Nathan MagnusonReading – Nathan Magnuson

Trusted Leadership Advisor – Free ebook!

Nathan Magnuson — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:00:20 +0000

I’m happy to announce that last week I posted my first ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor: Accelerating the Leadership Journey of Others.

You don’t have to be special to be a leader and you don’t have to be an expert to help other leaders succeed. You can start right now, right where you are.

Trusted Leadership Advisor is a compilation of some of my previous posts on this topic. In the ebook, I show you how to think about your role as a trusted leadership advisor, what to say and how to get started. Take a look – and if you find it helpful, please share it.

I’d also appreciate your feedback. This is my first ebook and I want to know if the format, structure and ideas prove to be helpful for you. You can leave me a comment below or contact me directly.

There’s so much work to do – let’s work together!

5 Book Recommendations for the Holidays

Nathan Magnuson — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 12:00:36 +0000

My favorite time to catch up on my reading is during long road trips with audiobooks. The second is holidays and vacations. The time away from work helps me sharpen the saw by considering new ideas I might not encounter during my regular routine.

As the Christmas holiday season arrives, I’d like to share a few book recommendations in case you find some down time and want to expand your leadership thinking.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

No doubt you’ve heard of 7 Habits before. But if you’ve never read it, you’re really missing out on a leadership masterpiece. 7 Habits is my second favorite book of all-time (behind How to Win Friends and Influence People). Not only is it packed with great ideas, it also presents a solid leadership framework that has stood the test of time. Effectiveness begins by being proactive and ends (or rather continues) with sharpening the saw.

Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson & others

Crucial Conversations is essentially a field manual on how to communicate positively and effectively in situations where opinions vary, stakes are high and emotions are strong. Unfortunately, Patterson notes, many people communicate at their worst when it matters most. If you are looking for a communication boost with many personal and professional examples, this book is probably the best place to start. The list of success stories is long – and you may find yourself wanting to take a Crucial Conversations training course after you’ve finished reading.

Decisive by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Many of us are paid to make decisions. But how often do you think about how to make good decisions? What do you do when there’s no clear-cut choice in front of you? In Decisive, the Heath brothers offer many approaches that can be applied to all kinds of decisions, from launching a new business strategy to whether to stay in a relationship. As in the rest of the Heath brothers’ books, Decisive contains many interesting stories and illustrations.

The Heart of Leadership by Mark Miller

Mark Miller is one of my favorite leadership authors and bloggers, but I have to admit I labored through many of the character-centric principles in this leadership fable. Whether it was the admonition that leaders ALWAYS think others first or that they expect the best, I quickly realized that my own leadership character is still very much a work in progress. If you’re looking for a short read that really challenges your guts, this is probably the one to go with.

Go Big by Cory Cotton

Go Big is an inspirational read from an energetic group of young guys called Dude Perfect who make and film trip basketball shots for a living. But it’s practical as well. You may not shoot hoops from moving airplanes, but we all need to “get excited” about what we’re doing as well as learn to “blink later” in times when change comes rapidly. Go Big is definitely the most lighthearted read of this list.

What are you reading over the holidays?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

5 Leadership Book Recommendations for the Summer

Nathan Magnuson — Mon, 27 May 2013 10:00:56 +0000

It’s May. Graduation season is upon us. The kids are close to getting out of school for the summer. Maybe you have your vacation all planned out. Regardless, nearly everyone has some collection of summer activities in mind.

I’ve posted about reading before. I’ve shared reading strategies, a comprehensive list of leadership books and inspirational quotes such as Charlie “Tremendous” Jones,’ “You’ll be the same person in a year as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys reading as much as I do. So for now, let me use a more subtle approach and simply recommend five leadership books. Whether you read one or five this summer, I’m positive each one will help take your leadership to the next level.

**1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie**

How to Win Friends and Influence People is hands down my favorite leadership book of all-time. Most people have heard of it, but many have yet to read it. This summer is your chance. The chapters are short, entertaining and extremely insightful with Carnegie’s uncanny intuition about what turns people on and what turns people off. The book was published nearly 80 years ago and its truths are timeless.

**2. Switch by Chip Heath & Dan Heath**

I first read Switch this past winter after having it on my list for a couple years. (My reading list is pretty long). It’s an intellectually and emotionally stimulating case for leading change. Full of many engaging stories and studies, the Heath brothers show how change is often a battle between people’s rational and emotional sides. Instead of wearing ourselves out in a attempt to change people, we can use a variety of easier tactics to provide rational clarity, emotional motivation and influence the environment to make the change the easiest outcome.

