3 Low-Cost Ways to Grow Your Leadership Skills

​Strong, confident and capable leaders are those who are continually learning and growing. Maybe you know that, but if you are like most women, you may be:

• Waiting for someone to approve your training
• Hoping to find funds for your development.
• Wondering how you would fit training into your already busy schedule!

Let me tell you a little secret:

1. You don't need anyone to approve your training or give you permission. You can take training right now to make you a more confident and happier leader. And no one even needs to know!
2. You don't need a ton of time. Some of the best training happens in smaller bites of time. It gives you time to digest and apply it!
3. ​It doesn't have to be costly. You can grow yourself without spending a dime or very little. You will find budget-friendly options below.

Before we get into low-cost ways to learn, let's review why it's so essential that you engage in training and take the time to develop yourself.

You need to make growth mandatory
Growth and development, your personal and professional development, are your paths to success in leadership and how you'll find your way to actually enjoying impactful leadership and life at the same time. Yes, striking that balance of impactful leadership and living a full life outside of work is possible. ​
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​You must recognize that to do that, you must make learning and growing mandatory.

Two reasons why training is critical for effective leadership.

1 - You'll be stuck in old ways if you don't learn
If you can't remember the last time you read a book, took a course that wasn't required training for the job, or spent a few minutes reflecting on your personal growth lately, you may feel frustrated with your experience of leadership.​
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You feel crappy because you are stuck with only a few options, tools, or skill sets. As a result, you may be approaching problems with the same mindset and skillset you learned 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Those old ways will not keep you at the forefront of leadership or help you enjoy life.

​​If you ever feel like you're on a hamster wheel, experiencing the same crises and dramas day after day, that might be because you've become stuck or trapped in the same spot. It's like swamp water that doesn't move, and it's why you feel icky.

When your growth & development stagnates, you feel stuck. New training will give you new insights, fresh perspectives, and new tools and thus get you moving, flowing and smelling better.

2 - Your skill set is limited, and you know it
​If you are like many women leaders, you sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome. Instead of feeling competent, capable and confident, you feel:

• Incapable
• Insecure
• Incompetent

​What's more, you hope no one will ever figure out how inadequate you really are.
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To get out of imposter syndrome, you need the training to feel competent and thus confident! If you aren't getting the training you need, you keep feeling incapable, insecure and incompetent. Ongoing personal & professional development ​is your path to confidence.

How to learn on a limited budget
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Perhaps your training budget is shot or nonexistent in your organization. Or maybe you don't want to ask for training money. What about paying for it yourself? Let's be honest, we all know your nonprofit income only stretches so far! Yet, we know strong, confident and capable leaders are those who are continually learning and growing. So, how do you do it with limited funds? Check out the options below.

THREE FREE PLACES TO LEARN

1. Watch a playlist of leadership TedTalks
2. Start a book club with your peers - Here are some of my favourite leadership books
3. Pay attention to your sector's free training and webinars

​3 FREE PLACES TO LEARN FROM ME

1. Tune into my podcast
2. Watch my Leadership Excellence series
3. Choose a mini-training session to watch and grab your free guide sheet here

​THREE LOW-COST PLACES TO LEARN 

1. Purchase a library card 
2. Get an Audible membership. 
   Grab my list of favourite books to listen to here
3. Subscribe to The Training Library 

​Remember, effective leaders,
️️️√ Focus on learning and growth.
√ They are continually developing themselves.
√ Keep the knowledge flowing through them and onto the people they serve.

Ongoing personal & professional development is your path to confidence and effective leadership.​

​If you've been meaning to

• grow yourself
• become a better leader
• learn to keep your composure
• get better at having those tough talks
• figure out how to finally do supervision right

​NOW is the time to plan HOW you will do that 👆🏻 growth.

• If you need a place to start, The Training Library​ may be a good resource for you.