Expert insights. Personalized for you.
It’s been over a decade since I returned from a year-long Army deployment to Iraq. It’s been over six years since I finished my military obligations altogether. Even though I’ve all but forgotten my initial trip to the recruiter’s office, some things will stick with me for life. From time to time, I’m asked how my military experience informed my leadership. Here is a small sample of my lessons learned. Taking care of business in Kirkuk, Iraq, 2008. MORE
We all know that competence is one of the main requirements for effectiveness. But can you become so competent that it actually becomes a detriment? The answer is yes. If you’ve developed a high level of competence in a particular area, you’re actually in a danger zone. If you don’t identify the pitfalls, it’s likely you’ll fall into one. Here are four to keep an eye out for. Curse of Knowledge Trap. MORE
For years I’ve been asked for book recommendations. I always take them seriously because I wouldn’t be the leader I am without my library. It’s been a huge part of my leadership education. As a senior in college, I started reading business bestsellers to see how they compared with my textbooks. MORE
Stress and resilience have been my most requested leadership topics for over a year now. Just recently, I received another request. ( You can join this one on 9/23! Leaders want to know: how can I lead my team when they’re at a breaking point? MORE
How do you lead when you’re not the boss? It’s hard enough to lead when you are in charge. What are the other options? If you’ve wondered this, I’ve got good news for you. It’s a lot easier than it sounds. And you can get started today. Here’s a game plan for you. Start Collaborating Now. It’s hard to influence when you don’t have any visibility for one reason: people give more credibility to folks they recognize. But getting noticed can be tricky. MORE
Join Nathan’s 30 minute webinar “ Mastering REALLY Difficult Conversations ” on Oct 28 at 12pm CST. Something happened at work that set off your alarm bells. Maybe you’re a nurse and the physician ordered a drug you think may trigger an allergic reaction from the patient. MORE
What’s the quality of your conversations with your young professionals? More specifically, what questions are you asking them? In my new book Stand Out! , I share that young professionals today are the leaders of tomorrow. The reason is a matter of simple mathematics. MORE
Several years ago I had a shocking experience that permanently changed my outlook. I’m afraid the traces of that experience began in high school. As a high school football player, we had a strictly enforced protocol among the players for team photos. Forget saying, “Cheese” – everyone needed to wear a game face. Later, I joined the military and the same code of conduct applied. MORE
Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash. One of the highlights of last year was the time I spent hosting a webinar on dream jobs with my brother, U.S. Marine Harrier pilot Capt Cale “Rowdy” Magnuson. MORE
Have you ever received the good fortune of being promoted to the new leader of your team, only to find that life got complicated and edgy the moment you started? All of a sudden, your peers knew you as “boss” and not just their buddy. There’s a vast difference between the two. What did you do in that situation? What should you do? Many leaders of former peers struggle at first. Some even go so far as to request a demotion in order to return to the way things were. MORE
“Never take council of your fears.” ” That’s a quote attributed to many legendary leaders over the years. MORE
No one has gone untouched in 2020. But it hasn’t just been the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted each person, it’s the repercussions. Work instability, financial hardship, rapid pace of change, family lifestyle adjustments, isolation and loneliness. MORE
“If you were a fruit, what kind would you want to be?” ” That was the ice-breaker that kicked off the worst meeting I’ve been a part of. It took 30 minutes for everyone to contribute. The meeting ran 25 minutes long. Not only was it a complete waste of time, by the end I felt like I owed the company stockholders an apology just for attending. In general, I tend to enjoy work meetings, but many business professionals dislike them – and often with good reason. MORE
Decisions fascinate me. Occasionally they come easily. Sometimes they are difficult. Oftentimes they’re stressful. Some have huge implications. Most have a variety of influencing factors. Some decisions turn out perfectly. Some blow up entirely. Leaders are responsible for making important decisions that by nature aren’t easy. In fact, in a certain sense the essence of one’s leadership is the sum of the decisions he or she has made over time. MORE
Who’s the real leader around here? It used to be that the leaders were the people in charge. As long as they did a good job, all was well. When they stumbled, the organization suffered until an adequate replacement could be found. That type of leadership doesn’t work any longer. MORE
