Inspiration – Page 2 – Nathan Magnuson

What Young Professionals Need to Know About Leadership

I recently got the chance speak to several college and high school student groups about leadership. It reminded me of my college experience when the subject of leadership really clicked with me for the first time. As always, our future rests on the ability of the next generation to lead well. So…

Caps for Sale (and the Art of Influence)

June 2, 2014 Influence Inspiration Personal Effectiveness

“How do you get someone to push you?” I was taking a wrestling class as a kid and that was the question the coach posed as he demonstrated a new move. “You push him first. Then he’ll want to push back and you can use his momentum to your advantage.”…

What I Learned at Leadercast 2014

May 19, 2014 Inspiration Leadership

For the third year in a row I had the pleasure of attending the Leadercast leadership seminar at a local simulcast location. This year I attended in Daytona Beach, FL with about 80 other local leaders. The event was fantastic, as usual. I don’t get to attend as many leadership…

Catch People Doing Something Right

March 17, 2014 Culture Influence Inspiration Personal Effectiveness

Several years ago I needed to perform a complicated banking transaction on a certain day but wasn’t going to be able to arrive during lobby hours. Having worked as a bank teller back in the day, I knew it would probably prove an impossible request. But to my surprise the…

How to Bounce Back from Adversity

January 20, 2014 Courage decision-making Inspiration Personal Effectiveness perspective planning Resilience

Adversity is no respecter of persons. Our experiences are usually different, but each of us gets our turn. Our organizations do too, for that matter. So what happens when adversity strikes? How can we climb our way our of it? This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some thinking…

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…

What Does It Actually Mean to Be Generous?

November 25, 2013 Inspiration Misc.

How will you spend Thanksgiving this week? As an American holiday, it usually includes time with family and ridiculous amounts of food and football. Talk about a great combination! As we prepare to celebrate the holiday, it’s important to note that thankfulness actually encompasses four different areas: gratitude, generosity, sharing…

It’s Time to Be Generous

November 18, 2013 Inspiration Misc.

On November 7, 2013, one of the most intense storms in recorded history Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines. Wind gusts were estimated at 195 mph. Early estimates suggest over 10,000 people have died in the city of Tacloban alone and more than 11 million citizens have been displaced. Aid workers…

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…

Leadership Profile: Jack Welch

October 7, 2013 Courage Culture Influence Inspiration Leadership Leadership Profiles

I first heard Jack Welch speak at the Leadercast Seminar in 2013. Even though he was over a decade into retirement and in his upper 70s, Welch’s rich enthusiasm for business and leadership took the audience (and the moderator) by storm. In raising General Electric’s value by over 4000% in…

What the Communist Party Got Right About Leadership

September 9, 2013 Guest Post Inspiration Learning Organizational Effectiveness

Today’s post was co-written with Brooke Steinke, a student in the Organizational & Management Communication class at CollegePlus. It was great working with you this semester, Brooke! Three months ago, if someone had asked me what I could learn from the Communist Party, I would have jokingly replied, “How not…