Love in Action

Episode recap:Marcel and Heather Younger explored the crucial role of self-leadership in leading others effectively. Younger discussed her new book, The Art of Self-Leadership, emphasizing that self-leadership is the foundation of effective leadership and highlighting the importance of self-awareness, emotional resilience, and personal growth. Heather shared her journey from corporate challenges to entrepreneurship, underscoring the need to reframe setbacks as learning opportunities and prioritize self-care. They discussed the connection between mental health and leadership, drawing from personal experiences and high-profile examples like Simone Biles and Kevin Love. Recognizing fear-driven actions, setting clear expectations in relationships, and embracing self-love were key takeaways, reinforcing that strong leadership starts with mastering oneself. BioHeather R Younger, J.D, CSP, is a former practicing lawyer who demonstrates how to put empathy into action through the power of Caring Leadership®.She is the visionary Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a preeminent employee engagement and workplace culture consulting firm to Fortune 100 companies. Heather has been named to the Thinkers50 Radar 25, is an award-winning leader in the area of Employee Engagement as recognized by Inspiring Workplaces, is a LinkedIn Learning course partner, 3-time best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and the host of the popular Leadership With Heart podcast.Quotes:"If we don't get ourselves right, I don't care how big your team is. You're never going to be as effective as you want to be.""Our behaviors and our intentional choices determine how we show up for others and for ourselves.""We can't spill out into the world with all the love we really have inside of us unless we develop the love inside of us for ourselves."Takeaways:Conduct a self-audit on your personal values - identify the ones you truly believe in and assess how well you are living up to them on a daily basis.Establish clear expectations and communication with your manager or team - don't wait for them to set the agenda, take initiative to drive your own progress.Prioritize self-care practices that nurture your mental, physical, and emotional well-being - find activities that recharge and fortify you.Approach feedback with an open mindset - view it as a gift, even if it's difficult to hear, and look for opportunities to grow.Stop waiting for the "green lights" - take ownership of your personal journey and create the change you seek, rather than relying on others.Timestamps:[00:04] Introduction[03:54] How a tough layoff led Heather to a new purpose[06:24] Why self-leadership is the key to real success[11:36] The link between self-awareness, fear, and confidence[21:51] Small wins, self-care, and treating yourself like a brand[44:01] How to stop fear from holding you back in work and life[45:42] The secret to better communication and stronger influence[51:21] Why self-advocacy matters and how to take control nowLinks/Resources:Buy The Art of Self-Leadership - https://www.caringleadershiplearning.com/selfleadershipbookHeather Younger website - https://heatheryounger.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherryounger/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heatherryoungerofficial/ Send Marcel a text message!

Episode recap:Sam Caster, a previous guest on episode 237, graciously offers to interview show host Marcel Schhwantes about his journey to becoming a go-to authority on Servant Leadership, highlighting the twists and turns, trials and tribulations of his professional path that led him to where he is today.Guest Bio:Marcel Schwantes helps organizations create high-performing cultures where employees thrive and businesses grow. He is an international speaker, executive coach, and author who has been recognized by Inspiring Workplaces as a Top 101 Global Employee Engagement Influencer. His thought leadership reaches millions monthly through outlets like Inc., Time, Fast Company, and Forbes. For the past seven years, Marcel has hosted the Love in Action podcast, which is now heard in 160 countries. He is the author of the soon-to-be-released book Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss.Marcel Schwantes revisiting a conversation with entrepreneur Sam Caster, founder of ALOVÉA, who shares his journey of building a successful company and the challenges of maintaining its culture after going public. As the company grew, the culture Sam cultivated began to erode due to silos, financial pressures, and a loss of connection—a common issue for leaders when rapid growth threatens core values.Key Quotes:"It doesn't start with serving shareholders first. It starts with implementing a vision, carrying it out, and differentiating yourself from competitors.""Culture won't happen at the flip of a switch. It takes time and starts with leaders championing the call for that culture."Takeaways:Prioritize Values: Embed organizational values into daily operations, decision-making, and hiring. Consistently demonstrate how these values are lived out.Align Leadership: Ensure your leadership team is committed to a people-first, servant leadership approach. Address resistance proactively to avoid undermining cultural transformation.Expand Diversity: Go beyond race, gender, and ethnicity to build a workforce with diverse ages, backgrounds, and perspectives to drive innovation.Conclusion:Organizations that embrace servant leadership principles can achieve lasting success, even in tough times. By prioritizing the well-being and growth of their people over short-term profits, they build resilient, trust-based teams with a shared sense of purpose. True leadership lies in uplifting others and creating a foundation for individual and collective success. Marcel Schwantes emphasizes that servant leadership, though challenging, is a transformative approach that fosters loyalty, innovation, and long-term impact.Links/Resources:Join the “From Boss to Leader” workshop here: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/frombosstoleader/Website: www.marcelschwantes.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/Send Marcel a text message!

