9781422277898

Leadership Skills & Character Building ORGANIZATION & PROBLEM-SOLVING

TITLES IN THE SERIES

• Communication Skills • Initiative, Grit & Perseverance • Integrity & Honesty • Organization & Problem-Solving

• Self-Confidence • Self-Discipline & Responsibility • Tolerance & Cooperation

Leadership Skills & Character Building ORGANIZATION & PROBLEM-SOLVING

Sarah Smith

MASON CREST

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania PA 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll free)

Copyright © 2019 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 978-1-4222-3998-8 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3994-0 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7789-8

Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

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Cont ents

Introduction

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Chapter One: Good Organization & Effective Problem-Solving Chapter Two: The Logical Process of Making Correct Decisions Chapter Three: The Logical Process of Learning by Your Mistakes

15 21 29 37 45 53 58 60 61 62 64

Chapter Four: Listening & Taking Advice

Chapter Five: The Benefits of Reading, Research & Presentation Preparation

Breaking Down Tasks for Study & Revision

Chapter Six:

Chapter Seven: Working Out Difficult Problems & Compromising

Series Glossary of Key Terms

Further Reading & Internet Resources

Organizations to Contact

Index

Picture Credits/Video Credits & About the Author

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.

Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout the series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

INTRODUCTION: INSPIRATION TO THE READER The most effective leaders have a combination of intellectual intelligence (IQ), technical skills, and emotional intelligence (EI). Emotional intelligence is an essential ingredient. EI is the act of knowing, understanding, and responding to emotions, overcoming stress in the moment, and being aware of how your words and actions affect others. Emotional intelligence consists of five attributes: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, motivation, and effective communication.

The Unrelenting Athlete “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why

I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

The Bold Poets

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou “What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” – Bob Dylan

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Organization & Problem-Solving Becoming more confident as a leader in any capacity will help you inspire others and set a positive example. Gaining confidence in yourself, and finding more joy and peace of mind as you go about life, will help you handle all the successes, challenges, and setbacks along the way. Inside the pages of this book we will discuss all the components to improving your leadership skills, bringing you more confidence and building your character to become the leader you want to be some day.

The Inspiring Creators

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

The Captivating Writer

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

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Words to Understand

mission: a task or job that someone is given to do occupation: the work that a person does; a person’s job or profession tactful : careful not to offend or upset other people

Regardless of age or occupation, good leaders can be found throughout society.

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Chapter One GOOD ORGANIZATION & EFFECTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING

A great leader can be found in any area of life: A family, a group of friends, a team, a school, a business, a community, even an entire nation. But whether on a global scale or in one’s own backyard, the most effective leaders are alike in many ways. Leaders, for instance, are able to communicate effectively. They listen well and can express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas in a clear and honest way. People who are seen as leaders (no matter what their age or occupation , including students) are confident yet humble, they are hard workers, and are tactful and respectful even when dealing with difficult people or situations. Good leaders also inspire others through their example of generosity, kindness, and cooperation. They aren’t afraid to take action and make tough decisions, and they understand their own strengths and weaknesses as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the people around them. They can then use this awareness and insight to make good choices that will benefit the overall mission of the group (e.g., study group, team, club, etc.). Perhaps most importantly, a good leader is organized and able to problem-solve. Why Organizational Skills & Problem-Solving Skills Matter Organizational and problem-solving skills are important for any young teen to develop. Being organized,whether in action, thought, and space, helps a leader keep a clear mind and make accurate and timely decisions. Similarly, being a good problem-solver helps a person overcome temporary setbacks and achieve goals. The challenge, however, is that schools don’t always explicitly teach these skills. Of course, to be a good student, gain a good education, and eventually secure a good and fulfilling job, a young person needs to be organized and able to solve

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Good Organization & Effective Problem-Solving

Good organizational skills learned at school and college will enable a young person to become a more independent adult who can prioritize all aspects of their life.

problems (from simple math equations to problems that arise in social situations). But aside from study tips, teachers don’t usually teach their students specific ways to be more organized or better at decision-making. Sure, a teen’s academic course load can help develop these skills naturally over the years. But sometimes, the practical know-how and specific benefits of such skills can get lost behind the need to understand the subjects. In other words, getting a passing grade often feels more important to the student (which is understandable) than developing the helpful habits of organized, conscientious thought and action.

