Magic in the Room #142: The Iceberg Model: Looking Under the Surface to be More Intentional
April 2, 2023
Intentional Leadership requires awareness of the under-the-surface factors that impact the things we notice, our choices, and our actions. In this episode of Magic in the Room, Hannah, Chris, and Luke introduce the Iceberg Model. The part of the iceberg above the surface of the water represents the things we do that are visible to the people around us. Under the surface is all the factors that influence us, starting with our personality and the things we have experienced. When we know how our experiences and personality impact us and others, we can make more intentional choices about the outcomes of our actions.
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Credits:
- This episode of Magic in the Room was recorded onsite in Big Sky, Montana
- Music by evangrimmusic.com
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.
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.