Episode recap:Marcel introduces Sam Caster, a renowned social entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of ALOVÉA, which provides nutritional technologies to tackle global health issues. He shared the challenges of being a social entrepreneur and the significance of social entrepreneurship in addressing pressing health challenges, such as diseases and malnutrition. Caster is recognized for discovering a powerful immune-optimizing molecule extracted from the aloe vera plant, and he describes how he faced extreme resistance from Big Pharma and the FDA. Additionally, Sam discussed his struggle to balance running a for-profit company with providing the same technology through a non-profit organization. He speaks about his passion for social entrepreneurship and how he has dedicated his life to this cause.Sam Caster is a social entrepreneur who has leveraged his business skills and experiences in order to fund a sustainable contribution of advanced immune support to the world’s most vulnerable children through the Not-For-Profit organization he funded called MannaRelief. To date MannaRelief has donated over 250 million daily servings to children in over 90 countries of the world. He’s also the founder and CEO of ALOVÉA, which provides nutritional technologies that address the growing problems of poor health and diseases worldwide. Sam shares his journey of leveraging advanced nutritional technologies to combat global health crises while navigating the complexities of regulatory systems. His resilience, purpose, and ability to make tough decisions—like starting over to pursue a greater mission—highlight the profound challenges and rewards of social entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the importance of combining business skills with social impact, creating a model that delivers value to consumers while addressing pressing societal needs.Key takeaways from the episode include:Purpose-Driven Business: Build products or services that enhance quality of life and align with personal passion.Resilience in Challenges: Embrace resistance when challenging the status quo, using purpose to overcome obstacles.Innovative Impact: Use unique technologies to drive consumer satisfaction while addressing societal needs.Authentic Leadership: Inspire trust through authenticity, purpose, and alignment of vision, fostering loyalty from teams and consumers.Global Change through Simple Models: Initiatives like “buy one, give one” demonstrate how sustainable business models can create significant global impact, especially in health-focused industries.Sam’s story underscores the potential of social entrepreneurship to unite profitability with meaningful action, turning personal convictions into transformative change. Whether tackling systemic health crises or building purpose-driven businesses, his insights provide a powerful roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to make a difference.Links/Resources:Join the “From Boss to Leader” workshop here: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/frombosstoleader/Alovéa: https://alovea.com/ MannaRelief: https://www.mannarelief.org/ Send Marcel a text message!