I had a conversation with one of my entrepreneur friends this past week. Ryan had big plans for a new software release, but needed to put the project on pause to sort out some of the final details. To bridge the time gap, he took an interim CEO role to help turnaround a small company. MORE
What happens when you find yourself in the midst of a crisis situation? Do you freeze up? Jump into action? Sit down to create a plan? What if you’re the person in charge? It’s the leader’s job recognize when stakes are high and respond appropriately. We don’t need to look far to see harsh criticisms of leaders with underwhelming responses to crises that occurred on their watch. If you find yourself in the midst of a crisis you didn’t create, welcome to leadership. MORE
Are you an idea person? Do you find yourself coming up with new business ideas, branding concepts or process improvements? Does careful project management sometimes stifle your creativity? Do people ever give you that look that implies you ought to focus on the task at hand instead of daydreaming? If so, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you! And the good news is, you have a special and significant gift. Change is always preceded by thought. MORE
The seventh year of the Everyday Leadership blog has come to a close in 2018. Here are the Top 10 works (not just posts this time!) from the year. (By By the way, you can view all my past Top 10 posts as well.). Ignite Your Leadership Expertise. My first book Ignite Your Leadership Expertise was published earlier this year! The book shows how to grow your expertise in leadership while also growing trust with the people around you. Nine Ways to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For. MORE
Recently retired Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder famously crafted 16 Goals for Success which he used with his football teams over his decades of coaching. Goal #13 stated, “Expect to win… and truly believe we will.” ” According to Coach Snyder, one of the root causes of success was belief itself. In my white paper Nine Ways to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For , the very first best practice I share is “Belief in the cause.” MORE
Several years ago I interviewed with a large leadership development consulting firm. Things were going as expected until the office president threw me a curve ball by asking for my point-of-view on leadership. I was stumped. MORE
If you have goal to grow as a leader, you’re on the right track. If you have a plan of how to do it, you’re doing even better. But where have you put your focus? Many leaders choose to focus their development energy on areas they think (or have been told) are their weak areas. But is that really the best strategy? If you’re going to invest the effort into becoming a stronger leader, it pays to make sure your focus is in the right place. Identify Your Strengths. MORE
A couple weeks ago I had an idea for one of my corporate leadership programs that has over 6,000 leaders enrolled. In an attempt to make the program communications more personal, I included an insightful reflection one of the participants “Mark” had shared at the bottom of the email message. I didn’t have to wait long for a response, but I was surprised who it came from. Within minutes an email reply appeared from our company president. MORE
As a University of Kansas basketball fan, I’ve never rooted for Duke. But there is a Duke moment that stands out in my memory. It occurred probably 10 or 15 years ago. Duke was in the process of getting upset in the NCAA Tournament. They were playing hard that day but not well. Near the end of the game, the senior star player fouled out, highlighting the frustrating day for everyone. MORE
Are you a “to-do” list person? For each leader reaching for higher levels of productivity and accomplishment, a “start doing” list can be a friendly companion or a demanding task master – sometimes both at the same time. But what about a “stop doing” list? Whether you have an aggressive new initiative or are simply looking to streamline your effectiveness, a stop doing list may be the very thing you need. Here are six reasons why. Time Scarcity. MORE
I’m told that one quote preachers try to live by is, “If it’s foggy in the pulpit, it’s cloudy in the pew.” ” In other words, as the leader and communicator, if you’re unclear about any part of your message, it’s a sure bet everyone else is as well. You don’t have to be a preacher to risk setting unclear expectations. If you’re responsible for performance outcomes of any kind, unclear expectations could be your biggest kryptonite. MORE
What can athletics teach us about success? If your coach is Bill Snyder, quite a lot! Athlete or not, look at Snyder's 16 Goals for Success MORE
