Good books I like to share. Really good
books I like to share with lots of people. And, Nathan Magnuson’s latest book, StandOut! Become a Young Professional Who Wins at Work and Life, is a really
good book you, and lots of people, should know about.
Written by a humble, wise, insightful millennial,
Magnuson provides a timely resource to help young professionals excel in the
workplace and beyond.
Call it a blueprint, handbook, guide or manual,
Stand Out! is a must-read for young professionals early in their career,
for recent college graduates, and for workplace leaders respectfully guiding
and coaching the young professionals within their organizations. Stand Out!
also makes for a good gift from a parent or life/business coach and is perfect
for a millennial’s book club.
Magnuson tells it like it is, provides
clear, practical, actionable advice and speaks with authenticity and in a conversational
style that will resonate with young career professionals. Within the book’s 10
chapters, he covers the topics of ownership, mindset, identity, growth,
engagement, leadership and more.
Nathan Magnuson
Magnuson kindly shared with me today
these additional insights about his book:
What inspired you to write your new book, Stand Out!?
Magnuson:
I've spent the last decade working in
corporate leadership development, so I've seen how hungry young professionals
are. I've also been a part of (and led) several YP groups. And it seems I've
learned many of the key lessons young professionals face the hard way –
especially finding meaningful work. The project was born from a combination of
all those experiences. I felt writing Stand Out! was a chance for me to
make a difference in the world… and to help young professionals succeed at
the things that matter most.
Do you believe millennials are more likely to value and heed the advice
in Stand Out! because it was written by a millennial, and why?
Magnuson:
Absolutely – There are many generational
experts out there, but very few young professionals experts. And of them, some
are Generation X, approaching it as more of a mentoring opportunity or wanting
to leave a resource for their children. I'm an older millennial, so there's
definitely credibility that comes with sharing common experiences.
What did you learn from writing your first book, Ignite Your Leadership Expertise, that influenced your new book?
Magnuson: So much! Most of it was going through
the publishing and marketing processes. Writing is actually the easy part of
getting a book launched! Interestingly, I wrote the first draft for Stand
Out! before Ignite Your Leadership Expertise, but it was too big of
a project for me just yet, which is why Ignite was published first.
Chapter 2 in Stand Out! about Mindset could be somewhat “tough
love” for some readers. Why was it important to include this chapter’s topic in
the book?
Magnuson: The title for Chapter 2 is “Mindset
– Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself.” It's a funny phrase we
sometimes tell young children, but developing a winning attitude is a life-long
challenge for all of us. Years ago, Victor Frankel discovered “the last of
the human freedoms” while imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps,
which is the ability to choose one's attitude despite circumstances. His work
influenced many other thought leaders, including Stephen Covey… and me! At the end of the day, Stand Out! is
meant to help young professionals win, and it's hard to win without a winning
attitude.
What’s the most important discovery likely to come from taking your
recommended 100x gratitude challenge?
Magnuson: Two things. The first is an awareness of
how blessed we are. We have so much to be grateful for that we overlook every
single day! Second, it starts to make gratitude into a habit. Grateful heart,
happy heart!
What is some good language for a supervisor to use when sharing your
book with his/her millennial employees?
Magnuson: Mark Miller, VP of High Performance
Leadership at Chick-fil-A said, “Stand Out! should be required
reading for new employees, and probably all the others, at every
organization.” I wish every supervisor could read Stand Out! – it
would help them form a strong connection with their young professionals! I
tried to make it easy by including short takeaways and discussion questions at
the end of each chapter. The questions from Chapters 3 & 4 are probably a
good place to start. But I also wrote a white paper specifically for leaders of
young professionals called 5 Ways to Win the Hearts of Your Young
Professionals. I'll spoil it – the first two ways are to connect to their
sense of purpose and then to help connect them with each other.
When would be a good time for a Gen Z person to read, Stand Out!?
Magnuson: It's funny, growing up, I remember
talking about what job I wanted to get one day, but never about what to do
after I got a job. I wish I could have been given Stand Out! as a
college upperclassman to help me start preparing for career success.
Why does the advice of Janet Kamerman, “Be Good at Making Other Being
Look Good”, resonate so well with you?
Magnuson: I met Janet Kamerman when she was the
Chief Learning Officer at the FBI and I was a junior consultant. She made a
comment to me in passing one day that changed my life. She said great leaders
are good at making other people look good. All of a sudden, I realized that
true success is about competing FOR your teammates, not against them. It's a
self-actualization turned on its head. Since that's the kind of teammate I want
to have, that's the kind of teammate I need to be.
What are your tips for millennials who want to discuss your book through
a virtual book club experience?
Magnuson: Well I tried to do the heavy lifting for
all the readers by putting some really reflective discussion questions at the
end of each chapter. I think whether virtual or in-person, take it 1 or 2
chapters at a time and use those questions to guide you. We're actually working
on a “Stand Out! Book Club Experience” as well. Anyone leading
a large book club should contact me about it.
