Author: tbrg

blog Leadership | 5min Read

10 Ways You Can Develop Leadership Skills as a Teen

Published on March 24, 2022

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog Leadership

10 Ways You Can Develop Leadership Skills as a Teen

Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders – that is, only if they procrastinate! Young Leaders are not just the leaders of tomorrow – they can be the leaders of today as well. They have the passion, energy and commitment to make a difference. If the youth arise and act, they have the strength and dynamism to lead a huge transformation.

So how does one develop leadership skills and how early does the process start?

Although leadership comes naturally, it is never a bad idea to seek guidance. The right direction at the right time can make all the difference. Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. The best part about starting young is that you have the advantage of age and the benefit of fresh thoughts to guide your path.

Here are 10 ways by which you can develop leadership skills as a teen –

1. Be a Voice, Not an Echo

If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more and become more, you are a leader. Great leaders do not set out to be a leader, they set out to make a difference. They do not tell you what to do – they show you how it is done. Learn to lead from the front and lead by example. Think different. Be a voice that stands out.

2. Boost Your Confidence

A bird sitting on a branch is never afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is not on the branch, but on its own wings. Trust your abilities and sharpen your skills. Never be afraid of any situation. If you are capable, no challenge can limit your success. 

3. Persist with Persistence

People have great plans for success, but rarely do they have a plan for handling failure. As a leader, it is invariable to face success and failure. By bracing yourself for disappointments, you can be better prepared to handle loss and march towards success. Success is not final, neither is failure fatal. It is the courage to keep pushing on that counts. 

4. Decide and abide!

It is imperative to hone your decision-making abilities. Too many choices tend to leave a person bamboozled. When the pressure of the decision rests on you, it is but natural to feel a bit overwhelmed. It is good to challenge yourself with situations. By doing so, you can weigh the pros and cons and explore the facets of the problem. This allows you to practice making informed decisions right from an early age. 

Role-playing different outcomes of a fictional scenario is an exercise that involves analysis and the decision-making process. It lets you experience how choices affect your decision-making ability.

5. Communicate

Practice confident communication. Clarity of thought results in effective communication. Effective communicators are usually great at rallying around a team. They get more work done with fewer words. Speak clearly and weigh your words. To improve your communication skills, you can proactively engage in confidence-building exercises like maintaining an assertive communications record, a daily log of assertive and effective communications you made on that day. 

6. Enrol in a Leadership Development Program

A Leadership Development Program provides you with opportunities to participate in activities and workshops. It helps you learn from challenges and works at identifying your strengths and weaknesses. A good leadership development program provides you with real-world tasks that teach you evaluation, planning, strategies, work allocations and analysing results. It also gives you exposure and networks that are an invaluable advantage.

7. Find a Mentor

As a teen, you are capable of far more than you, or those around you, give you credit for. A mentor will help you discover your true potential and your capability of becoming a leader. A mentor is someone who has been down the road before and thus knows the way. They are always there to guide you, motivate you, encourage you, correct you, criticise you and cheer for you when you achieve the results. A good mentor is an invaluable asset.    

8. Read Read Read

The benefits of reading are innumerable. Reading broadens the mind, stimulates thoughts and has a direct impact upon actions. As a teen leader, it is a great idea to invest in knowledge and learning. Intellectual progress is connected to success. Books like “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, “Leadership & Self-Deception”, “The Making of a Leader” etc. are worth investing your time on.

9. Explore Your Limits

To push beyond boundaries you must first be aware of where the boundaries are. As a teen, you have the advantage of time and infinite energy. You can test your limits and discover your strengths. At the same time, you can also work at improving upon your shortcomings. Explore your limits, it is the key to expanding them. 

10. Observe. Listen. Process. Implement

If you want to be heard, your first step is to listen. Observing and listening to others will offer you different perspectives. It gives you multiple takes to deal with situations. By gathering inputs, evaluating options, and implementing the most suitable solution you can always come out as a winner. 

The path to leadership and success is long. The sooner you embark on the journey, the quicker you will reach the destination. Start young. Do something different. The dynamism of youth is a great catalyst for change. You have the potential to rock the world.

Unleash The Leader In You with YLC

Youth Lead the Change is a leadership development program created by professors of the Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and the Harvard School of education, and held by Harvard students. Held for students in grades 8 – 12, the program aims at empowering students and unlocking their leadership capabilities as they develop tangible solutions to global problems. Over the 7 day course, the students work in a group to understand a global issue and develop a social change project to address it. Through this program, students learn about core leadership skills such as collaboration, public speaking, time management, and self-knowledge. 

