Love in Action

Episode recap

 

Don’t forget Marcel’s special offer to join his Substack community for $8.00/month. Subscribe here: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/subscribe 

 

In this solo episode, Marcel Schwantes discussed the impact of fear in the workplace, explaining how it stifles creativity, innovation, and collaboration. He highlighted that fear-based environments lead to disengagement, turnover, and low morale, while human-centered leadership fosters psychological safety and trust. Marcel emphasized the importance of leaders addressing their blind spots and modifying behaviors to create a positive workplace culture. He stressed that hiring and developing leaders based on technical competence alone is insufficient, urging a focus on humanity and human-centered attributes. Marcel encouraged listeners to subscribe to his Substack for further insights on effective human-centered leadership.

 

Bio:

 

Marcel Schwantes is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and advocate for more humane workplaces. He partners with organizations tired of burnout, disengagement, and hollow cultures — and ready to build something better. 

 

Marcel’s work includes: 

Executive coaching 

Leadership development programs for managers 

Keynote speaking and workshops 

Executive roundtables and culture strategy sessions 

 

Marcel is the author of Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss. Whether coaching a CEO or training a leadership team, Marcel’s #1 goal is the same: To help leaders become the kind of people others want to follow. 

 

Episode Timeline:

[00:03] Introduction: Why fear remains a workplace epidemic
[00:19] How fear kills creativity, collaboration, and profitability 
[01:06] Silence in meetings: The hidden cost of fear 
[01:58] Why fear stops innovation and risk-taking 
[02:34] Fear shrinks organizations from the inside out 
[03:51] Psychological safety and team performance (Harvard research) 
[04:26] Why leaders still dismiss “soft skills” 
[05:13] The cost of waiting for marching orders 
[05:49] Burnout, turnover, and quiet disengagement 
[06:03] What human-centered leadership looks like 
[07:10] Surfacing problems early vs. kicking the can down the road 
[08:10] Shared accountability and self-correcting teams 
[09:40] Leadership blind spots and fear-driven management 
[10:29] Burnout as the final warning sign 
[11:30] Why technical skills alone no longer qualify someone to lead 
[12:04] Raising human leadership capacity in the AI era 
[12:31] Closing thoughts and call to action 

 

Quotes:

“If you want to know why creativity dies, why collaboration stalls, why your most talented people are quietly quitting — look for one thing: fear.” 

“When fear is prevalent, people protect themselves instead of serving the mission.” 

“You cannot afford to choose leaders based only on technical competence or individual performance. Those days are over.” 

 

Key Takeaways:

Fear Is Expensive - Fear doesn’t just hurt feelings — it damages profitability, innovation, and long-term growth.

Silence Is a Warning Sign - if meetings are full of nodding heads but no pushback, fear may be driving compliance instead of commitment.

Psychological Safety Drives Performance - When employees feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and challenge ideas, performance and productivity increase.

Human-Centered Leadership Solves Problems Early - Empowered teams raise concerns quickly, solve issues on the spot, and share accountability across levels.

Leadership Blind Spots Create Fear - Many fear-based environments stem from leaders who fear losing control or respect. Coaching and self-awareness are critical.

Technical Skills Aren’t Enough Anymore - In the age of AI and automation, the differentiator is human leadership capacity — the ability to help people flourish. 

 

Conclusion:

Fear quietly shrinks organizations from the inside out. It limits creativity, slows innovation, and pushes good people toward burnout and disengagement.  Marcel’s message is clear: if you care about performance, profitability, and long-term growth, you must care about human-centered leadership. The future of leadership isn’t louder authority or tighter control — it’s building environments where people feel safe enough to contribute their best thinking. 

The question every leader must ask: 

Am I creating safety — or am I creating fear? 

Because that answer determines everything. 

