Summary: The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who ran track in high school. <br> When he was at his fastest, he could run a mile in 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Even though he was naturally fast, he learned to increase his speed through a strong practice his coach required: wearing a parachute during practice. <br> I was thinking about what it would feel like to run in a parachute. The weight and pull against your shoulders and legs would be almost unbearable. But imagine how fast you would run once the resistance was removed! <br> Sometimes I think managing finances is like wearing a parachute. If you are running with a lot of financial stress, for instance, you may feel the pull and weight of trying to move ahead with life. If you’ve found a level of financial security, however, you may see money as a parachute that is helping you land safely when needed. For most people, money seems to act both ways.<br> When my wife and I first finished college, we began married life with a lot of college loan debt. I realize now that I’m older that we were not alone. Just recently, the <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/student-debt-just-hit-15-trillion-2018-05-08" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Federal Reserve announced</a> that outstanding student debt for U.S. residents has now topped $1.5 trillion. <br> Thankfully, early in our marriage, we discovered some great resources from authors like <a href="http://masteryourmoney.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ron Blue</a> from ManageYourMoney.com and <a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/fpu#in-progress=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a> and his Financial Peace resources. With a lot of discipline and planning, we were able to pay down debt, save for emergencies, and make a down payment for our first home. <br> Through the years, however, we’ve still had demands on our money that have required us to refocus or relearn some of those same lessons. Money seems to be an area of life most people deal with very privately. You may find it uncomfortable to talk about your own finances. However, your willingness (or resistance) to talk about money will influence the way you think and live.<br> So how does your personal money management influence your leadership? Obviously, when you are responsible for school budgets or managing accounts for others, you must practice strong accountability and responsibility. But in this conversation, I want to focus on how your personal finances — your mindset about managing your resources – influences your leadership.<br> 4 ways your attitude and practice with money matters:<br> 1. Your money management allows you freedom (or lack of freedom) in your career choices.<br> Early in my early education career, I was talking to a friend about how I was struggling with the leadership and support at my school and was unsure what to do next. I no longer felt like I thrive in the work environment there. My friend patiently listened to my struggles and then he said, “Will, we don’t live in communist China. If there’s a better opportunity for you out there, go for it.” <br> That simple statement was a wake-up call for me to remember that I had a choice. But during that discussion, I also realized I had the freedom to look at options because of how my wife and I were managing our finances. By living within in our means and saving for future expenses, we had the freedom and perspective to look at options without fear. <br> Some people worry about their employers knowing they are considering other options for fear they may lose their jobs. Thankfully, I’ve not worked in environments like that. But even if I did, I still believe that a healthy practice in money management allows for a more peaceful perspective when making important career choices.<br> For example, the other day I was listening to a story of a man who lives in an economically depressed area of his city. He gave up a job making $9 an hour in order to work for ...
