and Gordon S. Murray

‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ by George S. Clason

‘Marketing: A Love Story’ by Bernadette Jiwa

‘Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals’ by Thomas Corley

Now check out the best business books to read in your 20s:

1. Give your credentials

2. Prove you’re the best fit for the role by showing how you can help solve the employer’s problem

3. Highlight distinct accomplishments

4. Address any potential red flags

5. State your availability

6. Be clear and accurate

7. Include your contact information

‘Then We Came to the End’ by Joshua Ferris

‘How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia’ by Mohsin Hamid

‘Moby Dick’ by Herman Melville

‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe

‘A Hologram for the King’ by Dave Eggers

‘Don Quixote’ by Miguel de Cervantes

‘Something Happened’ by Joseph Heller

‘The White Tiger’ by Aravind Adiga

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ by Lauren Weisberger

‘Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding

Learn from every failure.

Take measured risks.

Keep learning.

Associate with those who make you better.

Build meaningful professional relationships.

Save and invest for the future.

Take care of your health.

Love what you do.

Keep work from overtaking your personal life.

SEE ALSO: 30 books everyone should read before turning 30

1. Salmon

2. Avocado

3. Nuts

4. Spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens

5. Berries

6. Red wine

7. Beans

8. Dark chocolate

9. Cayenne pepper

SEE ALSO: The 18 best snacks to eat at your desk

1. Time management

2. Empathy

3. Mastering your sleep

4. Positive self-talk

5. Consistency

6. Asking for help

7. Knowing when to shut up — and actually doing it

8. Listening

9. Minding your business

10. Mastering your thoughts