ST. GEORGE — Are you ready to align your narrative with your goals and establish a clear vision for success? Look no further than the latest book from a local author.
“In this book, I share principles that are going to help everyone to master what I call the internal and the external Game,” executive coach Nathan Tanner said. “The external game is how we show up with other people – setting expectations, giving difficult feedback and having hard conversations. The internal game is what goes on inside us –the stories we tell ourselves that impact how we lead that others may not see. It’s mental and emotional resilience.”
Tanner is the author of “The Unconquerable Leader, Mastering the Internal and External Game,” which is set to be released on May 21. Throughout the book, he shares principles that will help others be more effective leaders. He said that leads to being more effective humans in everyday life, creating a mind and life change that goes from from simply surviving to thriving.
In the chapter “Doing Hard Things,” he dives into his journey as a triathlete. Recounting a particular competition where he landed in last place, he emphasizes the importance of perseverance by finishing the race despite the timing. His experience taught a valuable lesson: overcoming challenges in one part of life can help in other parts of life, too.
Tanner’s roots trace back to Southern California, but his connection to Southern Utah runs deep, having spent numerous summers visiting his grandmother in St. George. After attending college at Brigham Young University, he ventured into the world of investment banking. His career trajectory led him to Wall Street, where he experienced firsthand the tumultuous events of 2008. Graduating amidst the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which led to a worldwide recession, marked a pivotal moment in his professional journey.
Following his tenure in financial services, he made a career shift to Human Resources in California’s Bay Area. At LinkedIn, he held various roles before assuming the position of human resources at DoorDash. Over his nearly five years at DoorDash, he witnessed remarkable growth, with the company expanding from 250 to over 5,000 employees. Its valuation also soared from 600 million to over 70 billion upon transitioning from private to public ownership. However, it was during his time at DoorDash that Tanner himself hit rock bottom.
“I just felt completely overwhelmed by challenges that I was dealing with,” he said. “Work responsibilities, a long commute, young kids trying to take care of them, church responsibilities and I just had this moment where it all came crashing down.”
One morning, he found himself on his bedroom floor, tears streaming down his face. The anguish intensified until it culminated in a full-blown panic attack — a sensation entirely foreign to him. It was a stark awakening. While he was guiding others to improve through his coaching business, he realized he was unraveling internally.
“The title is ‘The Unconquerable Leader’, and we’re all going to have these moments where we break,” he said. “I broke that day. But how do we get back up and how do we bounce back from those challenges?”
He hired a coach, who worked with him to make positive changes. Amidst the COVID pandemic, he, his wife and four children, relocated to St. George where he joined a startup in Salt Lake City. He simultaneously launched a full-time executive coaching business. Specializing in one-on-one coaching for technology and startup leaders, he currently manages a remote client roster of 12-15 leaders that span across the United States.
“A lot of my clients really struggle being a startup CEO or similar positions,” he said. “There’s a very large mental toll that comes with that. I have a series of tools that I use as a coach to help people improve in those areas.”
He recounted a tale of one of his clients who was a small start-up Chief Executive Officer. Despite his easy-going and relaxed demeanor, the client had ambitious aspirations for his company. However, he struggled with the challenge of holding his employees accountable. Tanner provided support on multiple fronts, tackling both external and internal aspects of the client’s challenges.
Externally, he assisted in implementing strategic tactics, while internally, he aided in reshaping the client’s self-perception. Ultimately, the client made bold decisions, including letting go of underperforming employees, which elevated the team’s standards and significantly enhanced the company’s performance and operations.
One of the reasons Tanner opted to write a book was to provide his coaching more affordable to a wider audience. He emphasized that the book isn’t solely for CEOs; its principles extend to everyday life. Topics covered include techniques for presenting oneself more effectively, embodying desired traits, and flourishing in all aspects of life.
Pre-order the e-book and audiobook “The Unconquerable Leader, Mastering the Internal and External Game” on Amazon. The book will be released to the public via the same link on May 21 and will also be available on Audible. For more information on Tanner, visit his website and find him on LinkedIn.
Photo Gallery
Executive Coach Nathan Tanner is the author of "The Unconquerable Leader", graphic courtesy of Nathan Tanner, St. George News
Executive Coach Nathan Tanner meets with St. George News to discuss his new book, St. George, Utah, April 11, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Executive Coach Nathan Tanner is the author of "The Unconquerable Leader", graphic courtesy of Nathan Tanner, St. George News
Executive Coach Nathan Tanner is the author of "The Unconquerable Leader", location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Nathan Tanner
Nathan Tanner takes a family photo with his wife and four kids, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Nathan Tanner, St. George News
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