1. Of the mental habits that support lifelong learning, which do you feel are the most important?

Mental habits are automatic processes that become second nature to a person. This occurs once a process has been repeated so many times that it becomes second nature. Examples are driving a car, riding a bike, swimming,

There are some mental habits however which are ingrained in us, and we don't even know about it. Some of these include virtue, honestly, independence, respect, work ethic, quest for knowledge, self-improvement...

These were all values and morals which were taught to us my parents, teachers and elders that we respected when we were children. They were then reinforced continuously throughout our lives that they eventually become second nature to us, and they get incorporated into our being. They help shape who we are, what we are striving for, what our goals are, and what our priorities in life could be.

When thinking about lifelong learning, what mental habits are critical? One example could be self-improvement. As a child, your parents always made you try harder, study a little longer, go the extra distance. Life was not about taking the easy route, or putting in half the effort, it was about bettering yourself. Learning is all about this, the more we know, the better off we are in life, and the further we could go in our career.

Another important mental habit would be independence. The more you know, the more skills you have, the more independent you can be in life. The more you learn, the more you can support yourself, the less you have to rely on others.

Respect is also an important mental habit. Respect comes in two forms - self-respect and respect of others. Continuous learning could touch on both of these branches. Someone who has self-respect will want to continuously keep on learning and improving and making a better life for themselves and their families. As well, learning brings a sense of accomplishment to a person, when you finish a degree, a course or a training session, you usually feel pride and satisfaction. This will make a person have tremendous amount of self-respect.

Respect for others is also correlated to lifelong learning. The more you learn about other cultures, other people, other countries, customs or traditions, the more you will be able to respect others. This is mental habit could only help a person yearn for lifelong learning.

2. With all of the upcoming changes, where do you see your career in the next five years?
When discussing a career path, it is important to really know where as person has come from, where they are performing at currently, and what are their plans for the future. You can't know where you are going if you don't analyze where you have been.

I would firstly like to discuss the strives that I have made in the past 4 years in the company. I started out straight from university, with little practical work experience. I was able to understand how the business worked from a theoretical point of view, but I did not really learn how to apply my knowledge. I learned quickly how to transform my thinking into the real world, and I quickly adapted into this corporate culture. I learned all of the latest computer programs, kept up on the industry news and worked very hard to become an integral part of the team.

I succeeded at that, and I believe I am currently meeting and even surpassing all of my goals and objectives. I am able to crunch the numbers quickly and efficiently, I can analyze them fully and produce a written report in minimal amount of time. I am detail oriented, I always triple check my calculations and my work, I try my hardest to minimize typos and I do believe my work is of high standard and quality.

I also work very well with others. I am friendly, a team player, I know when to take initiative, but I also know when to step aside and let my boss take control. I take constructive criticism well, and I am also open to suggestions, recommendations and tips on how to improve both my work and my productivity. I work hard for the benefit of the company, and I am always willing to put in the extra hours when needed to meet a critical deadline. I know that the team can really count on me through thick and thin.

With all the changes that have been happening, I do believe that things might change slightly, but on the long run, I know that they will make for a brighter future at ABC company.

With respect to the restructuring, I know that this will help managers better delegate work. The new structure also allows for a fast-track career where employees can move up the corporate ladder quicker. I know that this will apply to me, and I hope to benefit from this change. As I have been an employee for 4 years, I hope that the combination of my experience, my loyalties, my dedication and the new corporate structure will lead me towards a managerial position in the next 4-5 years.

The implementation of the new computer program to analyze our work will also impact where I see myself in the next few years. I am well aware that this program is very complex, yet integral to our company. I am willing to attend the 5 day training course in New York City next month to be able to fully learn how to operate the system. As well, I would like to become the key contact person within the company. When the program is implemented company wide, I would like to be the "go-to" person, where I can help out people with problems. I think that this will also contribute to me becoming a manager in the next 5 years, since I would also have special skills that very few other people in the company will possess.

All in all, I see myself continuing on with a fulfilling exciting career as a Manager at ABC company, and I am excited to go down this future path.

Discuss the importance of lifelong learning.

Lifelong learning is one of the most important goals that a person could set for themselves. No one is ever too old to stop learning, and in fact, there is a common sentiment that once a person stops learning, they stop living.