In this episode, Hans-Werner Kaas, senior partner emeritus at McKinsey & Company and co-author of The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out, discusses how empathy, vulnerability, and purpose define successful leadership. Drawing from his decades of coaching global CEOs and his role in McKinsey's Bower Forum, Hans-Werner emphasizes that true leadership starts with self-awareness and the ability to form meaningful connections.Hans-Werner challenges the outdated notion that leaders must always be the smartest or most authoritative. Instead, he argues that vulnerability is a strength, fostering trust and openness in teams. By sharing personal struggles, embracing feedback, and admitting mistakes, leaders build bonds that enhance collaboration and innovation. He also highlights the importance of empathy, noting that immersing oneself in others’ perspectives creates trust and inspires purpose-driven cultures.The Bower Forum’s model is presented as a practical framework for leadership development. It encourages leaders to create personal “commitment plans” focused on self-growth, team leadership, and organizational impact. Hans-Werner shares stories of CEOs who transformed their leadership styles by adopting empathy and a willingness to learn from failures. He advocates for “fearless learning,” which involves questioning assumptions, adapting to new realities, and using setbacks as growth opportunities.Key takeaways include:Reflect on Leadership Style: Examine how you respond to mistakes and feedback. Identify one behavior to improve trust with your team.Build Genuine Connections: Engage in meaningful conversations to understand team members’ perspectives and challenges.Challenge Long-Held Beliefs: Reevaluate assumptions and explore how adapting them can lead to better decisions.Practice Fearless Learning: Analyze setbacks without assigning blame and outline actionable steps to improve.Create a Commitment Plan: Define goals for leading yourself, your team, and your organization, and revisit them regularly.Hans-Werner’s insights demonstrate that leadership success today hinges on authenticity and emotional intelligence. By fostering a culture of care, trust, and adaptability, leaders can create resilient and high-performing organizations. Vulnerability, self-awareness, and empathy are not just traits of effective leaders—they are essential for building thriving teams and achieving sustainable success.Links/Resources:Website: https://www.mckinsey.com/Bower Forum: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/how-we-help-clients/mckinsey-academy/executive-programs/bower-forumBook: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Leadership-CEOs-Learn-Inside/dp/0593714210/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanswernerkaas/Send Marcel a text message!

Why do some organizations thrive in collaboration, innovation, and resilience while others struggle with stagnation and silos? How can leaders build a culture that inspires risk-taking, fosters diversity, and drives ethical success?In this episode, we have invited Dr. Mary Murphy, a social psychologist, Stanford graduate, and protégé of mindset pioneer Carol Dweck. Dr. Murphy's groundbreaking research builds on Dweck's work to explore how organizations, not just individuals, adopt mindsets that profoundly influence performance, motivation, and inclusion. She introduces the concept of "Cultures of Growth" versus "Cultures of Genius" and unpacks the transformative power of creating a learning-focused organizational culture. If you're ready to revolutionize your team's dynamics and embrace a sustainable path to growth, this episode is your blueprint.Summary:Dr. Mary Murphy explains that fixed mindset cultures focus on "star performers" and collecting top talent, while growth mindset cultures believe everyone can develop and contribute with the proper support. She discusses the negative consequences of a fixed mindset or "culture of genius" environments, such as risk aversion, lack of collaboration, and ethical issues. In contrast, growth mindset cultures are more inclusive, innovative, and supportive of employee development.Dr. Murphy provides practical advice for leaders to foster a growth mindset culture. This includes understanding your and your team's mindset triggers, strategically using feedback and praise to encourage growth, and creating an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of equity, not just equality, in supporting the unique needs of each team member. Dr. Murphy also shares examples of strong growth mindset cultures, like Patagonia, that focus on sustainable and regenerative organizational practices. The key is continuous attention to culture to prevent regression to a fixed mindset environment.Quotes:●     "Mindset isn't just located in our mind. As I said, it is influenced by the people in the situations around us. And so the solution changes to not just get people to change their minds, but to change the culture around them so that everyone is naturally moved more to their growth mindset most of the time."●     "In the culture of growth, we see that you can put in some learning structures so that we can understand the measured risks we want to take. We can create sort of small experiments along the way."●     "An equity lens means that we might be giving different things to different people. It's not equality, giving everyone the same thing. It's understanding where people are in the moment and what different individuals need to be successful to grow and develop maximally."Takeaway:●     Identify your mindset triggers - the situations that tend to push you towards a fixed mindset. Be aware of these triggers so you can proactively manage them.●     Provide "wise feedback" to your team members - start by expressing your high standards and belief in their ability to meet those standards before providing specific, actionable feedback.●     Implement a "favorite mistakes" practice in your team meetings - have everyone share a mistake they made that led to valuable learning.●     Solicit critical feedback from your direct reports and model how to receive it with a growth mindset. Show them how you plan to use the feedback to improve.●     Focus on equity, not just equality, when developing your team. Provide different resources and support based on each person's unique needs and goals.Timestamps:[03:49] Dr. Murphy's story: How her multicultural upbringing shaped her research[06:27] CulturesSend Marcel a text message!