My new book Ignite Your Leadership Expertise is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Both the soft cover and ebook versions will be available on October 16. Winston Churchill declared, “Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ” He wasn’t the only leader who recognized the reality of failure on the journey to success. Late Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy admitted, “When you fail, you have to start all over again from a lesser position.” MORE
I remember the first time I asked my supervisors if I could sit in on an interview they had scheduled with an outside candidate. I figured it would be a good learning opportunity as well as a break from crunching financial numbers. This was during my first job out of college, before I got into [.]. Human Resources Organizational Effectiveness hiring interviewing recruiting talent acquisition MORE
There’s incredible power in language. Words don’t merely convey ideas, they can change the course of history. The words you use as a leader matter too. Here are some simple but powerful phrases that set great leaders apart from the rest. “We” (not “me”). Leaders should think and communicate with inclusive language, as Coach K is fond of saying. It’s not “my” team, it’s “our” team. MORE
What if I told you you don’t need to have a great solution for every single problem that comes your way in order to be a competent and mature leader? Well that’s exactly what I’m about to propose. Hopefully it’s as refreshing to you as it is to me. And the best part about it is that it can dramatically improve your leadership influence as well. Why Ask Questions? Many leaders hesitate to ask questions because they fear it will make them appear weak. MORE
4 Critical Skills for Leading People – 4 min. I’ve been wanting to share these four foundational people leadership skills for quite a while now. MORE
The term “coaching” has been trending as a corporate buzzword for some time now. We’re all familiar with athletics coaches. But when someone advises us to find a coach to learn a new skill or solve problem, it’s usually in a professional context. What does it actually mean to coach someone? The interesting thing about coaching is how dynamic of a leadership role it is. Supervisors can coach. Mentors can coach. Peers can coach. Executive coaches can coach (obviously). MORE
Over a decade ago I received a DVD of a past Chick-fil-A franchisee seminar. As I watched, the late founder Truett Cathy took the stage to deliver his opening remarks. They weren’t what I expected. He opened by saying, “If any of you has something against someone in this room, I want you to make it right.” ” Then he promptly left the stage and approached someone in the audience for a conversation. MORE
Acquiring knowledge and know-how is critical to any professional – both for knowledge and manual workers. But with it brings some new disadvantages as well. The “curse of knowledge” is recognized as a “cognitive bias” that essentially means it is difficult or impossible to unremember or disregard information you possess. It seems that what you don’t know – as well as what you do know – can both hurt you. So how can knowledge actually be a curse? MORE
In my book Ignite Your Leadership Expertise , I wrote that leaders make life easier, less complicated and more fun for those around them. When I first drafted those words several years ago, I’ll admit they felt a little cheesy. But over the years, I’ve come to realize their merit all too well. “Leaders make life easier, less complicated and more fun for those around them.” MORE
Nathan Magnuson
OCTOBER 4, 2021
Join Nathan’s 30 minute webinar “ Mastering REALLY Difficult Conversations ” on Oct 28 at 12pm CST. Something happened at work that set off your alarm bells. Maybe you’re a nurse and the physician ordered a drug you think may trigger an allergic reaction from the patient.
Nathan Magnuson
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
Stress and resilience have been my most requested leadership topics for over a year now. Just recently, I received another request. ( You can join this one on 9/23! Leaders want to know: how can I lead my team when they’re at a breaking point?
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Nathan Magnuson
JULY 26, 2021
Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash. One of the highlights of last year was the time I spent hosting a webinar on dream jobs with my brother, U.S. Marine Harrier pilot Capt Cale “Rowdy” Magnuson.
Nathan Magnuson
OCTOBER 19, 2020
No one has gone untouched in 2020. But it hasn’t just been the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted each person, it’s the repercussions. Work instability, financial hardship, rapid pace of change, family lifestyle adjustments, isolation and loneliness.
Advertisement
Learn how to protect your company from The Great Resignation’s turnover epidemic.
Nathan Magnuson
APRIL 6, 2020
I had a conversation with one of my entrepreneur friends this past week. Ryan had big plans for a new software release, but needed to put the project on pause to sort out some of the final details. To bridge the time gap, he took an interim CEO role to help turnaround a small company.
