Ridiculously Practical Leadership

How long does it take your team to go from learning about leadership to
high performance?

Are you ready for ridiculously practical leadership?

Ridiculously Practical Leadership is exactly that—ridiculously practical. Nathan Magnuson doesn’t just talk about leadership; he equips leaders to act.

Gwen Martin

Director, Talent and Leadership Development, Tractor Supply Company

What does it take to get from learning about leadership (a cost center) to high-performance outcomes with leaders coaching up their teams along the way (a profit center)?

How long should it take to get there?

Is it possible to develop every leader in an organization? If so… how?

In Ridiculously Practical Leadership, Leadership-in-a-Box® creator Nathan Magnuson draws on over two decades as a talent leader in Fortune 500 companies, a consultant on Top Secret leadership development assignments and an Iraq tour with the U.S. Army Special Operations to share the most impactful lessons from each Leadership-in-a-Box® performance toolkit.

If you’re looking for an approach to leadership development that CEOs, CFOs and CHROs can all support, this is it.

No fluff, no theory, just straight-up practical application that gets results.

Are you ready for Ridiculously Practical Leadership?

Praise for Ridiculously Practical Leadership

"Ridiculously Practical Leadership delivers exactly what the title promises: clear, actionable guidance for leaders who want to elevate their performance and their team's results immediately."

PAUL DIETZLER

CEO, Expo Home Improvement

"Nathan has condensed years of leadership insights, including those gained from our Iraq deployment, into a practical “how-to” guide that empowers leaders to inspire world-class performance from their teams."

COL (RETIRED) KIRK DECKER

U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne)

"Ridiculously Practical Leadership is a standout resource for leaders who want to drive performance without getting lost in complexity."

WHITNEY WIRTA

Sr. Director, Learning and Development Solutions, Labcorp

"In a world of nonstop demand, Ridiculously Practical Leadership is a rare find—it respects your time and delivers real value. It's smart, clear, and packed with insights you can use right away."

PHIL WIEGERS

Founder & CEO, EGW Utilities, Inc.

"Ridiculously Practical Leadership boils down the essential skills and capabilities of today's modern people leader into a fast, action-oriented read."

CHRISTINA BELKNAP

Chief Human Resources Officer, TruGreen

"Nathan Magnuson has reshaped leadership development by creating this Ridiculously Practical Leadership book that addresses all of the common challenges leaders experience."

JOHN TORRES

Senior Vice President, Academy Executive, Bank of America

Accountability: Who + What + When
Active Listening: Confirm Before Your Respond
Building Trust: How Easily Can I Get the Information I Need?
Coaching for High Performance: Every Leader’s 360° Coaching Opportunity
Communication Essentials: How Will the Other Person Hear This?
Decision-Making: What Are the Safe, Bold and Creative Options?
Delegation: Every Destination Begins with a Single Step
Developing Others: Equip Each Person with the Skills to Succeed
Difficult Conversations: Start with Facts!
Emotional Intelligence: What Does This Person (or Situation) Need from Me?

Engaging & Retaining Teams: Win the Heart!
Giving Feedback: How Can I Get It Right Next Time?
Influence & Persuading Others: Make the Right Way the Easy Way
Leading Change: Communicate Change with Clarity and Empathy
Managing Stress & Wellbeing: Recognize the Impact of Stress on the Team’s Performance
Managing Your Career: Turn Career Aspirations into Meaningful Conversations
New Leader Fundamentals: Quick Wins Aren’t Cliché, They’re Critical!
Servant Leadership: Results and Relationships in Action
Teamwork Essentials: Great Teammates Collaborate!
Time Management & Productivity: Productivity Is About Effectiveness

A Message from Nathan

For twenty years I’ve studied leadership development. I’ve had a front row seat to many incredible leaders and others who meant well but got stuck in the all-too-familiar rut of too-long training classes emphasizing theory over application with little to show for the investment.

That’s why I wrote Ridiculously Practical Leadership. We’ve seen the drastic results Leadership-in-a-Box® can produce with high-performing organizations hungry for more. This book condenses the highest-impact lessons in a “book-in-a-box” format the whole team can use.

Like I say in the book, functional skills can keep you alive. I observed this firsthand in the Army Special Ops and in multiple industries like construction and healthcare. But it’s leadership ultimately that determines success.

If you’ve ever felt uncertain of your leadership abilities, frustrated by the challenges your team faces or unsure how to solve the complicated human dynamics in your organization, you’re not alone. There is a ridiculously practical path forward. If you give it a try, you’ll discover that high performance is just one step away.

Are you ready for Ridiculously Practical Leadership?

Nathan

Meet the Author

Nathan Magnuson is the creator of Leadership-in-a-Box®, a “ridiculously practical” leadership development partner for high-performing organizations. The goal of Leadership-in-a-Box® is for every leader to have access to the tools needed for high-performance execution and for every person to have a great boss.

Prior to Leadership-in-a-Box®, Nathan worked as a talent leader for several Fortune 500 organizations, a consultant in the national intelligence space and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the U.S. Army Special Operations.

Nathan is also the author of Ridiculously Practical Leadership and Stand Out! and is proud to be from Kansas City and to reside in Dallas.

Take the Ridiculously Practical Leadership Video Challenge!

Bring Ridiculously Practical Leadership to life with our video challenge! These are the top selections from our Leadership-in-a-Box® library of over 100 micro-video lessons.

Day 1: Who + What + When (Accountability) – 2 min
Day 2: Start with Facts! (Difficult Conversations) – 2 min
Day 3: Communicate Change with Clarity and Empathy (Leading Change) – 2 min