Quotes:Marcel begins his conversation with world-renowned CEO Alan Mulally by exploring Alan’s background and upbringing, which heavily influenced his leadership style and life of service. As they dive into the slide stack, Alan shares pivotal lessons and words that shaped his early life and career at Boeing and Ford, including a statement that embodies his “Working Together” system: “By ‘working together’ with others, you can make the most positive contribution to the most people.” [18:47]Alan Mulally and his trusted advisor Sarah McArthur designed the “Working Together” system to foster a connected and collaborative culture of love by design. Alan highlights the key elements of his operating system, starting with its most important principle: people first... love ‘em up. "Love" as a guiding word for organizational processes marks a profound shift from traditional leadership approaches. Alan clarifies his intention behind the word love, stating, “I’m not looking for a date... this means I LOVE humanity, and we’re going to work together and align around, including everybody, a compelling vision, a comprehensive strategy for achieving it, and relentless positive implementation.” [27:04]Alan illustrates the transformative impact of the "Working Together" system with examples from his time at Boeing and Ford. One such example is the 1990 agreement for the development of the Boeing 777. This collaborative effort was so powerful that the first pilots of the plane requested it be named Working Together. Quoting the pilots, John Cashman and Kenny Higgins, Alan recalls: “We have never had a working together experience like this... This airplane is going to be phenomenal.” [37:39]Alan clearly outlines the goals and expectations he sets with his teams at every step. For today’s listeners and viewers, he highlights the Ford Creating Value Roadmap included in the slides. Alan emphasizes that these expectations are always developed collaboratively. In this case, the team created an acronym—FORD—to outline the process, which culminates in the essence of his philosophy: “The essence of everything is working together globally using our expected behaviors.” [43:52]Alan explains the “Working Together” leadership and management system as consisting of five key elements. It starts with the Principles and Practices discussed earlier in the episode, followed by implementation through Governance, Leadership Team, Creating Value Roadmap, and Business Plan Review. He describes this system as an ever-spinning circle revisited weekly to ensure its effectiveness. “The reason this is called a system is because you need to do this over and over again.” [55:43]Alan is also known for his remarkable work-life balance, which he attributes to the alignment of authentic leadership with the Be and Do of the “Working Together” system. He describes this alignment as an authentic, integrated One Life and Life’s Work of Service, calling it “our love made visible.” Alan challenges listeners to reflect by filling out a chart from one of the slides, identifying their Who, What, Why, and How. “This is one of the biggest contributions we can each make by moving in this direction, because we don’t have to go tell everybody about it... They can see it.” [1:04:34]Key Takeaways:Alan Mulally shares a heartfelt conclusion, tying together the Be and Do of “Working Together.” He leaves listeners with well wishes and advice: “Start in the morning with your partner [yourself]... and ask if there is anything else you need to do to serve as you live with humility and love. It’s amazing what it will mean to your life.” [1:24:22] Send Marcel a text message!