Nathan Magnuson
JANUARY 11, 2021
“Never take council of your fears.” ” That’s a quote attributed to many legendary leaders over the years.
Nathan Magnuson
MARCH 15, 2021
4 Critical Skills for Leading People – 4 min. I’ve been wanting to share these four foundational people leadership skills for quite a while now.
Nathan Magnuson
JULY 6, 2020
What’s the quality of your conversations with your young professionals? More specifically, what questions are you asking them? In my new book Stand Out! , I share that young professionals today are the leaders of tomorrow. The reason is a matter of simple mathematics.
Nathan Magnuson
APRIL 1, 2019
It’s been over a decade since I returned from a year-long Army deployment to Iraq. It’s been over six years since I finished my military obligations altogether. Even though I’ve all but forgotten my initial trip to the recruiter’s office, some things will stick with me for life. From time to time, I’m asked how my military experience informed my leadership. Here is a small sample of my lessons learned. Taking care of business in Kirkuk, Iraq, 2008.
Nathan Magnuson
JANUARY 6, 2020
Several years ago I interviewed with a large leadership development consulting firm. Things were going as expected until the office president threw me a curve ball by asking for my point-of-view on leadership. I was stumped.
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Stay compliant with Paycor’s COVID-19 Action Plan FAQs and templates toolkit.
Nathan Magnuson
JULY 1, 2019
In my book Ignite Your Leadership Expertise , I wrote that leaders make life easier, less complicated and more fun for those around them. When I first drafted those words several years ago, I’ll admit they felt a little cheesy. But over the years, I’ve come to realize their merit all too well. “Leaders make life easier, less complicated and more fun for those around them.”
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Nathan Magnuson
JULY 2, 2018
Are you an idea person? Do you find yourself coming up with new business ideas, branding concepts or process improvements? Does careful project management sometimes stifle your creativity? Do people ever give you that look that implies you ought to focus on the task at hand instead of daydreaming? If so, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you! And the good news is, you have a special and significant gift. Change is always preceded by thought.
Nathan Magnuson
OCTOBER 1, 2018
My new book Ignite Your Leadership Expertise is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Both the soft cover and ebook versions will be available on October 16. Winston Churchill declared, “Success is going from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ” He wasn’t the only leader who recognized the reality of failure on the journey to success. Late Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy admitted, “When you fail, you have to start all over again from a lesser position.”
Nathan Magnuson
DECEMBER 3, 2018
What happens when you find yourself in the midst of a crisis situation? Do you freeze up? Jump into action? Sit down to create a plan? What if you’re the person in charge? It’s the leader’s job recognize when stakes are high and respond appropriately. We don’t need to look far to see harsh criticisms of leaders with underwhelming responses to crises that occurred on their watch. If you find yourself in the midst of a crisis you didn’t create, welcome to leadership.
Nathan Magnuson
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
There’s incredible power in language. Words don’t merely convey ideas, they can change the course of history. The words you use as a leader matter too. Here are some simple but powerful phrases that set great leaders apart from the rest. “We” (not “me”). Leaders should think and communicate with inclusive language, as Coach K is fond of saying. It’s not “my” team, it’s “our” team.
Advertisement
The federal government is developing a rule requiring employers with more than 100 employees ensure their workers are vaccinated or produce a negative COVID test weekly before entering the workplace. So, what can your organization do to prepare? Get Paycor’s COVID Vaccination Policy Template to help communicate important details to your employees.
Nathan Magnuson
NOVEMBER 5, 2018
I’m told that one quote preachers try to live by is, “If it’s foggy in the pulpit, it’s cloudy in the pew.” ” In other words, as the leader and communicator, if you’re unclear about any part of your message, it’s a sure bet everyone else is as well. You don’t have to be a preacher to risk setting unclear expectations. If you’re responsible for performance outcomes of any kind, unclear expectations could be your biggest kryptonite.
