How to Keep Learning as a Leader... on a Budget

Bangalore: If you want to hinge on success in a business, all you require is to stay current or the risk of falling behind is always there. Self education is very important as does taking on the role of a lifetime learner.

Here are seven tips to get you in gear as a lifetime learner:

No. 1: Subscribe to online business publications:
You can have an easy access to all the learning about leadership through the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, Smartbrief on Leadership and National Public Radio’s Marketplace program. These are good resources to learn about leadership, business developments and consumer trends. The time spent on it will be worth by going through stories, blogs and interviews featured in it. Subscribing any two publications and reading at least one article from each will be highly beneficial.

No. 2: Observe practices in other businesses:                                                                                                                                                                            Operational and organizational practices are very common in any business. At every work place employees managers gather and engage in lively chats before heading to work. This interaction unites them all before they go back to their actual working area. During this interaction all talk on various topics like sales, customers, feedback and accomplishments. These kind of sessions gear up the employees with fresh spirit and it works as a spark plug for communication and camaraderie.

No. 3: Look, listen and ask:
Good observation and listening skills will take you long way. A good communication is very important. Having small talks with people around you can help you open up to new ideas and schemes.

No. 4: Talk with a friend who has business:
It is good to be in touch with friends who run a business. They could help you in learning lot of things. Try and gather as much as you can from them. Taking information from them and implementing it to your own business could bring in great results. And in exchange what you can do is give few tips to your friends which might help them.

No. 5: Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger:
Getting into a conversation with a stranger can sometimes be good and beneficial for you. Who knows that stranger is a business owner is like you. So you can always have the scope of getting to know something new and latest. The point is there is terrific learning close at hand for you to take advantage of.

No. 6: Start a business book club:
What you can do is, join an online club or community book club of small business leaders. Reading the best seller offers and going through new perspective will help you in many ways. Follow the discussions for your own betterment.