 

Resources: 

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Humane-Leadership-Lead-Radical-Kick-Ass-ebook/dp/B0CWG3PTL4/ 

Substack: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/   

X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarcelSchwantes1 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/ 

Dr. James Doty Episode: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/dr-james-doty-the-neuroscience-of-manifestation/

Episode recap

 

Don’t forget Marcel’s special offer to join his Substack community for $8.00/month. Subscribe here: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/subscribe 

 

In this solo episode, Marcel Schwantes discussed the impact of fear in the workplace, explaining how it stifles creativity, innovation, and collaboration. He highlighted that fear-based environments lead to disengagement, turnover, and low morale, while human-centered leadership fosters psychological safety and trust. Marcel emphasized the importance of leaders addressing their blind spots and modifying behaviors to create a positive workplace culture. He stressed that hiring and developing leaders based on technical competence alone is insufficient, urging a focus on humanity and human-centered attributes. Marcel encouraged listeners to subscribe to his Substack for further insights on effective human-centered leadership.

 

Bio:

 

Marcel Schwantes is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and advocate for more humane workplaces. He partners with organizations tired of burnout, disengagement, and hollow cultures — and ready to build something better. 

 

Marcel’s work includes: 

Executive coaching 

Leadership development programs for managers 

Keynote speaking and workshops 

Executive roundtables and culture strategy sessions 

 

Marcel is the author of Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss. Whether coaching a CEO or training a leadership team, Marcel’s #1 goal is the same: To help leaders become the kind of people others want to follow. 

 

TIMESTAMPS 

[00:03] Introduction: Why fear remains a workplace epidemic

[00:19] How fear kills creativity, collaboration, and profitability 
[01:06] Silence in meetings: The hidden cost of fear 
[01:58] Why fear stops innovation and risk-taking 
[02:34] Fear shrinks organizations from the inside out 
[03:51] Psychological safety and team performance (Harvard research) 
[04:26] Why leaders still dismiss “soft skills” 
[05:13] The cost of waiting for marching orders 
[05:49] Burnout, turnover, and quiet disengagement 
[06:03] What human-centered leadership looks like 
[07:10] Surfacing problems early vs. kicking the can down the road 
[08:10] Shared accountability and self-correcting teams 
[09:40] Leadership blind spots and fear-driven management 
[10:29] Burnout as the final warning sign 
[11:30] Why technical skills alone no longer qualify someone to lead 
[12:04] Raising human leadership capacity in the AI era 
[12:31] Closing thoughts and call to action 

 

3 BEST QUOTES 

“If you want to know why creativity dies, why collaboration stalls, why your most talented people are quietly quitting — look for one thing: fear.” 

“When fear is prevalent, people protect themselves instead of serving the mission.” 

“You cannot afford to choose leaders based only on technical competence or individual performance. Those days are over.” 

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

Fear Is Expensive Fear doesn’t just hurt feelings — it damages profitability, innovation, and long-term growth. 

Silence Is a Warning Sign if meetings are full of nodding heads but no pushback, fear may be driving compliance instead of commitment. 

Psychological Safety Drives Performance When employees feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and challenge ideas, performance and productivity increase. 

Human-Centered Leadership Solves Problems Early. Empowered teams raise concerns quickly, solve issues on the spot, and share accountability across levels. 

Leadership Blind Spots Create Fear Many fear-based environments stem from leaders who fear losing control or respect. Coaching and self-awareness are critical. 

Technical Skills Aren’t Enough Anymore In the age of AI and automation, the differentiator is human leadership capacity — the ability to help people flourish. 

 

CONCLUSION 

Fear quietly shrinks organizations from the inside out. It limits creativity, slows innovation, and pushes good people toward burnout and disengagement.  Marcel’s message is clear: if you care about performance, profitability, and long-term growth, you must care about human-centered leadership. The future of leadership isn’t louder authority or tighter control — it’s building environments where people feel safe enough to contribute their best thinking. 

The question every leader must ask: 

Am I creating safety — or am I creating fear? 

Because that answer determines everything. 