Episode Recap:Marcel speaks with Nathalie Gerschtein, President of L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division in North America. Nathalie discussed her journey as a leader and her experiences moving up the ranks. They also explored topics such as psychological safety, unleashing human magic, and the concept of love as a leadership strategy, with Nathalie sharing her experiences as a mother working abroad and her journey to becoming the first woman to lead L'Oréal's Consumer Products Division in North America. Nathalie emphasized the need for women to remain ambitious and not apologize for their drive and to be open to learning from others. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the importance of leading with love and ambition in the workplace.Get Access to the Green Room on Substack! Get exclusive access to the Green Room for bonus material and actionable steps not available anywhere else.Quotes:The leaders that rose to the top during the pandemic are those who quickly figured out how to come together as a team, even in a remote setting. Guest Nathalie Gershetin explains how she adapted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: “Sometimes pivot is perfection. We’re not going to get everything right, but we have to be really tight as a team.” [6:04]Nathalie elaborates on the concept of the growth zone, emphasizing the importance of finding a balance between extending oneself to try new things and learning, even through failure, while maintaining grace and allowing time for growth. “If we stay static and remain always in our comfort zone, we don’t learn anything. But if we stretch ourselves too much, then we are in the panic zone all the time, and we won’t be able to learn as much.” [8:40]Marcel poses an intriguing question to Nathalie: How does psychological safety within a corporate team affect the consumer? Nathalie reveals that psychological safety is the key to fostering innovation and creative thinking. “Either we get comfortable and we always use the same ‘recipe,’ but then we’re not going to give the best to our consumers OR we really debate ideas and decide if this is the best innovation.” [14:50]What is "Love in Action" to Nathalie? She describes it as the concept of being a "Learn It All Leader," not a "Know It All Leader." Nathalie underscores the importance of empathetic leadership that integrates love and learning into practice. “I’m not here to explain to my team everything they should do, how they should do it, and what is the best way to get everything right. I am here to be wisdom on the journey of learning, and I am here to also learn from them.” [16:50]Many leaders are parents, and being candid about that can make you a better leader! Nathalie shares how her vulnerability as a working and traveling mother empowers her team members facing similar challenges. “I talk about my daughter at the office, and I think it's good because it enables other women to talk about it. It is not a taboo…I am a mother.” [25:15]Nathalie offers advice for young women entering the industry and pursuing leadership roles. She emphasizes the need to shift paradigms and encourage women to embrace boldness and imperfection. “Remain ambitious and don’t apologize for your ambition.” [27:50]Key Takeaway: Nathalie inspires listeners to prioritize their employees as a cornerstone of success. “In order to be successful in the marketplace, you have to be successful in the workplace.” [33:16]Mentioned in this episode:Nathalie Gerschtein on LinkedIn Send Marcel a text message!

Episode Recap:Career development is broken, and our expectations have not kept pace with the reality of today’s workplace, according to today’s guest, Julie Winkle Giulioni. Julie co-authored the classic bestseller Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go, which has been re-released in an expanded version. Julie argues that career development is the single most powerful tool managers have for driving retention, engagement, productivity, and results, and she provides managers with the types of conversations they must have with their employees. Today, we’re talking about developing and growing employees.Get Access to the Green Room on Substack! Get exclusive access to the Green Room for bonus material and actionable steps not available anywhere else.Quotes:Treating development as an annual checkmark, an “I don’t have time” mentality, and talent scarcity—these are all common mistakes managers make when it comes to career development. Guest Julie Winkle Giulioni explains the challenges in organizational career development. “There are assumptions that lie under the surface, that drive behavior that is not in the leader, nor the employee, nor the organization's best interest.” [13:07]Development is driven by relationships and conversations—small pockets of time already enveloped in the time we’re spending with our team. It’s all about conversation. Julie profoundly exclaims that it’s not about something on your to-do list; it's about who you are. “The key is to underburden ourselves as leaders when it comes to development.” [15:58]It’s no secret that organizations have gone through a lot of changes since the pandemic. With more people working remotely, productivity and performance have continued to be maintained—but what about development? Julie dedicated an entire chapter to this quandary. After surveying, she found it’s all about intentionality—something as simple as weekly one-on-ones with five minutes centered on development. “There is no silver bullet. What you need to do is everything you would do with people who are co-located but do it with greater intention.” [22:40]Straight up is not the only path for your development. Julie shares an analogy that compares the career ladder to rock climbing—the challenge and experience that comes from stretching out and trying something new right where you are, with *and* without support. “We are always feeling like growth looks like going somewhere else, when the truth is the only thing we have full control over in our work is our work... and there is so much room for improvement there.” [32:19]The world is changing, and we are all aware of it. Roles are changing, jobs are changing, so how can we future-proof our careers? When Julie looks into her “crystal ball,” she shares her vision for the future of career development over the next decade. “Less of a focus on pathways, and more of a focus on possibilities.” [37:12]Hopes, dreams, fears, aspirations… these are all parts of development and represent a truly intimate way we interact with our teams. Leaders who embody this—it’s love in action. “Attending someone's development is the most loving way we interact as leaders with those around us.” [40:00]Key Takeaway: Julie brings home the episode with a final thought and the idea behind all her work: “Development is not a to-do. Development is a to-be. It’s a relationship. It’s how we show up day in and day out.” [40:40]Mentioned in this episode:Website: Julie Winkle GiulioniSend Marcel a text message!

