Image credit: Flickr When it comes to leadership, you can’t lead others–effectively–until you know how to lead yourself. I was recently asked during a pre-interview what I learned about leadership after serving 13 years in the military, and I told the interviewer that I had to think about it because, quite honestly, I didn’t even know where to begin answering that question.

Anita Dhake, pictured here in Greece, retired at the age of 33 to travel the world. She has smart tips for how you can do it, too. (Courtesy of Anita Dhake) At the age of just 33, Anita Dhake had saved enough money that she was able to quit her day job, retire early, and travel the world. You can read her story in my Forbes column here. She also blogs about her amazingly inspirational life on The Power of Thrift.

Stan Gloss. Stan Gloss, 60, is cofounder and CEO of BioTeam, a consulting firm that designs computer systems and networks for the life sciences market. The 14-year-old company has both public and private sector clients, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, Biogen and Regeneron.

We know what typical procrastination looks and feels like: we’re on social media, checking emails for the tenth time in an hour, clipping our toenails, loading the dishwasher, revisiting the snack room, dragging our feet in other blatant ways—all instead of accomplishing the necessary and most important task at hand. Many view procrastination as a conscious if not deliberate process, an unconcealed self-control failure.

Do you ever notice how some entrepreneurs seem to get all of the spotlight? Or wonder how they get the referrals, the press interviews, the cross-promotions and, ultimately, the lion’s share of the market? Well, after a recent conversation with Derek Coburn, I’m convinced any entrepreneur can make this a reality for their business. Derek Coburn teaching lessons from his book, Networking Is Not Working Derek is a financial advisor who runs his own wealth management practice.

The old job-search rules are going out the window. Most of what we learned about how to get a job in the last millennium is useless now. You can’t get a good job by filling out online job applications. Your application will be lost in a sea of applications and you may never hear a word from the employer. You have to take matters into your own hands! The first job search rule to break is the old rule that says you must apply for a job by completing an online job application.

Credit: Unsplash Despite the temptation to be “always on,” the best leaders have discovered — and a growing amount of research is backing this up — that the best way to stay productive all the time is to spend a good portion of it being deliberately unproductive. Since sabbaticals originated in the academic world, the majority of the research done on them has been conducted in that context.

Dear Liz, I am in a bind. It is a sticky situation that I fell into by chance, but I still have to deal with it. I started a new job barely five weeks ago. The job is fine. I really like it. I liked my old job, but I had been there for four years and there really wasn’t any room for advancement. My supervisor is only two years older than me. She’s nice but she’s not an experienced leader. That’s part of my problem, as I will explain. I work in an open bullpen-type area.

As someone who watches technology trends closely as part of my business, I have been thinking about the future impact of all the technology innovations and automation we are currently experiencing and on the cusp of achieving.  Many of the headlines I read about these trends — and even some I write — predict some pretty negative consequences right along with the monumental achievements and improvements.

Shutterstock The career advancement muses must be circling because I received two questions within the same week on how to land a mentor. One inquiry came from an experienced and high-ranking professional, which only underscores that, at every stage in your career, mentors are critical. Mentors can provide information, advice, candid feedback, even role playing practice for sticky situations. Here are 10 ways to land a mentor: Read this book to determine if you need a sponsor instead.