 

Resources: 

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Humane-Leadership-Lead-Radical-Kick-Ass-ebook/dp/B0CWG3PTL4/ 

Substack: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/   

X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarcelSchwantes1 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/ 

Dr. James Doty Episode: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/dr-james-doty-the-neuroscience-of-manifestation/

Episode recap  

 

Don’t forget Marcel’s special offer to join his Substack community for $8.00/month. Subscribe here: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/subscribe 

 

In this solo episode, Marcel argued that compassion is a core leadership strength, not a soft extra, and that alleviating others’ pain and suffering is a leader’s real work. Through examples like Jeff Weiner and Phil Lynch during 9/11, he showed how leaders who prioritize people, communicate openly, and make space for emotion build stronger, more connected organizations. When leaders show up in hard moments, teams heal faster and perform better.

 

Bio

Marcel Schwantes is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and advocate for more humane workplaces. He works with organizations that are tired of burnout, disengagement, and hollow cultures — and ready to build something better. 

Marcel’s work includes: 

Executive coaching 

Leadership development programs for managers 

Keynote speaking and workshops 

Executive roundtables and culture strategy sessions 

 

Marcel is the author of Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss. Whether coaching a CEO or training a leadership team, Marcel’s #1 goal is the same: To help leaders become the kind of people others want to follow. 

 

Timestamps 

[00:03] Why “soft skills” like compassion are actually essential leadership skills 

[01:05] Command-and-control vs. compassion: why old leadership models fail 

[02:00] Jeff Weiner on compassion as a lifelong practice, not a buzzword 

[02:52] Dr. James Doty’s definition of compassion and the science behind it 

[03:45] What compassionate leadership looks like in practice 

[04:32] 9/11 and Reuters: setting the scene for Phil Lynch’s defining moment 

[05:25] “People first, then customers, then the business” — a new priority in crisis 

[06:20] Keeping people informed, safe, and emotionally supported 

[07:15] Making space for grief, fear, and honest emotions at work 

[08:10] How compassion shaped Reuters’ culture and rippled to customers 

[08:30] Final reflection: Are you willing to be present with people when they’re suffering 

 

Key Quotes 

“If you want to measure yourself against the highest standard of leadership, you have to measure yourself against what people call the ‘soft stuff’—because it’s actually the hardest to master.”

“Compassion is not weakness. Some of the strongest people I know are the most compassionate.”

“Compassion is recognizing someone’s suffering—and then doing what you can to help ease it. It’s not hippy-dippy; it’s evidence-based and deeply human.”

“In the middle of absolute mayhem, Phil Lynch gathered his team and said: ‘People first, then customers, then the business.’ That’s compassionate leadership in action.”

“Leaders who create space for sorrow, confusion, and grief help their organizations heal and reconnect much faster.” 

 

 

Key Takeaways: 

 

Compassion is an essential leadership skill, not a soft extra. 

Compassion is often dismissed as “soft,” but it is one of the hardest and most strategic skills to master. It directly impacts engagement, trust, and long-term performance. 

Compassion is both recognition and action. 

It’s not enough to notice someone’s pain. Compassion means seeing the suffering and intentionally acting to alleviate it—in conversations, decisions, and policies. 

Science backs the power of compassion. 

Research highlighted by Dr. James Doty shows compassion is a powerful antidote to loneliness, depression, anxiety, and addiction, all of which show up at work. 

People-first leadership is clearest in crisis. 

During 9/11, Phil Lynch’s mantra—“People first, then customers, then the business”—became a north star for Reuters. Compassion isn’t theoretical; it’s how leaders rank their priorities when it matters most. 

Emotional transparency but safety and trust. 

By being open about what he and his team were feeling, Lynch gave others permission to feel and express their own grief and fear, creating psychological and emotional safety. 

Compassion shapes emotional culture. 

When leaders intentionally make room for grief, questions, and honesty, they shape a culture where people feel seen, heard, and valued—and are proud to belong. 