The Harvard trainers also hold one-on-one sessions with students who continue to serve as mentors after the program. On finishing the program, there is an opportunity to complete mentorship for an entire year, to implement their project. Presented by The Leadership Institute at Harvard College (LIHC), this Harvard student organization aims to provide and promote leadership development opportunities across the world.

 

Editor's Pick

blog Harvard Leadership | 3min Read

7 Steps To Become A Successful Young Leader

Published on March 3, 2022

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog Harvard Leadership

7 Steps To Become A Successful Young Leader

Leadership is a journey and not a destination. A leader is always evolving and is open to new ideas and new ways of doing things by being open to different perspectives. A successful leader challenges stereotypes and grows from the opportunities.

The 7 Steps to Become a Successful Young Leader

The importance of leadership cannot be stressed enough. Leadership starts young. A good leader is focused, curious and always eager to learn. There are many steps to climb in the journey of becoming a good leader, but the 7 important steps to becoming a successful Young Leader are –

1. Pursue your Passion

Work should not seem like work. It is only when you believe in something 100% will you be able to convince others about your dream and lead them successfully. Set sails for the thing you love the most and turn your passion into your work. By starting young, you have the advantage of charting your own course.

2. Observe

Listening and observing others is a great way to learn about people and work. Different people have different ways of getting things done. A successful leader observes, understands and decides upon the best course of action having evaluated all possibilities and by taking everybody into confidence.

3. Lead by Example

A Leader leads by example. Right from being punctual, to respecting others, to taking responsibility for actions, a successful leader should set an example to everyone and lead from the forefront. Be the kind of leader you would follow yourself. When you lead by example, you inspire your team to emulate your good traits. Your habits organically trickle down to your team and it improves the work culture and raises the overall efficiency of the organization.

4. Stay Organized

Clear, concise and precise – a successful leader stays organized in thoughts and actions. From the workspace to the decisions made, everything must reflect clarity. When clarity is lacking, everything quickly descends into chaos. Finding the right space for files and utilities on the desk, organizing resource inventories, assigning the right instructions to the right people, everything requires clear organization and execution.

5. Accept Mistakes and Learn from them

Mistakes are bound to occur owing to age and inexperience, but accepting the mistake and learning from it is the trait of a successful leader. A good leader never makes the same mistake twice. 

6. Identify Strengths & Work on the Weaknesses

Successful leaders are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of not only themselves but also of their team. They are great at delegating and identifying the best person for the job.

7. Evolve

Mistakes are bound to occur owing to age and inexperience, but accepting the mistake and learning from it is the trait of a successful leader. A good leader never makes the same mistake twice. 

Hone your leadership skills

A leadership development program can go a long way in nurturing and developing leadership skills. A leadership development program offers a great opportunity to indulge with qualified professionals who can help you define a purpose and educate you to reach your full potential. A good education consultant or counselor can tap into your potential and push you in the right direction to be a successful leader.

Unleash The Leader In You with Harvard YLC

Harvard Youth Lead the Change is a leadership development program created by professors of the Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and the Harvard School of education, and held by Harvard students. Held for students in grades 8 – 12, the program aims at empowering students and unlocking their leadership capabilities as they develop tangible solutions to global problems. Over the 7 day course, the students work in a group to understand a global issue and develop a social change project to address it. Through this program, students learn about core leadership skills such as collaboration, public speaking, time management, and self-knowledge. 

The Harvard trainers also hold one-on-one sessions with students who continue to serve as mentors after the program. On finishing the program, there is an opportunity to complete mentorship for an entire year, to implement their project. Presented by The Leadership Institute at Harvard College (LIHC), this Harvard student organization aims to provide and promote leadership development opportunities across the world.

 

 

Editor's Pick

blog | 3min Read

4 Easy Ways to Stick to Your Financial Resolutions in 2022

Published on February 12, 2022

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog

4 Easy Ways to Stick to Your Financial Resolutions in 2022

Mayank’s phone had been buzzing all morning. Interestingly, this had nothing to do with the fact that it was New Years’ Day. His WhatsApp was flooded with messages. Instead of new years’ wishes, he was receiving screenshots of the tweet he posted last night along with comments like “Did someone hack your account?” and “Are you alright, bro?”!

