Leading Wholly

“Nathan Murfield’s Leading Wholly offers a refreshing view of leadership grounded in curiosity, humility, and lifelong learning. His chapter on curiosity is particularly compelling, showing that the most effective leaders are not “know-it-alls” but “learn-it-alls” who ask better questions and stay open to growth. It powerfully reinforces a core truth about leadership today: curiosity is the engine of coachability, keeping leaders receptive to feedback, learning, and continuous improvement.” —KEVIN D. WIDE, Author, Coachability and Executive Leadership Fellow, University of Minnesota

“Too much leadership advice focuses on projecting confidence. Leading Wholly argues for something more durable: leaders who integrate curiosity, humility, courage, communication, and accountability into a coherent leadership practice. A thoughtful and practical contribution to modern leadership.” —UCHE NWOKOCHA, Partner, Aluko & Oyebode

“I’ve spent my career making the case that curiosity and authenticity are good business, not soft ideas. So Leading Wholly felt like finding a fellow traveler. Nathan Murfield is as rigorous with the science as he is honest about his own story, and he proves what many of us were taught to doubt: You don’t have to be the superstar to lead well. You have to be whole. The bravest idea here? Wholeness isn’t getting it right every time. It’s the courage to keep returning. You’ll close this book a little lighter… and a lot more yourself.” —JOSHUA BERRY, Author of Dare to Be Naive and Cofounder of Econic

“Leading Wholly is a deeply human and insightful leadership book that illuminates what authentic leadership truly looks like in practice. Nathan masterfully weaves together storytelling, science, and practical wisdom, making the book both engaging and immediately applicable. The six principles of Leading Wholly provide a powerful foundation for developing leaders and creating healthier, more effective organizations. This is a book leaders should keep close and return to again and again.” —JAMIE SHAPIRO, CEO, Connected Executive Coaching and Author of Connected Culture

“Transparency leads better than perfection ever could because performative leadership is a terrible strategy. Leading Wholly teaches us that people don’t follow perfection; they follow trust, and trust begins when leaders show up as actual human beings.” —TODD CAPONI, CSP®, Author of The Transparency Sale, The Transparent Sales Leader, and Four Levers Negotiating

“You can’t cultivate joy in a culture where the leader is splintered and exhausted. The disconnected leader creates disconnected teams. The armored leader creates armored culture. Joy—real joy, the kind that drives performance and retention and the work people actually want to show up for—requires internal alignment of the leader before you can dream of bringing that to the culture. Nathan Murfield builds that path, room by room, pillar by pillar. Leading Wholly is what happens when the leader does the inner work that connects intellect and intuition, success and struggle, strength and soul. Then the whole organization changes.” —JENN WHITMER, Keynote Speaker and Author of Award-Winning Joyosity

NATHAN MURFIELD, Ph.D.

Nathan Murfield is a leadership strategist, author, and educator who helps leaders move beyond performance into presence. For nearly two decades, he has led global engineering and service teams at a $5 billion industrial company, bringing a systems-thinking approach to complex technical challenges. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and completed Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.

As a person in long-term recovery, Nathan writes and speaks from lived experience about leading through imperfection. His voice blends research and rigor with humor, candor, and humanity, inviting leaders to bring their whole selves to work.

He lives in Minnesota with his wife and three children.

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