Skip to content
Contact us
All posts
Elasticity

Lead with heart, adapt with mind, deliver with purpose

Picture of Magma Editorial Team By  Magma Editorial Team  ·  2 minute read

Session Speaker: Ben Silcox, Strategy & Transformation Consultant
Theme: Putting it all Together
Date: Summer Trimester - Magma Residential Retreat July 2025

What does it take to lead in a world that doesn’t stop shifting? That was the question Ben Silcox challenged us with to close out the Summer Trimester. It wasn’t a lecture on resilience or agility. It was something more grounded and more demanding.

Leadership, Ben argued, is no longer about knowing the most or having the plan. It’s about staying open, learning fast, and bringing humanity to every decision. Empathy, Elasticity, Enterprise (his E³ model)  isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset for leading in uncertain times.

The world won’t settle, so leaders need to renew

We’re not short of headwinds,  rising costs, policy shifts, AI disruption, customer behaviour changes. But instead of simply naming the challenges, Ben asked us to name the mindset we’re leading with.

Are we stuck in loops of prediction and control? Do we default to trade-offs? Are we clinging to strategies that used to work?

Leadership, he suggested, starts with renewal of the mind, the lens, the story you tell yourself. Because you can’t redesign your business unless you first rewire how you think about it.

E³ Leadership: Empathy, Elasticity, Enterprise

Ben introduced a simple but potent formula for renewal:

  • Empathy - Listen deeply. Understand who you serve. Build trust through emotional connection, not just process.

  • Elasticity - Stay light on your feet. Think creatively. Adapt early, not late.

  • Enterprise - Act decisively. Turn clarity into execution. Bridge innovation with operational discipline.

Each part works alone. But when they’re fused  you get a business that learns faster, designs smarter, and delivers in a way people feel.

Ben urged us to ask more human questions:

  • Who will this impact, and how do they feel?

  • How can we reframe this challenge creatively?

  • What’s the next step that brings real value?

Leadership as humanity, not hierarchy

Throughout the session, Ben came back to a powerful reframe: leadership is the best of humanity. It shows up in different ways at different moments -  the Hero, the Mentor, the Sage, the Guardian. None are always right. The point is to know what’s needed, and who you need to be, now.

He encouraged us to reflect not just on what we do,  but who we are when we lead:

  • Are we protectors or performers?

  • Are we holding space or filling it?

  • Are we helping others think, or trying to be the one who knows?

In complex times, he argued, the most valuable thing you can do is renew your mind. It’s the source of your leadership. And when that’s fresh, so is your business.

So where does that leave you as a leader?

  • Where do you need to pause and refresh your own mindset?

  • Which of the E³ qualities does your business most need from you right now?

  • Are you building a business that reacts, or one that senses, adapts, and keeps people at the centre?

This session didn’t just close the Residential,  it pulled together everything Magma is about: learning as a team, leading with clarity, and staying human as we grow.