8 must-read leadership stories of the week

How to be zen in today's working world, leadership lessons from the English Premier League, and other top leadership stories from the past seven days.

1. Better pay and more flexibility, can you really have them both? Nancy Rothbard believes that job flexibility will be an increasingly relevant issue for many workers in the future.

2. Three career lessons from 15th-century Venice. What can we learn from the rise and fall of Venice, and how does it apply to our own lives?

3. How to be agile and zen in today’s working world. Adopting a Zen approach will help us stay calm enough to be fully aware of what is happening around us, rather than leaping to conclusions in a frenzied panic.

4. Six ways watching the English Premier League makes you a better leader. Here are six ways this season has taught us to be better leaders – whether of sporting teams, in workplaces, or even within our families.

5. Positive thinking leads to success. Doesn't it? Researchers say positive thinking actually gets in the way of accomplishing your goals.

6. “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life” – six inspiring graduation speeches. These are some of the most inspiring graduation speeches of the past 20 years.

7. The 15 best countries to launch your career. U.S. News & World Report compiled a list of the best countries in which to start a career.

8. The reason millennials aren’t happy at work. Much of the stress and anxiety reported by twentysomethings is caused by one thing, according to a study.