Nathan Magnuson
DECEMBER 17, 2018
The seventh year of the Everyday Leadership blog has come to a close in 2018. Here are the Top 10 works (not just posts this time!) from the year. (By By the way, you can view all my past Top 10 posts as well.). Ignite Your Leadership Expertise. My first book Ignite Your Leadership Expertise was published earlier this year! The book shows how to grow your expertise in leadership while also growing trust with the people around you. Nine Ways to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For.
Nathan Magnuson
SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
How do you lead when you’re not the boss? It’s hard enough to lead when you are in charge. What are the other options? If you’ve wondered this, I’ve got good news for you. It’s a lot easier than it sounds. And you can get started today. Here’s a game plan for you. Start Collaborating Now. It’s hard to influence when you don’t have any visibility for one reason: people give more credibility to folks they recognize. But getting noticed can be tricky.
Nathan Magnuson
JANUARY 8, 2018
If you have goal to grow as a leader, you’re on the right track. If you have a plan of how to do it, you’re doing even better. But where have you put your focus? Many leaders choose to focus their development energy on areas they think (or have been told) are their weak areas. But is that really the best strategy? If you’re going to invest the effort into becoming a stronger leader, it pays to make sure your focus is in the right place. Identify Your Strengths.
Advertisement
In this whitepaper, Paycor examines the top 7 things you can do to out-maneuver your competition and win the war for talent in the coming months.
Nathan Magnuson
JANUARY 7, 2019
Recently retired Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder famously crafted 16 Goals for Success which he used with his football teams over his decades of coaching. Goal #13 stated, “Expect to win… and truly believe we will.” ” According to Coach Snyder, one of the root causes of success was belief itself. In my white paper Nine Ways to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For , the very first best practice I share is “Belief in the cause.”
Nathan Magnuson
FEBRUARY 2, 2015
As a University of Kansas basketball fan, I’ve never rooted for Duke. But there is a Duke moment that stands out in my memory. It occurred probably 10 or 15 years ago. Duke was in the process of getting upset in the NCAA Tournament. They were playing hard that day but not well. Near the end of the game, the senior star player fouled out, highlighting the frustrating day for everyone.
Nathan Magnuson
SEPTEMBER 3, 2018
Have you ever received the good fortune of being promoted to the new leader of your team, only to find that life got complicated and edgy the moment you started? All of a sudden, your peers knew you as “boss” and not just their buddy. There’s a vast difference between the two. What did you do in that situation? What should you do? Many leaders of former peers struggle at first. Some even go so far as to request a demotion in order to return to the way things were.
Nathan Magnuson
OCTOBER 17, 2016
“If you were a fruit, what kind would you want to be?” ” That was the ice-breaker that kicked off the worst meeting I’ve been a part of. It took 30 minutes for everyone to contribute. The meeting ran 25 minutes long. Not only was it a complete waste of time, by the end I felt like I owed the company stockholders an apology just for attending. In general, I tend to enjoy work meetings, but many business professionals dislike them – and often with good reason.
Advertisement
In this whitepaper, Paycor examines the top seven compliance risks of 2021 and offers best practices on how to mitigate your risk. Download Paycor's guide today.
Nathan Magnuson
AUGUST 18, 2014
What if I told you you don’t need to have a great solution for every single problem that comes your way in order to be a competent and mature leader? Well that’s exactly what I’m about to propose. Hopefully it’s as refreshing to you as it is to me. And the best part about it is that it can dramatically improve your leadership influence as well. Why Ask Questions? Many leaders hesitate to ask questions because they fear it will make them appear weak.
Nathan Magnuson
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014
The term “coaching” has been trending as a corporate buzzword for some time now. We’re all familiar with athletics coaches. But when someone advises us to find a coach to learn a new skill or solve problem, it’s usually in a professional context. What does it actually mean to coach someone? The interesting thing about coaching is how dynamic of a leadership role it is. Supervisors can coach. Mentors can coach. Peers can coach. Executive coaches can coach (obviously).
Nathan Magnuson
JULY 10, 2017
Over a decade ago I received a DVD of a past Chick-fil-A franchisee seminar. As I watched, the late founder Truett Cathy took the stage to deliver his opening remarks. They weren’t what I expected. He opened by saying, “If any of you has something against someone in this room, I want you to make it right.” ” Then he promptly left the stage and approached someone in the audience for a conversation.