**3. Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute**

The story line in this leadership fable took me a little while to get into until I really started to catch the significance of the content. You have a problem. So do I. We don’t know what it is. THAT’S the problem. The authors from Arbinger Institute take an informative but in-depth look at the internal dynamics that unwittingly sabotage our relationships both at work and at home.

**4. 12: The Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner & James Harter**

12 Elements takes a comprehensive approach to organizational leadership based on Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey and is the sequel to the Marcus Buckingham’s bestseller, First, Break all the Rules. Based on 12 million employee surveys, 12 Elements uses case studies of typical responses to show what effective leaders do.

**5. Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer**

If you’re only looking for a short read, Let Your Life Speak is barely 100 pages, but it’s powerfully intuitive. So be prepared to think as Parker Palmer explores from his own life’s journey the ups and downs of trying to discern one’s own vocational calling. Why do people do what they do? How can we find the thing we “can’t not” do? Palmer shows how to let your life speak – and then learn to listen.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his new ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website  or follow him on Twitter.

How to Choose Which Leadership Book to Read Next

Nathan Magnuson — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:00:23 +0000

In my previous posts, I explained why reading is crucial to growth and development and listed my favorite leadership books – the ones that inspire me or provided the most insight. But choosing the right book to read next can be tricky sometimes, especially given there are literally hundreds of thousands just a click away. With so many choices and so little time to read, how can you be sure you are picking the “right” one?

Here are a few strategies I’ve had a lot of success with:

Start with the Books You Like Most

What books are on your favorite book list? Which authors give you the most idea? Have they written any other books? A simple Amazon search can show you not only what other books they’ve written, but also which books customers also bought.

Follow Your Favorite Authors and Thought Leaders

Nowadays, authors cannot simply write books. They must have a social media and blog presence. Look them up on Twitter and follow them. Subscribe to their blogs. Most all of them will share frequent updates on new projects they are working on, blogs they’ve posted, or books they are reading. This is a great way to get the inside scoop.

Determine What You Want to Learn About Next

This is a bit of a no-brainer, but it’s really an important question given the number of titles available. If you have a leadership gap, start there. Or if you are curious and really want to learn about something new (like how to improve your team, how have tough conversations, or how to lead meetings), start there. Or if you simply have a leadership concern, start there.

Phone a Friend

Do you know any leadership experts, junkies, or someone who simply reads a lot? Ask what they are reading. When I get to spend time with leaders I look up to, I try to always ask what they are reading and usually get a long list – and I have gotten some of my favorite books this way.

Utilize a Suggested Reading List

When I was a senior in college, one of my classmates and I decided we ought to start reading some business and leadership books to make sure what was selling on the market was in sync with our expensive textbooks. In our case, we simply looked at the New York Times Bestseller List for Business Books. It was a start. By now there are all kinds of leadership book lists like the ones on 800CEORead or clubs like The Executive Book Club. You might even publish your own list like I did here.

Leave a comment sharing which book you are reading right now and how you chose that title.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.

Favorite Books on Leadership

Nathan Magnuson — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:00:04 +0000

It’s pretty common that my friends or folks in my network will ask me what book they should read. I love the question, but it always puzzles me just a bit. Without any context, it feels kind of like they are asking me what outfit they should wear that day! But after a couple interchanges, it turns out they are usually referring to some kind of leadership book that will help them get to the next level.

I started keeping track of each book I read in 2004 and I’d like to share my favorite leadership titles with you. I tried to arrange this list in order with the absolute best – the ones that gave me the most ideas or inspired me – at the top.

Additionally, my next post will give some strategies on how to choose a good leadership book to read.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Full Steam Ahead! by Ken Blanchard & Jesse Stoner
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
The Secret: What Great Leaders Know – and Do by Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller
The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley
The One Minute Entrepreneur by Ken Blanchard & Don Hutson
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Crucibles of Leadership by Robert Thomas
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey
Becoming a Coaching Leader by Daniel Harkavy
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker

Honorable mentions:

