Nathan Magnuson On Leadership, Coaching, And His New eBook

Nathan Magnuson

If you haven't discovered Nathan Magnuson's Everyday Leadership blog, check it out today.

You'll find lots of good advice and insights from this Kansas City area leadership consultant, coach and thought leader.

You can also download his new, and free, eBook, Trusted Leadership Advisor, when you subscribe for free to his website.

This week, Nathan kindly shared more about his eBook and leadership in general.

1. What inspired you to write the eBook?

Nathan: I wanted something tangible to share. Instead of only sharing my website address, it's nice to have something people can take with them and reference later on. Even my best articles are only accessible via search after a couple months, but someone can take the eBook, print it and keep it at their desk - or bring it with them on a computer or device.

2. Who is your target reader for the eBook?

Nathan: My primary target for my writing is people who have responsibility for managing other people or managing specific outcomes - as well as people who aspire for greater things. What they (and I) have found is that it's not quite so easy or glamorous as it looks. In this sense, the eBook is a little different because instead of targeting this group directly, it kind of targets everyone else to join me in helping support these folks.

3. What chapter of the eBook do you believe will be particularly helpful to most readers?

Nathan: I have two short pieces on Becoming a Leadership Expert. Let me tell you something, Eric - you don't have to be special to be a leader. You can just be yourself. Is that good news or what?? On the surface, it sounds daunting, but the first thing I say is that each person is probably already a leader - and a "leadership expert" to someone. So that's where we start and just build from there. There are so many ways we can help without needing to be the ultimate authority, such as sharing the ideas of others, relating past experiences and observations and just setting a good example regardless of your qualifications. In fact, I like to say that if you can't lead without authority, you'll never be able to lead with authority.

4. What aspect of leadership do you like writing, coaching and speaking about most?

Nathan: Probably the part I like most is helping people think differently about leadership. I've found that often times a small change in perspective can make a huge change in what is possible for so many people, myself included. In an environment where so many conflicting messages are thrown in our direction, if I can make leadership seem easier, less complicated and more fun - I feel like I've added value.

5. In your consulting and coaching role what have you found to be the most common challenges leaders are facing today?

Nathan: I think without a doubt one of the most common challenges leaders face is rising expectations with a limited amount of resources - especially time. And the bad news is that it's only going to get worse. If you look at the demographics in America, we're about to experience an enormous labor gap do to a generational shift in the workplace. There will be many more jobs than there will be qualified people. This will mean that many under-qualified people will be thrown into leadership roles just based on the numbers. Leadership development won't be a luxury - it'll be a necessity. That means people like us better be ready to get to work and help!

6. Do you have another eBook in the works?

Nathan: Sort of - I usually have several projects in various levels of completion. I've got some ideas, a few outlines and a manuscript or two. Never just one thing at a time. This is usually how I read as well. But when the next one is ready, you can be sure I'll let everyone know!

7. What venues have you found to be the most useful for networking with inspiring leaders within the Kansas City area?

Nathan: Great question - honestly I think the best network I found was joining the Army Reserve in Kansas City. I was a part of the 418th Civil Affairs Battalion in Belton and deployed to Iraq in 2008. Not all of us are in KC anymore (we all returned home safely!) but that's been a network I still benefit from to this day. Additionally, I've really benefited from each Toastmasters group I've joined, both in KC and elsewhere.

Comments

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

How to Be a Leader – 9 Principles from Dale Carnegie

Today, I welcome thought-leader Nathan Magnuson as guest blogger... Nathan writes : This is it, your first day in a formal leadership role. You’ve worked hard as an individual contributor at one or possibly several organizations. Now management has finally seen fit to promote you into a position as one of their own: a supervisor. You don’t care if your new team is only one person or ten, you’re just excited that now – finally – you will be in charge! Unfortunately the euphoria is short-lived. Almost immediately, you are not only overwhelmed with the responsibilities of a team, but you quickly find that your team members are not as experienced or adroit as you. Some aren’t even as committed. You find yourself having to repeat yourself, send their work back for corrections, and staying late to fill the gap. If something doesn’t change soon, you might just run yourself into the ground. How did something that looked so easy ...

The Psychology Of Leadership

I read many books about leadership and this book is one of my favorites. It’s The Psychology of Leadership by Sebastien Page . It offers a fresh take on leadership through the lens of groundbreaking research in positive, sports, and personality psychology. “Like exercise strengthens your body, practicing positive, sports, and personality psychology will make you a better leader,” says Page. The book blends research, fascinating true stories, humor, and self-improvement advice to deliver simple yet powerful principles to master the mental game of leadership. Page reveals timeless strategies for achieving lasting impact, fostering growth, and promoting well-being. He demonstrates how leaders and individuals can balance measurable goals with practical approaches to maximize performance and fulfillment. “Effective leadership is not merely about achieving measurable outcomes. It requires aligning goals with intrinsic motivations and psychological ins...

The Many Times You Should Thank Customers

In your leadership role, it's vital that your team members know how to deliver excellent customer service. " Knock Your Socks Off " type service as book editor Ann Thomas and Jill Applegate would say. Part of delivering excellent customer service is saying "Thank You" to your customers and knowing when to say "Thank You". Thomas and Applegate recommend telling your customers "Thank You" during at least these nine situations : When they do business with you...every time. When they compliment you (or your company) When they offer you comments or suggestions When they try one of your new products or services When they recommend you to a friend When they are patient...and even when they are not so patient When they help you to serve them better When they complain to you When they make you smile You and your team members can say "Thank You" : Verbally In writing (and don't underestimate the power of perso...

