Character – Nathan Magnuson

The Person on the Other End of Your Leadership

What comes to mind when you think about leadership responsibility? Taking charge? Casting vision? Setting strategy? Getting results? Every time I get to ask this question in a workshop setting, the list gets long very quickly. Let’s make it more personal with this sobering question: are the people you lead…

Dealing in Hope

January 9, 2017 Character Influence Inspiration Personal Effectiveness

Napoleon Bonaparte claimed, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” Hope is a strangely human enigma. It can’t be handled but it can be shared. It can’t create anything on its own but it can pave the way for new accomplishments. Whether you’re celebrating a new beginning (like the start…

Don’t Sabotage Your Own Success

September 5, 2016 Character Personal Effectiveness

When you’re new to the workforce, enjoying leadership success can be a far off goal. The main focus is finding the right role and doing quality work. I know that was the case for me. But with time and experience (and a lot of hard work) come new opportunities to lead…

How to Be a Good Dictator (or Not)

August 15, 2016 Character Leadership Management Values

In the 16th century, political consultant (for lack of a better term) Niccolò Machiavelli’s works were published in the controversial manuscript The Prince – which is still in print today. In it, Machiavelli shared his theories on how a ruler could maintain control of his province – especially when gaining new…

How to Tell Who the Real Leader Is

October 20, 2014 Character Courage decision-making Influence Inspiration Leadership Organizational Effectiveness Personal Effectiveness

I’ll admit I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years when it comes to identifying leadership ability in others. Some I’ve thought would be great weren’t – and others I didn’t give much consideration turned out to be amazing. It’d be a lot easier if there was a scientific method…

Where Credibility Comes From

February 17, 2014 Character Communication Personal Effectiveness

When was the last time your face was the unfamiliar one? You may have gotten a new job or joined a new team. Maybe you moved to a new area, joined a new network or gave a presentation to a new group. How did it go? If you had anything…

7.5 New Year’s Leadership Resolutions

December 16, 2013 Character decision-making Expectations Influence Inspiration Learning Networking

This year has just about come to a close. The Type As among us are probably wrapping up their goals and planning for the new year (if they aren’t finished already). The rest will catch up. Maybe. I saw a great post from Mark Miller last week on New Year’s…

Wanted: Optimists!

December 9, 2013 Character Expectations Influence Inspiration Leadership Personal Effectiveness

Is the glass half empty or half full? You’ve undoubtedly been asked this rhetorical question before. Apparently how you answer is supposed to quickly reveal whether you are an optimist or a pessimist – and perhaps a lot more about your inner worldview. I’m not sure what the “right” answer…

Leadership Profile: Malala Yousafzai

November 4, 2013 Character Courage Influence Inspiration Leadership Profiles

One of the leadership questions I often hear is this: how can I be a leader when I’m so young? I can’t think of a better example to share than this month’s leadership profile Malala Yousafzai. I first heard of Malala when it was reported the Taliban in Pakistan’s Swat…

The Day an Exec Showed Me Up

October 28, 2013 Character Influence Leadership

Several years ago when I was in graduate school, I invested a summer at a major restaurant franchise with the hopes of landing a corporate role after I graduated. I worked with an incredible operator who went out of his way to help me build my network with the corporate…