Magic in the Room #137: Pushing the Envelope with David Dexter

January 16, 2023

On this episode of Magic in the Room, Luke and Hannah sit down with David Dexter, CEO of Cornerstone Management Services, a construction company based our of Big Sky, Montana. Together, they discuss his work with sustainable building envelopes, or the outer structure of a building that protects it from the elements. Sustainable building envelopes are key not only in the alpine climate of Big Sky, but also globally, as we look to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions efficiently as possible. Other topics include his lessons learned as a first-time CEO, visionary leadership, and how to be approachable. 

 

Find David and Cornerstone Management Services at cmsbigsky.com 


Listen now on your favorite platform!

   

Magic in the Room listeners can get $100 off our Coaching Skills for Leaders class. Just use the promo code Magic100 when you sign up. More information is at www.purposeandperformancegroup.com/coaching-cohort 

 

Music by evangrimmusic.com 

Support from techblogwriter.co.uk 

Magic in the Room #201: Leading from Within

By Emma Holland • June 9, 2026
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 techniques alone, but instead depends on the ongoing work of self-awareness, discernment, courage, and wisdom. They explore the relationship between courage and conviction, the importance of responding rather than reacting, and the role of personal development in creating positive impact for teams, organizations, and communities. The episode presents leadership as a lifelong practice of leading oneself first, emphasizing that meaningful change begins not with external systems, but with the internal work of becoming more intentional, hopeful, and aligned with one’s values.

Magic in the Room #200: How to Lead through Polarities

By Sarah Whitfield • May 5, 2026
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.
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