But what’s so unusual about this?

Well if you knew Mayank, you would know that he belonged to the category of people who would never set any new years’ resolutions. Never. For someone who had a track record of never being able to complete his new year’s resolutions, his friends did not see this coming!

Little did they know that this time, Mayank has decided to set financial new year resolutions and he seems to have some secret strategy to be able to follow them diligently!

So, what is he doing differently in 2022? What is this ‘new me’ he is talking about?

Nothing to worry about, because we got him to let the cat out of the bag! Here are the top 4 ways through which you can easily stick to your financial new years’ resolutions and start afresh with your journey of financial literacy in school:

1. Expect A Little Failure

New Year’s resolutions are a personal challenge. Sometimes it’s easy to fulfill them, while at times, you just fail, no matter what. So, if you’re new to the world of finance and setting these financial resolutions for the very first time, then you should expect a little failure here and there. You’ll forget to track your expenses and in turn miscalculate your savings, or invest in the wrong assets before doing any prior research..and the list goes on. But don’t get disappointed, as the learnings from the failures will help you while planning resolutions and polish your financial management skills for 2023 and you’ll thank yourself later for this.

2. Make Small Changes And Adapt To Them

There’s absolutely no need to have a pragmatic shift in your lifestyle or change the way you have fulfilled your earlier resolutions. You should learn to make some minor changes while trying to achieve these financial goals and gain financial literacy in schools. Take one step at a time, do a little change, and make yourself adaptable to that change before moving forward. Only then you will get used to these changes, before messing up your entire ecosystem that eventually results in failure.

A study conducted by the NCBI found that enjoyment and importance both dictate the success of our resolutions, but only enjoyment can help us in the long run.

3. Celebrate Small Wins

Be it a small or a big achievement, make sure you celebrate every victory and praise yourself a little. Set some targets for every resolution, like “save Rs.50,000 by June” or “invest Rs.10,000 every month”, and try to follow them. You can treat yourself to a favorite dish of yours or buy yourself a new outfit on achieving these little victories. While getting serious and setting a good tone for your future, don’t forget to miss the fun part of this journey!

4. Go All In Or Nothing

Don’t just be a part of something or start doing something new just because you read it somewhere or someone else is doing the same. You yourself should gain confidence or have the will to create a list of financial resolutions for yourself and stick to them. Even if you miss out on a resolution for one day or a couple of more days, don’t let the motivation go away and consider yourself a failure. This is just a set back and if you get yourself back on track you can surely reach the end goal.

Over To You

We know it’s often challenging and difficult to stick to financial resolutions throughout the year. Students abandon their targets in a couple of weeks and fail to achieve their end goal. But following these 4 strategies, you should be able to stick to your financial resolutions in 2022 and see them come true. No personal finance books or money apps for students are going to help you with this. Remember, the ritual of yearly resolutions isn’t meant for annual disappointment, choose the right goal and follow the process thoroughly to achieve it. Be calm, flexible and celebrate your progress because it’s not the end goal that matters- it’s the journey all along.

Editor's Pick

blog Money Personal Finance | 5min Read

5 Financial New Year Resolutions for Students in 2022

Published on

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog Money Personal Finance

5 Financial New Year Resolutions for Students in 2022

Wishing you all a very happy new year! Like every other new year, you probably are coming across tons of posts on social media, advertisements, TVs and even your family members would have asked you at once – “What’s your New Year Resolution?”

Still in dilemma, are you?

Setting resolutions and following them seems like a difficult task, right? Let’s try setting goals that you want to achieve this year! Then, the things you need to do to achieve these goals, become your resolutions for the year. Simple?

Think about your top 3 goals this year. 

Now, write them down on a piece of paper.

Ask yourself – Do any of these goals involve developing money management skills?

If yes, you’re in the right place! If not, maybe you need to understand this! Think about it – this is probably the first time you are being told to plan about money while setting your new year’s resolutions, isn’t it?

While students plan to create general resolutions related to their school, grades, extra-curricular activities, learning a new sport or hobby, staying fit, etc. they often forget about one of the important aspects, i.e. finance and money.

It’s high time you embrace money management skills and the best way to do so is by incorporating them into your new year’s resolutions! So, let’s have a look at these unique financial resolutions and how they are going to change the course of your financial journey this year.

Why Should You Set Financial New Year Resolutions?