70 New Year's Resolutions For Leaders

With 2026 fast approaching, it's a good time to identify your New Year's Resolutions for next year. To get you started, how about selecting one or more of the following 70 New Year's resolutions for leaders? Perhaps write down five to ten and then between now and January 1, think about which couple you want to work on during 2026. Don't micromanage Don't be a bottleneck Focus on outcomes, not minutiae Build trust with your colleagues before a crisis comes Assess your company's strengths and weaknesses at all times Conduct annual risk reviews Be courageous, quick and fair Talk more about values more than rules Reward how a performance is achieved and not only the performance Constantly challenge your team to do better Celebrate your employees' successes, not your own Err on the side of taking action Communicate clearly and often Be visible Eliminate the cause of a mistake View every problem as an opportunity to grow Summarize group consensus after each deci...

How To Uncover Your Blindspots To Become A More Effective Leader

What you don't see about yourself can hold you back as a leader. That's typical for many leaders. What we don't see is what we can't see: we have blindspots . Your blindspots prevent you from achieving your greatest success. “It turns out that we're often not great judges of ourselves, even when we think we are. Sometimes we're simply unaware of a behavior or trait that's causing problems,” explains Martin Dubin , author of the book, Blindspotting: How To See What’s Holding You Back As A Leader . “Bottom line: until we uncover these blindspots, we can't move forward. The good news is that you can learn to do your own blindspotting .” “Most of us understand the idea of blindspots in a general sense—areas we can’t see, to take the term most literally, or places we have gaps that we may not even realize, to be a little more abstract,” says Dubin. “But in the context of this book, I’m defining blindspots quite specifically: They are the...

Leadership Lessons From A Serial Entrepreneur

Brad Jacobs’ new book provides you a treasure trove of leadership lessons from a man with more than four decades of CEO and serial entrepreneur experience. So, even if you don’t envision yourself wanting to earn a billion dollars, don’t pass up reading Jacob’s, How To Make A Few Billion Dollars . In the book, Jacobs defines the mindset that drives his remarkable success in corporate America – and distills a lifetime of business brilliance into a tactical road map. And he shares his techniques for: Turning a healthy fear of failure to your advantage. Building an outrageously talented team. Catalyzing electric meetings. Transforming a company into a superorganism that beats the competition. “This book is about what I’ve learned from my blunders, and how you can replicate our successes,” says Jacobs. He shares his candid account of the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Jacobs has founded seven billion-dollar or multibillion-dollar businesse...

40 Timeless Lessons From Southwest Airlines

A few years ago, Southwest Airlines celebrated its 40th year and was kind enough to share in its in-flight magazine 40 lessons it learned since 1971. The lessons provide good tips for business leaders. If you missed the full list, here are some of the highlights of timeless lessons: Invent your own culture and put a top person in charge of it . A crisis can contain the germ of a big idea . Simplicity has value . For Southwest, simplicity means using 737s for most of its fleet, which makes maintenance more cost-effective and allows more efficient training for flight crews and ground crews. Remember your chief mission . Take your business, not yourself, seriously. Put the worker first . For Southwest, that meant being the first U.S. airline to offer a profit-sharing plan, in 1974. Employees now own 13 percent of the airline. The web ain't cool, it's a tool . Southwest was the first U.S. airline to establish a home page. By 2010, ...

70 New Year's Resolutions For Leaders

With 2024 fast approaching, it's a good time to identify your New Year's Resolutions for next year. To get you started, how about selecting one or more of these 70 New Year's resolutions for leaders? Perhaps write down five to ten and then between now and January 1, think about which couple you want to work on during 2024. Don't micromanage Don't be a bottleneck Focus on outcomes, not minutiae Build trust with your colleagues before a crisis comes Assess your company's strengths and weaknesses at all times Conduct annual risk reviews Be courageous, quick and fair Talk more about values more than rules Reward how a performance is achieved and not only the performance Constantly challenge your team to do better Celebrate your employees' successes, not your own Err on the side of taking action Communicate clearly and often Be visible Eliminate the cause of a mistake View every problem as an opportunity to grow Summarize group consensus after each decision point...

How To Be More Impactful Through Entrepreneurial Giving

This Thanksgiving as you think about what you are grateful for, think, too, about how you can be more giving. To help you discover a more giving you, read the new book, A Talent For Giving , by John Studzinski . It introduces the meaning of entrepreneurial giving - a hands-on approach to philanthropy that harnesses skills, expertise, and resources. Through thought-provoking insights, A Talent for Giving offers a powerful new roadmap for impact as Studzinski shows how anyone, regardless of financial means, can become a force for change. You do that by maximizing your Talent , Time , and Treasure and by embracing these values alongside others like Trust , Technology , and Trial , according to Studzinski. “Giving is any act of kindness or generosity that recognizes and respects the dignity of another human being,” shares Studzinski. “It can be something very simple – a smile, or a hug or a few words. And on a larger scale, it’s giving your time,...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog