Gain confidence in your leadership skills for 2020 to positively influence your company's culture and morale. Setting goals, finding passion, managing your time and putting in your best effort both at work and home are some best practices for the ongoing process of improving yourself as a leader, writes Shane Green.

This infographic from LinkedIn provides a 10-step guide to making the most of the platform's Lead Gen forms, including incorporating bold imagery and video, using five or fewer questions and following up with leads quickly. Update creative at least every few months and use demographic data to optimize creative and targeting, the infographic advises.

The Albany Business Review put together a list of things candidates can do to get noticed by businesses on its 2019 Best Places to Work. Some strategies include mailing a hard copy in addition to the standard email, while other businesses say it's all in the cover letter so show your humility, passion and personality.

Stories, favorite TV shows or movies, and shared experiences are all good ice-breakers to use in networking, writes consultant Michael Goldberg. Make sure to avoid dominating the conversation or getting too personal with stories, and also don't forget to work in the business angle, Goldberg writes.

Leadership that prioritizes kindness, compassion and empathy will help a company retain top employees, says Leah Weiss of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Weiss recommends acknowledging employee emotions, clarifying the company's purpose and investing in self-care.

Data shows African American workers continue to face obstacles in hiring, development and promotion. Laura Morgan Roberts and Tony Mayo offer four ways for companies to address this: invoke morality over the business case, guide open conversations about race, take diversity companywide and support African Americans throughout their careers.

This week, 34-year-old Sanna Marin will be sworn in as Finland's prime minister, making her the youngest person in the world to actively hold that title. Marin has publicly downplayed the importance of her age and gender in her victory, perhaps because younger women have historically been active in the country's politics.