Marcel Schwantes: 3 Attributes of The Best Leaders

“In transparent work cultures, you can count on the guardians of the culture, trusted team members and associates, to watch out for politics or favoritism behind the scenes and squash such behaviors as soon as it happens.” [2:54] Marcel starts his list of the three attributes of the best leaders with transparency. The best leaders are role models of transparency, allowing no room for toxic behavior.

“One-on-one meetings don't have to have an agenda. They're used mostly to find out how things are going and whether people have questions or concerns about the business or a particular strategy in play.” [5:20] Winning attribute number 2, The best leaders don't neglect the power of one-on-one meetings. Marcel shares two simple questions for these meetings that affirm the employee's value and voice and spawn great ideas for how to run the business better.

“Psychological safety curbs the fear that historically makes it difficult for workers to think clearly and act confidently on their own to make decisions. It helps to eliminate the authoritarian tactics of bosses yelling at workers for making mistakes or not knowing things." [7:10] The best leaders foster an environment of psychological safety. Marcel shares the research between this term coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, who explains it as ‘a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.’