Magic Johnson: ‘HR just like anything else is changing; embrace the change’

NBA icon turned business tycoon Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson sprinkled stardust on the UNLEASH America main stage.

Breaking all the rules of keynotes, Johnson ran off the stage, and got up close and personal with our HR leader audience.

He opened by stating: “I love when people say I can’t do something.”

For Johnson, it spurs him on to work even harder to prove them wrong – he shared the example of his long-time rivalry with another NBA legend, Larry Bird, as well as his work with Starbucks to franchise their stores in his movie theatres.

He convinced Howard Shultz that families of color do spend money on coffee and going out to films – and that if he built Starbucks in their neighborhoods, “they will come”.

Hard work is a huge theme of Johnson’s life, as is teamwork.

In answer to a question from an audience member who Johnson chatted to during his session, he said when my team “see me put the hard work and the time in”, they follow his example.

His aim is to always make everyone happy, and put the time in to do that authentically.

Magic Johnson on how to be a great HR leader

It’s clear that Johnson is an amazing leader; his advice to the audience was that “the greatest leaders I know can also be led”.

Leaders should always be learning and holding themselves accountable – Johnson shared that he personally does a SWOT for himself as a CEO, as a person, as a father and beyond.

Courageous leaders are those who others trust to stand up for them – “they don’t judge people”, they are humble, and they care about others.

“It’s hard for somebody to be trust. All of you are trusted, you have a major role and when they come and see you, they come for advice”, so be ready to listen.

Zeroing in on HR specifically, “HR just like anything else is changing, embrace the change, we all have to grow”.Zeroing in on HR specifically, “HR just like anything else is changing, embrace the change, we all have to grow”.

This was in response to questions from George Rogers, the MC of the entire show and Chief Culture Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory.

When he jumped down off the stage to join Johnson, Rogers joked: “I don’t feel short at all” and asked in jest for 6 ft 9 Johnson to tell everyone about his HR tech stack, with the audience erupting into laughter.

To end his keynote – and to close out the entirety of UNLEASH America 2024 – Johnson asked: “If you love what you do, clap two claps”. With smiles on their faces, the audience went wild.

A huge thank you to Magic Johnson for joining the UNLEASH team at this year's International Festival of HR!