Nathan Magnuson
JUNE 4, 2018
Several years ago I had a shocking experience that permanently changed my outlook. I’m afraid the traces of that experience began in high school. As a high school football player, we had a strictly enforced protocol among the players for team photos. Forget saying, “Cheese” – everyone needed to wear a game face. Later, I joined the military and the same code of conduct applied.
Advertisement
In 2021, many of your competitors will invest in talent development software. If you make the right decision, invest in the right software, and if your organization is willing to use it, you can realize five decisive competitive advantages. To see those advantages, download Paycor’s latest guide, 5 Reasons CFOs Invest in Talent Development.
Nathan Magnuson
SEPTEMBER 11, 2017
Decisions fascinate me. Occasionally they come easily. Sometimes they are difficult. Oftentimes they’re stressful. Some have huge implications. Most have a variety of influencing factors. Some decisions turn out perfectly. Some blow up entirely. Leaders are responsible for making important decisions that by nature aren’t easy. In fact, in a certain sense the essence of one’s leadership is the sum of the decisions he or she has made over time.
Nathan Magnuson
MAY 7, 2018
A couple weeks ago I had an idea for one of my corporate leadership programs that has over 6,000 leaders enrolled. In an attempt to make the program communications more personal, I included an insightful reflection one of the participants “Mark” had shared at the bottom of the email message. I didn’t have to wait long for a response, but I was surprised who it came from. Within minutes an email reply appeared from our company president.
Nathan Magnuson
APRIL 2, 2018
We all know that competence is one of the main requirements for effectiveness. But can you become so competent that it actually becomes a detriment? The answer is yes. If you’ve developed a high level of competence in a particular area, you’re actually in a danger zone. If you don’t identify the pitfalls, it’s likely you’ll fall into one. Here are four to keep an eye out for. Curse of Knowledge Trap.
Nathan Magnuson
OCTOBER 3, 2016
Acquiring knowledge and know-how is critical to any professional – both for knowledge and manual workers. But with it brings some new disadvantages as well. The “curse of knowledge” is recognized as a “cognitive bias” that essentially means it is difficult or impossible to unremember or disregard information you possess. It seems that what you don’t know – as well as what you do know – can both hurt you. So how can knowledge actually be a curse?
Advertisement
As an HR leader, your goal for talent development is to create an environment where everyone is motivated and supported to achieve a shared vision of success. By investing in the right software, you can realize five decisive competitive advantages. To see those advantages, download Paycor’s latest guide!
Nathan Magnuson
JULY 29, 2013
I remember the first time I asked my supervisors if I could sit in on an interview they had scheduled with an outside candidate. I figured it would be a good learning opportunity as well as a break from crunching financial numbers. This was during my first job out of college, before I got into [.]. Human Resources Organizational Effectiveness hiring interviewing recruiting talent acquisition
Nathan Magnuson
AUGUST 6, 2018
Are you a “to-do” list person? For each leader reaching for higher levels of productivity and accomplishment, a “start doing” list can be a friendly companion or a demanding task master – sometimes both at the same time. But what about a “stop doing” list? Whether you have an aggressive new initiative or are simply looking to streamline your effectiveness, a stop doing list may be the very thing you need. Here are six reasons why. Time Scarcity.
Nathan Magnuson
MAY 16, 2016
For years I’ve been asked for book recommendations. I always take them seriously because I wouldn’t be the leader I am without my library. It’s been a huge part of my leadership education. As a senior in college, I started reading business bestsellers to see how they compared with my textbooks.
Nathan Magnuson
DECEMBER 24, 2012
What can athletics teach us about success? If your coach is Bill Snyder, quite a lot! Athlete or not, look at Snyder's 16 Goals for Success
Advertisement
Building the ideal HR team doesn’t happen overnight—especially when CFOs have limited time, budget and resources. But our new guide can give you advice on where to start and key focus areas you need to know. Download our guide today!
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