Magic in the Room #37: A Year in Review

December 29, 2020

There exists a thin line between order and chaos. This year was a year of straddling that line and of getting comfortable with suffering. As the year 2020 wraps up, Chris, Hannah, and Luke take their personal inventories of the lessons learned from this upside-down year. Disruption of systems and perspectives toward change are prominent themes in this year-end review.

 

 

When you look back over 2020, what is the one thing you will be taking away? What story do you see yourself sharing with your grandchildren? This is the opening question that Luke asks his fellow hosts and listeners to the Magic in the Room podcast.

 

Hannah shares how, despite everything, she accomplished something that she never imagined. She ran her first half marathon in the middle of all the chaos. Hannah shares how the experience helped her manage some of the pain that the turbulent year brought to us all.

 

Chris shares how cliches such as, “if you’re halfway through hell, just don’t stop” resonated with him after exploring the thin line between order and chaos. After 12 months of living through chaos, Chris reveals how he has focussed on preparing himself to be more resilient. He shares the importance of continuing to build character in the face of adversity.

 

The story that Luke will be telling his grandkids many years from now is how, after months of back pain, he found himself completely immobile. He was then faced with facilitating an important half-day remote session for 60 top leaders in a large organization’s C-suite. But Luke dug deep and found a way to deliver the session.

 

Luke shares how he laid a green blanket out on the floor with a hidden pillow underneath that propped his head up. He then added a virtual background that made the audience think he was standing up and facilitating virtually. For Luke, this was also a metaphor for all the crazy things people have done in 2020.

 

Businesses have also been debilitated, and strategies have had the legs knocked out from under them. People have found themselves doing all of these crazy creative things to keep moving forward, delivering value, and making things happen.  Luke encourages leaders to try new things, no matter how crazy they might initially sound, and move forward together.

 

One of the biggest lessons that Luke will be taking away from 2020 is that stability is an illusion. Maybe we have all learned to let go of the status quo and lean into what’s coming next. Looking towards 2021, Hannah accepts that we no longer know what’s going to happen. But we do know that we can control our actions and behaviors that will drive new outcomes.

 

Collectively, we all need to continue to build our resilience and focus on leading in the right way. For Chris, 2021 will be another year filled with courageous stories of purpose and performance. Once again, we will see great leaders weather any storms waiting on the horizon and will come out the other side in a very successful way.

 

What lessons did you learn from 2020? and how will they help you drive success in 2021? Share your experiences by messaging Chris, Hannah, and Luke at info@purposeandperformancegroup.com.

Magic in the Room #197: Leadership Lessons for 2026

By Sarah Whitfield • February 18, 2026
In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke, Hannah, and Chris explore the lessons, transitions, and leadership insights they’re carrying forward into 2026, emphasizing the importance of narrowing focus, letting go of resistance, and aligning with natural rhythms to create meaningful momentum. They discuss how personal and professional growth often emerges through periods of chaos and transition, highlighting themes such as intentionality, subtraction as a multiplier, and the courage required to release control, certainty, and outdated habits. Drawing on their work with purpose-driven organizations, they explain how leadership transformation begins internally, noting that organizational change is inseparable from personal development and mindset shifts. They also explore how embracing disturbance, addressing root causes instead of symptoms, and cultivating hope rather than cynicism can unlock resilience, stronger culture, and long-term performance.

Magic in the Room #196: Leading with Hope in a Cynical World

January 12, 2026
In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke, Hannah, and Chris delve into the timely topic of hope versus cynicism in leadership, particularly in a world rife with uncertainty and negativity. The discussion focuses on whether hope alone is sufficient for transformational leadership or if, in environments steeped in cynicism, leaders must amplify their energy and intentionality, sometimes matching the intensity of cynics to move organizations forward. They examine the "hope recipe," which involves envisioning a better future, creating a pathway, and having agency. They also discuss the difficulty of maintaining agency when systems, culture, or fatigue threaten to sap it. They differentiate between strategically "letting go" and simply "giving up," emphasizing the importance of support, accountability, and self-awareness as antidotes to cynicism. 
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