Leadership and Self-Deception by Arbinger Institute
Leadership is an Art by Max Depree
The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes & Barry Posner
Why You Do What You Do by Bobb Biehl
The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson
Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles
Great Leaders Grow by Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller
The Secret of Teams by Mark Miller
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
The Four Obsession of an Extraordinary Executive by Patrick Lencioni
Death By Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
The 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell
Winning With People by John Maxwell
Failing Forward by John Maxwell
Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell
Built to Last by Jim Collins & Jerry Porras
Great by Choice by Jim Collins & Morten Hansen
How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins
Tribes by Seth Godin
Platform by Michael Hyatt
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Better Than Good by Zig Ziglar
Born to Win by Zig Ziglar & Tom Ziglar
StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath & Barry Conchie
Vital Friends by Tom Rath
The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey
Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud
Boundaries by Henry Cloud & John Townsend
First Among Equals by Patrick McKenna & David Meister
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman & Rod Beckstrom
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Visioneering by Andy Stanley
Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg & John David Mann
No More Dreaded Mondays by Dan Miller
It’s Easier to Succeed Than Fail by Truett Cathy
What It Takes to Be #1 by Vince Lombardi, Jr.
Rules of the Red Rubber Ball by Kevin Carroll
The Ascent of a Leader by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol & Ken McElrath
Half Time by Bob Buford
Game Plan by Bob Buford

What are your favorite leadership titles?

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.

Principles of Reading

Nathan Magnuson — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:00:38 +0000

I came across an alarming statistic awhile back from Dan Miller that college graduates on average will spend more money on soft drinks than on post-graduate education. Right then and there, I resolved that this would never be true of me. I heard Dave Ramsey say that the average millionaire reads one non-fiction book a month. So I committed to read two a month. And I heard Charlie “Tremendous” Jones used to say that you’ll be the same person in five years that you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. So I decided I would never stop reading.

Mark Miller makes the claim the claim in his book Great Leaders Grow that every leader is a learner. I can’t think of an easier way to learn than to read. And after all, there’s no difference between someone who won’t read and someone who can’t read.

Reading has never been more convenient than it is today, but at the same time, we’ve never been busier as a society. So let’s go back to the basics and review our reading options.

Traditional Hard Copy

This is the way modern societies have been used to reading for the last several hundred years. Some of the benefits are that it’s familiar and comfortable. Hard copy books are tangible things so they are easy to physically share with others. Also, bookstores can be amazing places to hang out. A couple of downsides are that they are difficult to transport in bulk, difficult to reference quickly, and take either a trip to the store or a couple days’ wait by mail to acquire. My favorite place to get hard copies is Amazon.com, which consistently has the lowest prices. There are also plenty of book “recycling” networks, such as Paperback Swap, that allow you to trade in books you’ve read or don’t want to keep with other folks cheaply and easily. Of course, the local library is always an available option as well.

E-book Soft Copy

What was an upstart technology a decade ago has quickly become mainstream with both e-book content and e-books software applications. Now, the influx of smartphones and tablets have assured that e-books are here to stay. Some of the benefits of e-books are instant delivery via wireless technology, ease of transportation (you can take your entire library with you wherever you go), ease of reference (you enter your own notes and keyword search anything), sync-ability (you can load the same titles on multiple devices and instantly sync each one) and relatively lower prices. For authors, an added benefit is the ability to publish via e-book without the cost of publishing hard copy and therefore getting their content out on the market much easier. The downsides for some people is the lack of nostalgia of holding an actual book while curling up by the fireplace and also some report weariness of looking at an electronic screen over an extended period of time (although reader technologies are getting better and better at this). My favorite e-book software is Amazon’s Kindle Reading App, which is available on practically all technology devices. There are also some libraries that loan out e-books from their website.

Audiobook

Zig Ziglar coined the phrase “automobile university” to refer to the ability to listen to books in the car while commuting to work or on a trip. Did you know that if you have a 20 minute commute to work and listen to audiobooks, you will gain the time equivalent of a bachelors degree’s worth of information in just 2.5 years? The benefits of audiobooks are that with mp3 devices, we can listen to them virtually anywhere at anytime (while commuting, at the gym, at home) and also that we can read while doing other things. The downside is that they can be difficult to reference later (unless you make your own notes or record playback times) and they can sometimes be more expensive than print books or e-books. My favorite audiobook site is Audible.com, which allows members steep discounts via subscription. Some libraries also loan out audiobooks both from their branches and websites.

So how is your reading going? Which method do you prefer? Which could you experiment with? If you have only read hard copy books up to this point, ask your friends who use e-book readers or listen to audiobooks how they like them. You might want to give it a try. Depending on what you choose to read, it could be the best leadership decision you ever make!

In my next post, I’ll share with you my list of favorite leadership books and after that will share some strategies in deciding which book to read next.

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership consultant, coach, trainer and thought leader.  Receive his ebook Trusted Leadership Advisor by subscribing to his website or   follow him on Twitter.