Love in action is a leadership practice. 

Compassionate leadership is ultimately love expressed through behavior: how you decide, how you listen, how you show up for people when they’re struggling. 

 

Conclusion 

Marcel’s message in this episode is straightforward and challenging: the future of leadership is compassion in action. In a world where mental health struggles and emotional pain are everywhere, leaders can no longer hide behind metrics and control. 

 

The story of Phil Lynch shows that when leaders put people first, especially in the darkest moments, they create cultures of trust, pride, and deep human connection. Compassion is not about being nice for its own sake; it is about being courageously present with suffering and choosing actions that reduce it. 

 

If you want your organization to come alive from the inside out, start with one question: How am I shaping the emotional culture around me—and am I willing to be present when people hurt? That’s where real leadership—and love in action—begins. 

 

Resources: 

Guest Mentioned: 

 

Dr. James Doty – Neurosurgeon and compassion researcher; previously featured on the show (link to that episode will be added to the show notes) 

 

People Referenced: 

 

Jeff Weiner – Former CEO of LinkedIn, advocate for compassion as a core leadership skill 

Phil Lynch – Former president of Reuters America, whose leadership during 9/11 exemplified compassion in crisis 

 

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Humane-Leadership-Lead-Radical-Kick-Ass-ebook/dp/B0CWG3PTL4/  

Substack: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/    

X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes  

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarcelSchwantes1  

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/  

Dr. James Doty Episode: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/dr-james-doty-the-neuroscience-of-manifestation/

Episode recap 

 

This episode focused on hope in the workplace, starting with a discussion with Dr. Alex Lovell, head researcher and vice president at the O.C. Tanner Institute, and covering a recent O.C. Tanner study that revealed a decline in employee hopefulness. Marcel transitioned to a lively conversation with Jen Fisher, author of Hope Is the Strategy, and one of the world's first chief well-being officers. They explored how leaders can cultivate hope by using language that builds rather than kills hope, emphasizing curiosity, empathy, and transparency. Jen explained that hope requires clear goals, acknowledgment of current reality, and identifying multiple pathways to achieve those goals. They also discussed the limitations of wellness programs alone in improving employee well-being and the need to address cultural and behavioral factors in the workplace. The conversation concluded with Jen encouraging listeners to become "hope dealers" by helping others identify possibilities and support their potential.

 

Bio:

Jen Fisher is a global authority on workplace well-being, the founder and CEO of The Wellbeing Team and the author of Hope Is the Strategy: The Underrated Skill That Transforms Work, Leadership, and Wellbeing. 

 

Dr. Alex Lovell is the Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute and a political psychologist focused on the human side of work—specifically, how organizations can better foster appreciation, identity, belonging, and fulfillment to unlock human potential.

 

Quotes: 

Alex Lovell 

Employees are seven times more likely to be engaged when they feel hopeful 

When people don’t see a path forward and don’t believe they can follow that path, there is no way they can get there 

Recognition and belonging are one of the strongest antidotes to hopelessness 

When teams aren’t inclusive, employees are 513 percent more likely to feel burned out 

Our younger workers don’t see a future anywhere, not personally and not professionally 

Jen Fisher 

Hope is not an emotion; it is a cognitive and behavioral process 

Do you want to lead a hopeful organization or a hopeless one? 

People need to believe that your strategy will leave them better off tomorrow than they are today 

Never in the history of telling someone not to worry have they not worried 

Be a hope dealer and help people see possibilities 

 

Takeaways: 

Hope is a measurable leadership skill that requires clear goals, multiple pathways, and agency 

Employees who feel hopeful are significantly more engaged and resilient 

Gen Z workers are struggling to see a personal and professional future, making belonging and recognition essential 

The language leaders use can either build hope or quietly destroy it 

Transparency and telling the whole truth reduce anxiety and strengthen trust 

Wellness programs alone cannot fix broken work design or culture 

Rebuilding hope starts with identifying and taking the next small step 

The future of work must intentionally preserve humanity alongside advancing technology. 

