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Why Investing in Yourself Is the Best Investment You Can Make

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Ambitious professionals can increase their workplace value and relevance by taking charge of their career development. Not long ago, employers helped loyal workers build their careers. Today – as it grows more common for workers to job hop – employer-provided career development is becoming increasingly difficult to find. 

Accordingly, it’s up to you to promote your success. By learning new skills and gaining new experiences, you can improve your ability to serve in your current role and set the foundation for success in the future.

Life Is About Quality – Not Just Quantity

Before you embark on your career development journey, you should take a moment to think about the big picture. Many ambitious professionals make the mistake of letting their career goals overshadow their personal lives.

Quality of life and personal successes are equally as important as career advancement. However, paying too much attention to either your personal or professional life can lead to an unsatisfying imbalance.

Today, the scales of work-life imbalance typically tip towards work, as the now digitally-connected world keeps professionals tethered to their jobs 24 hours a day. The United States, for example, ranks 30th out of 38 countries in work-life balance.

Typically, the path toward an excessive workload begins with taking on too many responsibilities. Reclaiming your personal life begins with learning how to say “no.” Also, it’s easy to get caught up in perfectionism. By relinquishing the need for everything to be just so, you can relieve some of the burden involved with your work.

Outside of the office, you can promote work-life balance by learning to unplug. Time away from incessant work reminders will allow you to live in the moment and enjoy what life has to offer. Finally, take time to care for yourself. Exercise can give you a natural influx of endorphins. Endorphins help you to relax and maintain a positive demeanor.

Planning for Success!

Counterintuitive as it may seem, career advancement begins with personal development. If you’re new to career development, start by getting in the habit of stepping outside of your comfort zone regularly. You should aim to expand your skill set beyond your current role. You can start by taking online classes to gain skills that are in high demand by your employer.

Despite your learning vehicle, clearly define your goals. Commit them to a written plan. Figure out the skills that you intend to learn every year, and plan to complete a substantial course every quarter.

Choose your lessons carefully. It’s important to choose courses that will offer tangible opportunities. Your manager or a human resources representative can help you figure out what new skills can increase your value in the workplace. As you work through your career development plan, remain open to change. Make sure that your plans align with the evolving demands of your career. 

Also, stay informed about how your commitment to continued learning will help you reach your goals. This way, you’ll build a mental buttress that will shore up your resolve as you work to advance your career.

The Writing’s on the Wall

Companies such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft, influence millions of people around the world. However, no leading organization is content in its current role. The world’s leading organizations are always striving to surpass previous successes. Facebook estimates its value at $600 billion. The social media giant reports 1 billion users per month. Google is valued even higher at $830 billion.

Despite this kind of phenomenal success, these organizations want to do more. Facebook, for instance, is exploring the idea of expanding its social media platform using augmented reality. The company hopes to deliver remarkable experiences to users around the world.

Meanwhile, Google is working with artificial intelligence to promote the global adoption of computer-assisted technology in consumer homes. Similarly, Amazon is branching out from retail into commercial finance. All organizations desire growth. You can increase your value to employers by learning skills that will help your organization to achieve its goals.

Figuring Out Your Desires

Sometimes, career planning is easier said than done. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an excellent tool for assessing your personal and professional goals. The bottom and widest part of Maslow’s hierarchy begins with survival needs, such as food and water.

The next level up focuses on the human need for security and safety – whether physical or financial. Next, Maslow’s hierarchy emphasizes the need for love and belonging. Another level up, the pyramid concentrates on self-esteem, self-worth and self-empowerment.

Moving up Maslow’s hierarchy, the pyramid focuses on the need to be understood by others. This section encompasses curiosity, purpose and understanding. The next level of the hierarchy highlights the need for symmetry and order. The top of Maslow’s pyramid culminates in self-actualization.

By thinking about how Maslow’s theory applies to your personal and professional desires, you can develop a satisfying career plan while simultaneously finding personal fulfillment.

How have you invested in yourself already this year? Share your story below!

Ryan Ayers has consulted a number of Fortune 500 companies within multiple industries including information technology and big data. After earning his MBA in 2010, Ayers also began working with start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a keen focus on data collection and analysis.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)

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