1 . Being a leader in any environment earns you trust among peers and helps you get things done, whatever the task is. Let us show you how to develop leadership skills.

Assess yourself.     1     It’s about looking at yourself objectively, seeing your behaviors and attitudes from the outside, and observing how you may come across to other people. For instance, you may know your intentions are good, but perhaps your delivery doesn't quite translate that.

Address areas of improvement. Be open to testing new ideas and trying new ways of doing things, especially if it seems your old ways of doing things don’t work.     2     If you struggle to see yourself objectively enough to figure out which areas need improvement, a leadership coach may be able to help.

Be a good problem-solver.     3     So being quick on your feet and decisive in how you deal with problems will put you ahead of the game as a leader.

    4     You don’t have to agree with everything someone says, but you must be willing to receive feedback about your own performance, as well as opinions on other important issues. Being flexible and curious about the wants, needs, and ideas of others will develop a much more respectful, effective, and positive environment for everyone.

Encourage others. Building leadership skills requires knowing how to work well with people. Staying in the know about what goes on in your community is important, but responding to that information with enthusiasm is equally critical.     5    

2 . Improve Your Relationships

Having stable and positive relationships in your life can make you happier and more fulfilled. Whether it's your friends, family, or significant other, improving a relationship can sometimes be confusing.     1    

Express your appreciation for the person.

    2     Notice the positive things that the person is doing and go out of your way to show your appreciation for them. You can also show your appreciation by remembering important events like anniversaries or birthdays.

    3    

If you hardly see each other or talk to each other, it can be difficult to maintain a relationship. Take extra time out of your day and devote it to the person that you want to improve relations with. Try to work around the other person's schedule so that you can spend the time together. You can share a meal, watch a show, listen to music, or go shopping with them.

Turn off distractions.

Distractions like a cell phone, social media, or video games can create a division in between you and another person. If you notice that you are always distracted, you should turn off your cell phone or computer and talk to them.     4    

Seek therapy(心理治疗) if you can't get along.

To fix or improve family relationships or relationships with your significant other, you can turn to therapy. If you notice that you and the person are always arguing over the same kinds of things, and nothing has worked, you should consider seeking therapy with them.     5     And family therapy may be able to restore bonds between family members.

3 . Tips for Submitting a Good Letter of Recommendation

If you consider applying for any colleges abroad, one of the most important parts is the recommendation letter. Its purpose is to give universities a complete picture of you.

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But a credible (可信的) reference saying you’ve consistently worked hard on a project can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected.

Choose the right references

Universities want to know how well you work under pressure and how you react to criticism, basically your characteristics, abilities and mentality. A good referee (推荐人) should have a solid professional relationship with you and be able to communicate your academic and personal strengths.

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Most universities ask for two recommendation letters. They are regularly split between a school professor and an extracurricular (课外的) source. Undoubtedly, it’s good to show your skills in the subject you want to study.     3    

Time

Professionals can sometimes find it hard to make time for writing recommendations.     4     So give them plenty of time and send them a link of your university’s recommendation letter guidance page, if possible.

Clear goals

Don’t be afraid to ask your referees to include certain qualities or examples you want to highlight. You should inform at least one of your referees about your career goals, grades and recent projects. They may not be referenced. But giving referees additional evidence to back up their points can make the letter more convincing.

    5     It’s where you can find what a university lays stress on, as well as some important information such as deadlines and so on.