for themselves. By stepping into the emotional shoes of those you lead, you can shape your words in a way that resonates with those you are talking to. This can be as simple as ‘thank-you’, or far-reaching as a vision communicated as a solution to their challenges. In these hard financial times, developing soft emotional skills of leadership is more important than ever. — About the Author Shaun Killian (MLead, MEd) is an experienced educator and author. In 2007, Shaun chaired the National Summit on Leadership & People Development. Shaun is also guest columnist for The Australian, a partner with the Australian Leadership Development Centre at
Three Simple Steps to Reducing Your Taxable Income By Ted Baumann
“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”— Albert Einstein Albert was right: The U.S. tax code is absurd. In 1913, it was 400 pages long. Since then it’s exploded to 73,954 pages of complex language designed to extract as much money as possible from your wallet. Who reads all of that? No one. The code is so complex that U.S. tax preparation is one of the major growth industries … not just in America, but globally. But while the tax man is determined to get his pound of your flesh, there are some important escape hatches for Americans. It may be 16 RuralLeaderMagazine.com | MAY/JUNE 2015
too late for 2014’s tax year, but there’s plenty of time to prepare for next year … if you start now. 1. The Golden Rule: Reduce Your Taxable Income The fundamental element of any short-term tax strategy is to reduce your taxable income for the calendar year. There are three basic ways to do this. 1. Gifting Property acquired by gift or inheritance isn’t included in the taxable gross income of the beneficiary. That makes gifting an ideal way for a family to save tax.