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Organization & Problem-Solving

Yet the good news is that these skills—organization and problem-solving—can be developed over time. It simply takes practice and patience. As future leaders, teens need to be organized and able to solve challenging problems so that they can remain focused (whether in school, on the field, or in their relationships). These skills will prevent kids from wasting energy on less important or unnecessary things, and ultimately help them carry out their day-to- day and big-picture tasks.

What to Expect From This Book

This book is like a class course all on its own.

The subject? Organization and problem-solving skills.

By the end of this book, students should have a firm grasp on why organizational and problem-solving skills are so important, what they look like, and how they can be developed. Students will learn how having these skills will not only make them more effective leaders but will also help them become better students, friends, and future employees (if not future business owners and entrepreneurs). First, students will be shown the logic and reason behind making choices (an important part of problem-solving). Understanding such logic can help them streamline their decision-making process across many different areas of life (from choosing where to apply to college to what to wear to school on Friday). Next, student readers will be introduced to the wonderful world of “mistakes” (in other words, the consequences of poor choices). They’ll learn that mistakes aren’t inherently bad and in fact can be a useful and necessary part of growth. Helpful tips will be shared that students can use to deal with mistakes and learn from them. Since an essential element of good leadership is good communication, this book will also talk about listening skills in the context of working with others to resolve problems. Examples will be provided from which readers can learn how to identify which sources (including books, websites, and people) are reliable for giving quality advice and information. After discussing these general principles of organization and problem-solving, readers will then learn how to apply these principles to their schoolwork and other areas in which they’d like to succeed. Students will learn ways to improve their reading comprehension, research, and presentations by being more organized.

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Good Organization & Effective Problem-Solving

Poverty to Wealth: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Germany. Though he didn’t start talking until age four (leading many doctors and family members to believe he was “stupid”), Einstein clearly had a knack for math and science. By the time he was a young schoolboy he was teaching himself things

like algebra and geometry and solving highly complex math problems. Interestingly, Einstein was known for having a messy desk and being a bit unkempt himself, with frizzy hair and wrinkly clothes. He also had a tendency to forget appointments and not wear socks! However, he was highly organized in his studies. Einstein published his first scientific paper by the age of sixteen and was teaching physics and math in Switzerland as a young man. His illustrious and productive scientific career took off in 1915 when he published a series of papers on the general theory of relativity, which were groundbreaking studies that would literally change the course of science and pave the way for technological advances of the future. He eventually won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. Aside from his theory of relativity and other discoveries, Einstein was also known for being extremely hardworking. He’s famous for saying: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Of course, we think Einstein was probably being a bit humble here—the man really was so smart, a bona-fide genius by all accounts. But his humility and willingness to not take himself too seriously (while taking his work seriously) was probably one of the reasons why he was considered such an incredible leader in the world of science. As one of the smartest men who ever lived, Einstein made a lasting impact on the world, and leaves a powerful legacy in the value of integrity, discipline, and creativity. To quote the man himself: “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it’ll spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

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Organization & Problem-Solving They’ll also learn how to use organizational and problem-solving skills to get the most out of their study and homework sessions, which can improve grades as well as deepen the quality of learning achieved. Lastly, this book will show how being more organized and a more effective problem-solver can help children, teens, and young adults handle conflict, overcome failure, and compromise with coworkers, clients, and loved ones. Hopefully, students will come away with an important understanding about success and leadership:

Perfection isn’t the goal—personal growth is.

So let’s make leaders out of ourselves and get started!

Text-Dependent Questions 1. What qualities do good leaders have? 2. Why is it important for a student to understand the logical reasons behind making choices?

3. Where was Albert Einstein born?

Research Project Think of an event you’d like to organize, such as a party, wedding, sports, or charity fundraising evening. Write a two- page essay on how you would organize the whole thing from start to finish.

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Words to Understand critical thinking: the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment Decision Fatigue: the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision-making introspective: characterized by examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings

Humans make hundreds of decisions every day, many of which are made subconsciously. However, the choices that are made consciously are an important part of daily life and can shape our futures.

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