Magic in the Room #164: Your Unique Contribution: Courageously Finding your Contribution with Guest Karen Lum

September 6, 2023

In today’s episode of Magic in the Room, we continue our series on finding your unique contribution, which is the intersection of your strengths and values with the needs of your community. Karen Lum joins Hannah and Luke to discuss how leaders can discover their unique contribution using Karen’s leadership framework of self-awareness, situational awareness, caring, and courage.   

 

As leaders understand themselves more fully, they can align their actions to what an organization needs, even when they are not fully supported and require courage. Self-awareness, situational awareness, caring, and courage can also help you evaluate when it is time to leave a company or other community. 

 

Karen is the owner of K. Lum Consulting; an accomplished business coach, corporate trainer and curriculum designer in the areas of leadership, team building, management, sales and new systems implementation. Extensive experience in high-end service (customer experience) in a variety of industries, as well as team and project management. 

Listen now on your favorite platform!

 

Find Karen on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/klumconsulting or at www.klumconsulting.com


Credits: 

  • This episode of Magic in the Room was recorded remotely.
  • Music by Evan Grim. Find his music on Apple Music

Magic in the Room #197: Leadership Lessons for 2026

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themes such as intentionality, subtraction as a multiplier, and the courage required to release control, certainty, and outdated habits.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.

Magic in the Room #196: Leading with Hope in a Cynical World

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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