Buying a new gadget, starting a new project, eating healthy and staying fit, going on a thrilling adventure, etc. have been some of the most common new year resolutions you’d come across. But this year, you can literally live by the popular “New Year, New Me.” saying, and set an example for your friends! Finance plays a pivotal role in everyone’s life and you can be the pioneer who sets financial resolutions this year! These resolutions will not only help you this year but will also prepare you for years to come.

5 Financial New Year Resolutions For Students

1. Save More. Worry Less.

Undoubtedly, the top financial resolution is saving more money. The first step starts with tracking your expenses, pocket money, and how much money you can save every month. Later, you can cut down your spendings on food, books, subscriptions, and other basic amenities. You can look for student discounts while spending on daily needs. Remember to “Pay yourself first.” i.e. “paying” your future self. Because if you pay yourself last, chances are, you won’t pay yourself at all. So, the next time you receive your pocket money, make sure you save wisely.

2. Budget, Budget, Budget.

Set a monthly budget for better money management and keeping good track of each and every expense. Develop your own financial plan by doing an analysis of your income/pocket money, expenses, and investments. Or if you have trouble sticking to a budget, you can make a spending plan instead, that will offer you more freedom and peace of mind. You can opt for the old-fashioned way with a pen and paper, or choose a money management and budgeting app that will serve your purpose. Having a foolproof and good budget will determine your financial success for the year, so pay special attention while making one!

3. Start Investing Right Away

Initially, many students are afraid of investing as they lack the proper knowledge on where, when, and how to invest their money. But once you explore and find out about the investment plans for students, you can gain confidence and start investing in the right way. Mutual funds, stocks, cryptocurrencies, etc. are some of the best investment options available. Set a monthly target of investing Rs. X, regardless of what’s going on in the markets. Therefore, a regular and systematic investing approach will help to achieve your financial goals and set a strong foundation for the long run.

4. Start An Emergency Fund

Apart from savings, investing, and managing your money, an emergency fund is one of the most important financial aspects that will help you with unexpected expenses. This fund should be designed specifically such that it would help you to withdraw the money whenever you need it without any delays. It cannot be built overnight, but gradually by setting aside some amount every month in a different bank account. Also, it’s fine to cut down on investments while building this. Experts often recommend having three to six months of living expenses as an emergency fund, and investing it in liquid funds as it provides better liquidity and higher returns compared to bank savings accounts.

5. Learn And Grow

As they say, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”. Make sure that you don’t just learn from a few resources and call yourself a financial expert. It’s a long journey, thereby understanding and having knowledge on all finance-related things is extremely critical to building wealth. You can learn and do your research through plenty of sources like finance newsletters, personal finance books, best finance podcasts for beginners, online classes, financial literacy courses, and more. Explore these resources in-depth as you can to clear your basics on personal finance, budgeting, investments, etc. Taking one step at a time will help you with your financial plan and these resolutions can act as a checklist to make brilliant progress in your financial journey this year.

Final Thoughts

Be it these financial resolutions or any other resolutions that you have planned for 2022, you are bound to have some obstacles coming your way. There will be times when you just feel like giving up and changing your path, but believe us that’s just a phase and it will pass. Don’t try to follow 50, 100, or 200 resolutions, stick to just one or two, and try to achieve them. So, say au revoir to 2021 and embrace 2022 by sticking to these financial resolutions and fulfilling them this year! Will you? Come, join hands with Big Red Education and complete your new year financial resolutions together.

P.S. Good financial resolutions aren’t always related to saving money and investments. Resolving to donate to a worthy cause in 2022 is a magnificent way to spread positivity and make a difference. Take some time to research some of the notable charities in your locality and try helping out the ones in need. Your small actions can go a long way!

Ready with your resolutions now? Don’t forget to share them in the comments below!

Editor's Pick

blog | 5min Read

5 Financial Literacy Crafts You Won’t Learn in School

Published on

FacebookTwitterWhatsApp
Categories
blog

5 Financial Literacy Crafts You Won’t Learn in School

While schools play a vital role in arming you with basic education and life lessons, don’t you think they miss out on financial lessons and student financial literacy?

Research conducted at the University of Cambridge suggests that your financial habits are typically set by the age of seven.

So, the earlier you get introduced to personal financial literacy, the better for you! By the time you reach adulthood, you can improve your financial habits, avoid impulsive, irreversible decisions and practice the best money management skills for the future.

Why Should Schools Impart Financial Knowledge?

