Magic in the Room #169: Using Flow State to Care for Your Team's Wellbeing
October 10, 2023
In our ongoing series about wellbeing, we want to turn to how leaders can care for the wellbeing of their team while keeping performance high. In this replay episode of Magic in the Room, Luke, Hannah, and Chris discuss how Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's concept of Flow State allows leaders to match the level of challenge to the team's ability.
Listen now on your favorite platform!
Research in this Episode:
- THE COVID STATES PROJECT: A 50-STATE COVID-19 SURVEY REPORT #54: MENTAL HEALTH IN THE US - http://news.northeastern.edu/uploads/COVID-19_CONSORTIUM_REPORT_54_DEPRESSION-May2021.pdf
- Flow State - https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Graph-of-Csikszentmihalyis-flow-state-when-a-persons-ability-to-execute-a-task_fig1_279226015
- This could be why you're depressed or anxious - Johann Hari: https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_this_could_be_why_you_re_depressed_or_anxious?language=en
- Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong - Johann Hari: https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong
Credits:
- Music by Evan Grim. Find his music on
Apple Music
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themes such as intentionality, subtraction as a multiplier, and the courage required to release control, certainty, and outdated habits.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.
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.