Marquette Today

Campus News and Events

Submit news

Menu

  • Campus News
    • Top News for Students
    • Top News for Faculty & Staff
    • Magazines at Marquette
    • Campus Alerts
  • Archives
  • Submit news
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Contacts
  • @MarquetteToday
  • Events Calendar
  • Topics
    • Community Engagement
    • Diversity
    • Innovation
    • Master Planning
    • Marquette Momentum
    • Research
    • Strategic Planning
  • March 29, 2023

Marquette bookshelf: ‘Push the Tarp: A story about fostering authentic leadership and great teams’

September 6, 2022

By Tim McMahon, vice president for university advancement

Picture of Tim McMahon and the cover of his book

“Push the Tarp” is available Monday, June 20.

“Push The Tarp” is a novel about a 20-year-old who is faced with adversity, and through a fortunate turn of events learns from an unlikely mentor who teaches him a proven approach to authentic leadership and building great teams. In this truly heartwarming and relatable journey, Tim McMahon demonstrates how to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be by harnessing the power of authentic leadership and championship-caliber teamwork. This book encourages you to rediscover your authentic purpose and Push the Tarp—intentionally—every single day.

Learn more or purchase this book on Amazon

Tim McMahon answered some questions about his new book, including his favorite part of the writing process, what he hopes the book can accomplish and how it complements his work in University Advancement.

How would you describe the book in one sentence?

A fictional story about a mindset to foster authentic leadership and great teams in sports, business and life.

Where did the idea for this book come from?

The idea came from a saying my college roommate had when we had to push the tarp onto our field in college. Later in my career, I have used the metaphor of pushing the tarp as a way to describe that we all have to show up (service), we all have to push (teamwork) and we have to keep pushing (persistence) in our pursuits.

These three values of service, teamwork and persistence are the pillars of our University Advancement culture.

How does this book advance or complement your work with the university?

The lessons within this story are emblematic of how we approach our culture in UA.

What do you hope to accomplish with this book?

I hope to inspire leaders and aspiring leaders through this story and provide them with a framework that has worked for me.

I also think the story is an easy-to-read, a widely relatable tale about relationships, and it is a reminder to readers that life is about those we impact and those who make an impact on us.

Last, I hope this inspires the next generation of leaders to do so in their own authentic way. That we can utilize a common framework around agreed values and then empower future and rising leaders to bring them to life in their own ways.

What was your favorite part of the writing/editing process?

The creative process and the creation of the characters in the book. Each of the characters are fictional and I made them up as I wrote each morning. It is amazing how emotionally invested and connected I became to these characters.

Are there any other Marquette/Milwaukee connections to the topic or development process of your book?

The Greater Milwaukee area is the main location for this story. My main character plays for the Northwoods League’s Lakeshore Chinooks in Mequon; Marquette University is mentioned a few times in the book; and scenes take place in Church of the Gesu and at the Milwaukee Athletic Club.


If you have recently published a book, or if you have one coming out, we would like to feature your publication in an upcoming Marquette Bookshelf feature. More information on the submission process is available online.


Book Details

  • Language: ‎ English
  • ASIN: ‎ B0B4PXWZQY
  • Publication date: ‎ June 20, 2022
  • Print length: ‎ 103 pages

Filed Under: Sidebar feature stories

More news

Ignite Bistro with President and Amy Lovell, March 29

March 28, 2023

Physical therapy professor speaking at WisPolitics.com D.C. breakfast

March 28, 2023

IWL meets with members of U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program

March 28, 2023

Campus Ministry leadership opportunities available for students

March 28, 2023

Jesuits on campus talk about Lenten season experiences

March 28, 2023

Marquette University mourns the loss of Dorene Hojnacki

March 27, 2023

Students invited to sign up for lunch with President Lovell

March 27, 2023

Memorial Mass for Rev. Joseph G. Mueller, S.J., March 31

March 27, 2023

More news

Quick Links

  • Faculty/Staff News
  • Student News
  • Magazines at Marquette
Submit news

Featured Stories

Marquette’s Army ROTC program takes pride in past, focuses on future

Marquette’s Army ROTC program takes pride in past, focuses on future

By Kevin Keenan, communication intern in the Office of University Relations  Military training at Marquette dates to October 1918 when a unit of the Students Army Training Corps of the United States was established on campus as part of the World War I effort—it was demobilized at the end of the war. In 1940, a Naval […]

Marquette Bookshelf: ‘Sajjilu Arab American: A Reader in SWANA Studies’

Marquette Bookshelf: ‘Sajjilu Arab American: A Reader in SWANA Studies’

Co-Edited by Dr. Louise Cainkar, professor of social and cultural studies Both a summative assessment of the field and an exploration of new directions, this multidisciplinary reader addresses issues central to the fields of Arab American, U.S. Muslim, and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) American studies. Taking a broad conception of the Americas, this […]

Educating the next generation of Marquette Nurses

Educating the next generation of Marquette Nurses

By Katie Darragh, communication intern in the Office of University Relations  Ranked 29th among nursing colleges nationally for its bachelor’s program, Marquette’s College of Nursing is a dynamic community of innovative teacher–scholars who are embracing Marquette’s mission to Be The Difference in the health of the community and in the lives of over 900 student […]

Read more featured stories.

Safety

Free steering wheel locks available from MUPD; new software available for Hyundai vehicles

Safety Task Force efforts help lead to reduced crime on campus

Marquette University makes safety a top priority

Human Resources News

Register for upcoming GROW classes 

GROW courses on performance review process 

March is National Nutrition Month

Research

Apply for NMDSI mini-grants by April 7

Biological sciences professor receives R01 funding from NIH to expand genome editing tools in lizards

Marquette faculty and staff research grants from December 2022/January 2023

Awards & Accomplishments

Nursing professor honored with Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award from Milwaukee Common Council

Dr. Karen Andeen named 2023 Way Klingler Sabbatical Fellowship Award winner

Dr. Mark Berlin named 2023 Sabbatical Fellowship Award winner

Marquette UniversityCopyright 2022 by Marquette University
MARQUETTE.EDU // A TO Z