 

Timestamps: 

0:00 — Welcome to the Love and Action Podcast 

0:33 — Topic Introduction: Hope 

2:05 — Introducing Dr. Alex Lovell 

4:06 — AI Helping Us to Find Solutions 

8:20 — Key Findings: Hopelessness at Work 

11:10 — Generational Divide in Hope 

14:10 — Gen Z and the Need to Feel Seen 

18:05 — Inclusion, Belonging, and Recognition 

20:10 — Engagement Link: Hope Drives Performance 

22:05 — Practical Solutions: Connection and Relationships 

23:10 — Practical Solutions: Goals and Small Wins 

24:05 — Where to Find the Report + Resources 

23:30 — Jen’s Story: Burnout, Cancer, Caregiving 

29:42 — Setting Clear Goals 

32:11 — Be the leader Setting Examples 

37:10 — Hope as Strategy: Goals, Pathways, Agency 

40:10 — Hope in Practice: Leadership Communication 

44:07 — Language of Hope: Builders vs Killers 

46:00 — Hope Dealers and Possibility Thinking 

48:13 — Leading with the Whole Truth 

55:15 — Why Wellness Programs Aren’t Enough 

55:15 — Human is the Path Forward in Leading Organizations 

1:00:05 — Final Takeaways & Closing 

 

Conclusion: 

Hope is not wishful thinking, and it is not a soft leadership trait reserved for idealists. It is a disciplined, practical skill that drives engagement, fuels resilience, and restores belief in the future of work. From global research to personal recovery stories, this episode makes one thing clear: when leaders cultivate belonging, speak possibility, and tell the whole truth, people perform differently. In a time when burnout is rising and uncertainty is constant, hope becomes the competitive advantage. The leaders who choose to become hope dealers will not only transform their teams, but they will also shape the future of work itself. 

 

Links/Resources: 

Dr. Alexander Lovell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlovell/  

OC Tanner Global Culture Report: https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report  

Jen Fisher website: www.jen-fisher.com  

Jen Fisher on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jen-fisher-cwbo/

WorkWell Podcast with Jen Fisher: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-workwell-podcast/id1381561571 

O.C. Tanner website: https://www.octanner.com/  

O.C. Tanner Global Culture Report: https://www.octanner.com/global-culture-report    

Inc. Article Summary: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/human-resources-hopelessness-epidemic-work-leadership/91246729   

Episode #112 with Jen Fisher: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/jen-fisher/   

Jen Fisher’s Book “Hope Is the Strategy: The Underrated Skill That Transforms Work, Leadership, and Well-Being”: https://a.co/d/0glJUsxN  

Substack: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/      

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/  

Twitter/X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9fO2r_ZQ3wy5ie522f-DTQ  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/

Episode recap

 

Don’t forget to subscribe to my Substack for exclusive access to tools, action plans, long-form articles, book content, and coaching resources to level up your leadership! Subscribe here.

 

In this episode, Marcel interviewed Frank Danna and Chris Pitre, co-authors of "Love as a Change Strategy," discussing their book's themes and their experience at Softway, a technology company that transformed from a toxic culture to a human-centered organization. The conversation explored how embracing discomfort, prioritizing relationships, and practicing empathetic curiosity can lead to successful organizational change. Frank and Chris shared personal stories about their own transformation journeys and how they apply these principles at Softway. They discussed the importance of leaders modeling change behavior and the role of AI in enhancing human connection at work. The authors emphasized that change should be led, not managed, and highlighted the need for leaders to be intentional with their words and actions.

 

 

Guest Bio

 

Chris Pitre is Vice President at both Culture+ and Softway. Chris has spent his career helping companies reimagine how they work, focusing on how they treat their people and communicate.

