Magic in the Room #53: Unlocking EQ – Showing Resilience

April 27, 2021

Resilience is the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. But what does it take to develop resilience? In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke, Hannah, and Chris discuss the need for hope, purpose, grit, reflection, and self-care in developing resilience. People with resilience make a bigger impact on the world and attract people to their cause.

Chris begins the episode by asking his co-hosts, would you rather work for a leader who was a great visionary storyteller or a likable leader? Having worked with very nice people who were terrible leaders, Hannah would always choose someone that would show her the vision, tell the story, and capture her imagination. Chris is also someone who wants to embrace the power of positive potential and be inspired by a leader.

 

In our  EQ series,  the hosts have also explored the importance of being self-aware in different situations to overcome various challenges. But how does resilience help us thrive and improve rather than just survive? And what does resilience mean to you? For Luke, it’s about hope, and people who have hope will always continue to move forward.

 

Having a vision and a clear picture of what success looks like combined with a growth mindset will help drive you forward. But as someone who understands that challenge is a part of the journey, Luke advises it’s not so much that we choose an easy path or a hard path. It’s what type of hard path we want to take. Luke shares how resilience is all about hope and a mindset where the challenge can be positive.

 

For Chris, resilience can be the ability to build character or strength through times of discomfort. Hannah also shares how for her; resilience is the time that it takes you to recover from a setback. It’s the ability to keep going or get back up, no matter how many times it takes. It can be a willingness to embrace conflict and challenge and bumps in the road as they come.

 

Resilience can be the perseverance that transcends and helps you to keep doing your thing. But it requires high levels of commitment in many areas. For example, when performing at a very high level that demands a lot of your focus, attention, strength, and stamina, resilience can also be about being aware of what it takes to restore and rejuvenate your energy.

 

Resilient leaders build resilient teams and organizations. But it can be a complex topic to navigate around in the workplace. It’s important to remember that resilience will occur naturally when we are authentic but difficult when we are not. As the world begins to open back up, how are you ensuring that your organization will be more resilient?

 

If you want to start a conversation about this or any of the topics that we have explored in the EQ podcast episodes, please message Chris, Hannah, and Luke at  info@purposeandperformancegroup.com.

 

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.
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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