Magic In The Room

In this episode of Magic in the Room, Chris Province, Hannah Bratterud, and Luke Freeman reflect on six years of conversations and explore a foundational leadership question: why leadership is ultimately an inside game. Drawing on personal growth, facilitation experiences, and organizational leadership lessons, they argue that effective leadership cannot be reduced to frameworks, checklists, or te...

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 achie...

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 b...

In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke, Hannah, and Chris explore how the concept of  mattering  transforms customer experience through their practical GUEST framework. Building on the idea that people thrive when they feel noticed, affirmed, and valued, they argue that exceptional service is not just about efficiency or technical competence, but about intentionally designing experiences where...

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 transitio...

In this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke, Hannah, and Chris delve into the  t imely   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 matchi...

In this episode of "Magic in the Room," Luke, Hannah, and Chris unpack the difference between being busy and being truly impactful, exploring why organizations often get stuck in high-activity, low-impact cycles. They identify five common contributors: compliance-heavy environments, resistance to change, disconnected decision-makers, fear-driven "CYA" cultures, and firefighting systems that reward...

In this episode of "Magic in the Room," Chris interviews board members from the National Native American Human Resources Association (NNAHRA) discussing the power of purpose-driven leadership within tribal organizations. Recorded at the NNAHRA annual conference, they explore themes like courage, vulnerability, accountability, community service, and fostering environments where all employees feel v...

In this episode of "Magic in the Room," Luke Freeman sits down with Mike Day, founder and CEO of Tribal Hub. This episode explores the rapidly evolving landscape of tribal technology leadership, focusing on unique challenges and opportunities in tribal enterprises. They unveil the new Certified Tribal Technology Practitioner program, designed to close skill gaps in both technical proficiency and e...

In this episode of "Magic in the Room," hosts Luke and Chris are joined by Sara Hardwick of Giftology to explore the concept of Return on Relationship. They discuss how investing in authentic, intentional relationships, both internally within teams and externally with clients and partners, can drive loyalty and long-term business outcomes. Sara   shares her journey into the world of strategic gift...

In this episode of "Magic in the Room," hosts Luke, Hannah, and Chris delve into the themes of leadership, agency, and emotional regulation amidst chaos. They discuss how leaders can maintain control and purpose when faced with unexpected challenges or disruptions, emphasizing the importance of not succumbing to emotional hijacks. The conversation highlights the concept of "amygdala hijack," where...

In this episode of "Magic in the Room," hosts Hannah Bratterud, Chris Province, and Luke Freeman delve into the complexities of leadership, particularly when dealing with personal and professional challenges that aren't covered by standard policies. They discuss the importance of embracing a holistic community approach in workplaces, where personal and work lives intersect, and the difficulties le...

Welcome to a new season of Magic In The Room! In this episode, hosts Hannah Bratterud, Chris Province, and Luke Freeman reflect on the evolution of their podcast as they enter this new season. They discuss the concept of seasons in both personal and professional contexts, emphasizing the importance of recognizing transitions and growth. The team shares insights from their recent strategic planning...

In today's episode of Mag ic in the Room, Chris and Luke sit down with Kelley Francen and April Carter to discuss leadership development at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Kelley and April developed a unique program that integrates the traditional cultural teachings of the Citizen Potawatomi Nati on into leadership development. T he goal of this program was to make sure that the values of the commu...

To download the free guide that goes with all the Lead a Team   episode s , subscribe at www.magicintheroom.com .     Today we wrap up season five of Magic in the Room! This season has focused on the skills that people need when leading a team. The good news is that these skills can be learned, if we are int entional. In this episode, Hannah, Chris, and Luke share their biggest takeaway from the s...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at www.magicintheroom.com .     People who lead teams can (and should!) develop a new set of skills. One often overlooked skill is being about to intentionally recognize people's efforts and character in a way that is meaningful. This is a skill that can be learned, it just takes some effort. In this episode of Magic in the Room, Ha...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.com   What do we do when people's behavior or performance are not aligned with the values and commitments of an organization ? Corrective action is one tool for helping team members know when they are not meeting expectations and what steps they need to take to perform at a high level . Corrective action may not be...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.com     Giving and receiving feedback is critical to individual and team success, yet for many people feedback can feel threatening or unwelcome. In this episode of Magic in the Room, Hannah, Luke, and Chris discuss how to give feedback that is helpful and leads to high performance.         Credits:    This episode...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.com     Every leader wants their team to perform at a high level , but this does not happen by accident. On today's episode of Magic in the Room Hannah, Chris, and Luke talk about perfo rmance development, which includes one-on-ones, development plans, training, and anything you do to help people learn and grow.  ...

  To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.com     In today's Magic in the Room episode, Hannah, Luke, and Chris continue our series on the skills leaders need to build effective teams. Conflict is inevitable, so leaders must learn to navigate it effectively. The first step is to change how we think about conflict. Not all conflict is bad, and some types...

Gifts are often used to build relationships in business, whether with clients, customers, or employees. But what if we have been doing gifting all wrong? In today's episode of Magic in the Room, Chris and guest John Ruhlin discuss a new way to think about gifting. The bottom line is that gifts can be used  to build long-lasting relationships, but not if you just put the company logo on a mug and s...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.com   This week, on Magic in the Room, we discuss the next skill for leading teams: Effective communication. Often, leaders think they have communicated something by sending an email or mentioning it in a meeting, but the message has yet to be received. Join Hannah, Chris, and Luke as they discuss how leaders can t...

  To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.co m.   Today, we continue our series on the skills needed to lead a team. We started with building trust in episode 178. In this Magic in the Room episode, Hannah, Chris, and Luke discuss a new skill: creating an environment of commitment and accountability. The core idea in this conversation is that people can...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at magicintheroom.com   In today's episode of Magic in the Room, we continue our series on leading a team with the foundational skill leaders must have: the ability to build trust. It may sound cliche, but trust is the foundation of a high-performing team. In fact, Luke and Hannah argue that dogs have better lives and fewer people d...

To download the free guide that goes with this episode, subscribe at  www.magicintheroom.com     Welcome to Season 5 of Magic in the Room! In this episode, Hannah, Chris, and Luke introduce the topic we will focus on this year: Lead a Team.   Everyone's leadership journey starts with leading themselves, which was the topic of Season 4 of Magic in the Room. The next step on the journey may be havin...