Welcome to a unique "Nick Notes" edition of Together at the Top. In this special episode, Nick turns the mic on himself, with producer Riley Byrne guiding the conversation, to share the core principles that have consistently defined success for the leaders he's worked with. Drawing from close to 4,000 coaching sessions, Nick opens his personal playbook, covering everything from the timeless importance of hustle and humility to the practical skills needed for managing up and building a high-performing team. This episode is a masterclass in leadership, offering a raw, unfiltered look at what it truly takes to get to the top and stay there.

Nick dives deep into the common challenges facing emerging leaders, identifying the "busy" trap as one of the most significant hurdles to overcome. He provides actionable advice on the art of "managing up," detailing the crucial communication shifts required to gain trust and demonstrate executive readiness. The conversation also explores the anatomy of a high-performing leadership team, emphasizing the need for radical transparency, a re-engineered social contract, and the strategic wisdom of placing your best people on your best opportunities, not your biggest problems. Throughout the discussion, Nick reinforces his philosophy of building a career on "concrete" - solid principles, strong relationships, and a deep sense of soulful responsibility for the people you lead.

Episode Highlights:

• Breaking free from the emerging leader's "busy" trap.
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• Shifting from asking for permission to informing with confidence.
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• Understanding why humility is the dividing line between good and great.
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• Building your business on a concrete foundation with key professional advisors.
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• Putting your best people on your best opportunities, not your biggest problems.
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• Using a "social contract" to align your team and prevent conflict.
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• Wielding radical transparency as a tool without causing cruelty.
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• The winning combination of old-school hustle and genuine humility.

Key Takeaways:

"Hustle still wins. You still have to outwork the field. That old school stuff still plays."

"Humility is the dividing line between good and great. It's not enough to be smart."

"In the absence of a stop sign, it means ‘go’, especially with busy people."

"We put our best people on our biggest problems... put your best people on your best opportunity."

"Transparency without empathy is just cruelty."

"Being an employer or manager should be a soulful experience... I manage to the dinner table and to their kids' college accounts."

"What got you here won't get you there. Getting to the top is easier than staying there."

Links:

Nick Warner Consulting: https://www.nickwarnerconsulting.com/

Hidden Potential by Adam Grant: https://adamgrant.net/book/hidden-potential/

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034/

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins: https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith: https://www.amazon.com/What-Got-Here-Wont-There/dp/1401301304/

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/1591845327/