Babies begin to learn from the second they are born. A child's brain is like a sponge, it absorbs everything from language to motions to walking, understanding, thinking, social interactions.. Then the child enters school where their formal years or learning begin. They take classes, graduate to the next level, learn a trade or a career, and begin to work. However, learning does not end once a person begins to work.

A person who wants to stay ahead of the game and keep a competitive edge will continue to learn their entire career. Learning involves taking classes, perhaps perusing a higher degree, attending lectures, seminars, workshops.. It involves learning from bosses and coworkers, reading manuals, trying new computer programs, learning new skills or a new trade. All of this is critical to the ambitious worker who wants to get ahead. Life long learning recognizes that the pace of change in our knowledge-based society is so fast that only a response that embeds continuous and ongoing upskilling and reskilling into our work culture will give us the human capital needed to ensure our employability in the future.

Learning still does not end there. A great deal of learning is done when a person retires. When they were working, the learning that they did was for their career, and perhaps could be correlated to extrinsic motivational factors (promotions, higher salary, better paying job), however, once they retire, the learning can become intrinsic in nature. They learn for themselves, to make themselves happy. They want to quench their sense of adventure. A person who was an engineer their whole life might dream to learn about creative writing. A steel worker might want to learn how to draw. All of these activities make a person strong in both their mind and their body. If an elderly person has a class they attend weekly, it is something that they really look forward to, and something that brings them joy and satisfaction. Some examples of learning could be: learning how to dance, speak a foreign language, write a newsletter, improve your golf swing, or repair your car.

A person who continues to keep on learning all through their life will continue to stimulate their brains, and keep their mind young. People who age quickly are those who do not partake in any new activities or who do not take classes or attending thought provoking lectures. The benefits are really endless:
? Improves memory
? Increases self-confidence
? Offers an inexpensive way to try something new
? Saves you money as you learn to "do it yourself"
? Gives you a feeling of accomplishment
? Helps you meet people who share your interests
? Builds on skills you already have
? Offers you an opportunity to learn a new skill or trade and increase your income
? Gives you a new interest that you can share with family and friends

Is it possible to develop any individual into a leader? Explain.

I believe that it is not possible to make everyone into a leader. A leader has certain characteristics that define then, and that are inherent in their personality. Not everyone is born a leader. Some people are meant to follow the ideologies and suggestions and guidance of the leader.

Here are some characteristics of a leader:

The capacity to create or catch a vision: This is an interesting characteristic, and one that not everyone is born with. This is the type of person who is intuitive, in touch with the future, and who will see potential in a situation when no one else will. This ability could not be taught.

Feel the thrill of a challenge: Some people are born risk taker, others are more conservative. Some thrive on challenge, others prefer a calm situation. Someone who is calm, does not like stress and who does not like to question the status quo would not make a good leader, since they would not be able to evoke change in people's attitudes or beliefs. A person who is always up to the challenge, who wants to stir the pot, excite people, propose new and innovative ways of solving problems is more of a natural born leader.

Always striving to revolutionize the way business is performed: A real leader always looks to the future and is always thinking of ways to solve problems. He is always thinking of a better way to perform a task. Some people are content with always performing in the safe way that they are familiar with. These people would not make the best leaders since they would not be able to move past what is already done, and they would be more prone to keep things the way they are. In business, a successful company is one that stays on the cutting edge and one that continuously innovates and surpasses the competition. Firms can't afford to have a leader who does not continuously improve and evolve. People locked in the status quo are not leaders.

Willingness to take responsibility: If things do not go according to plan, a real leader will have the guts to accept that they screwed up. Others might play the blame game, and propose other reasons for the failure. This does not translate into a strong leader.

Personality traits: A leader also must have several of these personal traits: passion, humor, and empathy strength of character, general maturity, patience, wisdom, common sense, trustworthiness, reliability, creativity, sensitivity.

Inspiring speakers: This could be translated into a quality that makes people listen to them. Potential leaders have a "holding court" quality about them. When they speak, people listen. Other people may talk a great deal, but nobody listens to them. They're making a speech; they're not giving leadership.

To summarize, not everyone can be turned into a leader, they have to have certain characteristics, a certain drive, certain ambitions and through processes that differ from others. This being said, it's not enough for people to have leadership potential; they must have character and the right setting in which to grow. A leader needs to be nurtured into the role and with time and experience, they could develop into a great leader.

please see the attached word file.