Financial literacy for students is a core life skill of modern society that teaches you the basics of money management, budgeting, investing, and more. As students, you can’t just stick to piggy banks to save more. The world of finance is vast, and to achieve financial independence, you’ll have to understand it someday. While you learn numerous courses in schools, you need to ask yourself one question- “Will I ever use this after I graduate?”

Even national surveys show that young adults have amongst the lowest levels of financial literacy.

If only you had financial education in schools, the landscape would have been different. You would have been able to reflect on the ability to make the right financial decisions and step ahead towards financial planning. But, it’s never too late! To start with, here are some financial literacy crafts that will help you to become financially smart –

Hey, wait up! Can you create your own financial craft?

After reading these 5 crafts, try to think of a new craft and share it with us in the comments below! Wait till the end to find some ideas for yourself.

5 Easy Financial Literacy Crafts You Can Adopt To Become Financially Smart

1. Game-Based Learning

Students generally think learning about finance can often be boring. Budget? Investments? Banks? Lame. But do you know you can add a twist to financial learning through various financial literacy games? Monopoly ain’t an ordinary game that you played with friends and family. If you look into it closely, you’ll realize why! From earning, saving, and buying properties to financial blows, banking, and emergencies the game teaches some of the best financial skill sets to remember for a lifetime. And not just monopoly, you can very much relate to the statement “Money isn’t a game – except when it is.” after trying some of the best financial literacy games yourself.

2. Experiment With Household Finances

Sounds like a big deal for someone in school, right? But remember there’s always learning in the challenging things you try, even if you fail at them. For example, you can take charge of managing the household finances for a month or two. Discuss with your mother about her spendings, daily expenses, and ask how she manages the household budget. Take complete control from her for a while, and try to do things on your own. Create a plan, adjust your expenses, track your spendings and have some savings in the end. You can make use of money management apps and even help your mother to use one, to make things easy.

3. Utilize Your Art And Social Skills

You can make the best out of your creativity, art, and other social skills to get some money. Start by arranging an exhibition of your crafts and artworks, share it with your friends and family who can help you publicize and monetize your work. Considering the response, you can reinvest the same money to create even better things and generate more revenue. Similarly, you can make use of your social skills to start blogging, freelancing, vlogging and making videos, and more. Although this isn’t an immediate source of income, once you start building an audience online, you can get paid for advertisement, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, etc.

4. Books And Podcasts

Personal finance books and finance podcasts have been a hot topic in the industry these days. They have been a great resource to gain knowledge of everything in finance including savings, budgeting, investment plans for students, and much more. You can simply use your smartphones to access the podcasts or buy books online, get an audiobook at your convenience. Experts share their own experiences of the financial journey, the money challenges they faced and overcame to reach this stage. So,  utilize these valuable resources to improve your financial skills, learn about the nitty-gritty of finance in daily life, and how to make smart financial decisions. Get your hands on the best finance books and podcasts right away while they are readily available.

The Art Of Budgeting And Managing Allowances

The last craft in this list is an important one, i.e. allowances. While in school, we understand that not every student has a side hustle or a definite source of income. But most students receive a certain amount as an allowance from their parents and you can kickstart your journey of personal finances using that. The next time you receive your monthly or weekly allowance, make sure to have a plan on where to spend it, and how to save some of it. Even with your credit card, you can try keeping a limit on your spending, thus maintaining a budget for yourself.

Keep a track of your daily spendings and save some money every month for investments or an emergency fund. Set financial goals, both short and long-term for yourself, and work towards them accordingly so that you don’t miss out on them in the end.

Bottom Line

While every one of us got introduced to the world of finance through piggy banks and started saving money on a daily basis. It’s high time now that you take a step ahead of this and exercise these financial literacy crafts for your well-being. It’s certainly a new and creative approach to take over financial matters into your own hands, but if you believe in yourself you can get used to it in no time and begin your progress. Need an extra helping hand with financial literacy crafts and other money management skills? Get in touch with Big Red Education now- a one-stop place for your financial needs.

And now, it’s time to think of your own financial literacy craft!

Here are 2 ideas of financial literacy crafts that you can add to your own list:-

  • Get a jar and name it “Grammar Error” or so. Put a buck in it every time you commit a mistake!

  • Read one book and listen to one podcast every month. Reward yourself with a small gift once you finish.

Which one are you picking up? Share it in the comments below and let’s see who has got the coolest idea!

Editor's Pick