Magic in the Room #120: Hope Theory with Special Guest Dr. Chan Hellman
September 20, 2022
Hope may seem like an intangible idea, but leaders can intentionally nurture hope in the people around them. In this replay episode of Magic in the Room, Chris, Hannah, and special guest Dr. Chan Hellman discuss the three elements of hope: Goals, Pathways, and Willpower. Leaders can develop hope by ensuring these three elements are present.
Chan Joined the University of Oklahoma in 2002. Chan is a professor in the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and Founding Director of The Hope Research Center. Chan holds Adjunct Professor appointments in the Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Pediatrics for the OU College of Medicine and the Department of Health Promotion Sciences for the OU College of Public Health.
Chan has numerous scholarly publications in scientific journals, technical reports, books and has presented his research at both national and international conferences. Chan’s research is focused on the application of hope theory to those impacted by trauma and adversity. He is also interested in the impact of prevention and intervention services on increasing and sustaining client hope.
Chan teaches master’s and doctoral level students primarily in the areas of positive psychology, research methods, and statistics. He also directs student research in the areas of hope and nonprofit organizations.
Chan is a lifelong Oklahoman, and lives in Tulsa Oklahoma with his wife Kendra. They enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren, traveling, and reading.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Hope Rising: How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life
- The Transformational Consumer: Fuel a Lifelong Love Affair with Your Customers by Helping Them Get Healthier, Wealthier, and Wiser
Get a free Magic in the Room hat by posting a review and sending a screenshot to:
info@purposeandperformancegroup.com
Music by evangrimmusic.com
Recorded at AUIDEO studio
in Bozeman, MT
Support from techblogwriter.co.uk
In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke and Hannah explore the concept of polarities. Tensions like purpose and performance, stability and change, or accountability and grace that are often mistaken for problems to solve rather than dynamics to manage. Drawing on insights from Barry Johnson’s work, they explain how these opposing forces are interdependent and must be balanced over time to achieve sustained success. Through practical examples and personal reflections, they show how over-relying on one side of a polarity leads to predictable “shadow sides” such as stagnation, chaos, inefficiency, or burnout, while effective leadership requires recognizing where you are on the cycle and intentionally recalibrating. The episode emphasizes that many recurring organizational frustrations are not failures, but signals of imbalance, and offers a more nuanced approach to leadership. One that replaces rigid either/or thinking with flexible both/and awareness to improve decision-making, team dynamics, and long-term performance.
In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke Freeman, Hannah Bratterud, and Chris Province dive into the concept of “mattering,” inspired by Zach Mercurio’s work, and explore why it is a foundational driver of engagement, performance, and culture in organizations. They challenge leaders to move beyond assuming people matter to actively ensuring individuals feel that they matter by being valued and by contributing value to a shared purpose. The conversation highlights how mattering differs from belonging, why it cannot be replaced by perks or efficiency, and how leadership behaviors like attention, recognition, and presence directly shape whether people feel seen, heard, and understood. Through examples ranging from workplace dynamics to broader societal trends like social disconnection, they argue that disengagement, conflict, and even poor performance are symptoms of a mattering deficit. Ultimately, they position mattering not as a soft concept, but as a measurable, actionable leadership responsibility that underpins trust, resilience, and long-term success.