Magic in the Room #162: Love in the Workplace with Guest Renée Smith
August 22, 2023
Renée Smith champions a more loving and human workplace. Love is not a word we often use when talking about work. However, Renée believes love is critical to creating workplaces that allow people to solve the biggest problems we face. In this episode of Magic in the Room, Hannah, Luke, and Renée discuss the need to replace fear with love in our organizations.
Listen now on your favorite platform!
Renée is the Founder and CEO of A Human Workplace and served as the Director of Workplace Transformation in the Washington State Governor’s Office.
Find Renée on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/reneesmith-ahumanworkplace or at AHumanWorkplace.com.
Credits:
- This episode of Magic in the Room was recorded on site in Chicago, IL.
- Music by Evan Grim. Find his music on
Apple Music
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 heroics over long-term strategy. From there, they highlight what creates real impact: clarity of purpose, agency, curiosity, intentionality, and the discipline to question assumptions and align action with a meaningful “why.” The conversation encourages leaders to build awareness of their strengths, design systems that support healthy impact, maintain congruence between their public and private influence, and cultivate the kind of presence that can genuinely move a room.
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 valued and able to contribute. They share how NNAHRA builds a supportive professional network for tribal HR leaders, encourages alignment between individual roles and tribal purpose, and creates space for courageous conversations across governance and enterprise structures. They also discuss future initiatives, including new certifications and the 2026 conference at the Hilton Village in Hawaii. The overarching message: lead with purpose, support one another, and build cultures rooted in respect, courage, and shared responsibility.