 

Frank Danna serves as the Marketing Director at Softway and is the Co-Founder of Culture+, where he helps leaders transform their leadership through love, empathy, and behavior-based change.

 

 

Quotes: 

Chris Pitre: “Without a positive or strong culture, it's actually harder to bounce back. Adversity becomes that much scarier and that much more formidable.” 

Chris Pitre: “If you are a leader who is about to implement change and you're not uncomfortable, that should be a scary thing.” 

Frank Danna: “If you want to change, discomfort is the solution.” 

Chris Pitre: “I truly believe that comfort is a privilege and change, and so if you are comfortable, that means that everybody else is paying for your comfort, and likely you are someone who is probably oppressing the team.” 

Chris Pitre: “You get to decide at a certain point in your career who you will become: are you the boss that leaves a mark or a scar?” 

 

 

Takeaways: 

Real, sustainable change fails when it’s treated as a technical process instead of a deeply human, emotional experience. 

The six principles of change—embracing discomfort, prioritizing relationships, practicing empathetic curiosity, wielding your influence, experimenting, and being effective—act as a flexible “middle layer” between rigid processes and long-term behavior change. 

Leaders themselves are often the biggest blockers of transformation when they cling to titles, certainty, and comfort while expecting others to do the hard changing. 

Resistance to change is frequently a signal that people feel unheard, and genuine empathetic curiosity can turn resistors into powerful champions. 

AI, when introduced from a humane, people-first lens, can remove transactional work and actually create more room for empathy, collaboration, and truly human leadership. 

 

 

Timestamps: 

00:00:02 Introduction and Softway’s turnaround story 

00:03:30 Welcoming guests Frank Danna and Christopher Pitre 

00:03:55 Frank’s story: from imposter syndrome to belonging 

00:05:26 Chris’s story: corporate “robot,” stroke, and the power of workplace community 

00:11:36 What Softway does and its evolution to AI-focused transformation 

00:15:02 What people get wrong about love as a change strategy and why change fails 

00:21:53 The six principles of change 

00:24:00 Embracing discomfort and why leaders must feel uneasy 

00:27:12 How leaders become the blockers of change 

00:31:06 Personal transformation, accountability, and resistance as unheard voices 

00:36:21 Rabbit hole: traditional male leadership, narcissism, and the cost to culture 

00:40:13 Can AI actually increase humanity and love in the workplace? 

00:43:35 Have we missed any essential questions? 

00:44:55 Practical ways to lead with love day in and day out 

00:47:39 Final takeaways: be like the buffalo and don’t manage change—lead it 

00:50:15 Teasing the third book in the series 

00:51:08 Where to learn more about Softway, the books, and the podcast  

 

 

Conclusion: 

Love isn’t a soft extra in business—it’s the toughest, most practical strategy for real change. This episode shows how embracing discomfort, listening with empathy, and leading like a “buffalo” through the storm can turn a toxic culture into a place of belonging and growth. Frank and Chris prove that when leaders go first, drop their ego, and put people at the center, both performance and humanity rise. AI, handled with a humane-first mindset, becomes a catalyst—not a threat—for more meaningful, human work. Take what you’ve heard today and decide: will you manage change from a distance, or step in and lead it with love? 

 

 

Links/Resources: 

Softway: https://www.softway.com/  

Culture+: https://www.culture-plus.com/  

Love as a Strategy: https://www.loveasastrategy.com/  

Softway LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamsoftway/  

Culture+ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culture_plus/  

Love as a Change Strategy: https://loveasachangestrategy.com/  

Love as a Business Strategy: https://www.loveasabusinessstrategy.com/  

Frank Danna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankDanna/  

Chris Pitre on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispitre/  

Episode 183 with the CEO of Softway, Mohammad Anwar: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/mohammad-anwar-love-as-a-business-strategy-ep-183/  

Substack: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/      

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/  

Twitter/X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9fO2r_ZQ3wy5ie522f-DTQ  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/