Episode Recap:Marcel and guest Mitch Warner discuss the impact of Arbinger Institute’s work, particularly the book "Leadership and Self-Deception," on organizational transformation and the importance of self-awareness and humility in leadership. They also explored the concept of self-deception and its impact on decision-making and relationships, emphasizing the need for accurate perception and the ability to see oneself and others clearly for effective leadership. Lastly, they discussed strategies for overcoming self-deception and improving workplace relationships, including adopting an “outward mindset.”Get Access to the Green Room on Substack! Get exclusive access to the Green Room for bonus material and actionable steps not available anywhere else.Quotes:“This new need in my life is all-consuming; it’s the need to be justified for not seeing you and responding to you truthfully, as a person. So how do I get that justification? In the very way I got it in that moment—by seeing you and me falsely, by deceiving myself.” [14:20] Guest Mitch Warner discusses self-deception across both the workplace and personal life. Self-deception is essentially lying to ourselves, often resulting in misplaced blame and sacrificing our happiness, success, and results. “We will never see the lie that we’re telling ourselves, even though we’re the ones telling it. Because we need it and want it to be true, so we have to look for the red flags.” [19:10] Mitch emphasizes that we rarely recognize our own self-deception. Instead, we must stay vigilant for warning signs in our behavior. These red flags may appear in various forms, such as internally “lawyering up” to justify actions or avoiding others entirely. These signals suggest that something may be amiss, and we need the courage to follow them.“Anytime I, as a leader, walk around with an image of myself, that will undermine and undercut my effectiveness in every single leadership situation.” [22:29] Holding onto a particular self-image limits effective leadership, as Mitch explains. True leadership is about being present with and responsive to those around us without the interference of ego.“Anytime we encounter dysfunction, we find what we call collusion... groups that are mutually in self-destructive self-deception.” [30:24] This damaging behavior often permeates organizations at every level, creating a destructive “dance” in which self-deception feeds on itself across teams.“Once I’ve regained a sense of the humanity of the people around me, then I regain my effectiveness. Because now we’re just together in a different kind of connected way.” [32:45] Mitch illustrates how adopting an “Outward Mindset” changes our behavior by enabling us to see people as inherently valuable, as we see ourselves.Key Takeaway: “Go meet to learn, NOT meet to get.” [39:23] Mitch challenges listeners to schedule one meeting with no agenda—just genuine curiosity. This non-agenda conversation offers a chance to identify and address self-deception, fostering better understanding and collaborationMentioned in this episode:Leadership and Self-Deception - Get the book from ArbingerArbinger InstituteMatt Warner on LinkedInSend Marcel a text message!

Quotes:“This Venn diagram has been the story of my life. How do I achieve really cool, hard stuff and at the same time be the best human I can be?” [11:16] Urs Koenig has a diverse background in endurance sports and intense careers. Whether ultra biking or working as a NATO military peacekeeper, the most impactful part of his life was finding balance in being a good person—this inspired his book, Unlock Leadership’s Secret Weapon: Radical Humility.“People often tell me, ‘If I show up with humility, I’m a pushover; I have no spine; I have no confidence.’” [22:28] Dispelling myths about humble leadership and moving away from the "heroic leader" model, Urs explains that humility is actually a prerequisite for confidence and a strong sense of self. It allows leaders to be vulnerable and open to feedback—critical components of humility.“The soft stuff—building more self-awareness, showing up with vulnerability—it’s not soft. The soft stuff is tough.” [30:25] Urs shares a powerful story of vulnerability from the CEO of Intuit. Leading with humility requires immense courage, as well as the work involved in developing these "soft skills": journaling, reflection, accepting feedback, and applying the necessary focus and thought.“The Platinum Rule requires me to really know my people on a meaningful level, so I can treat them the way they want to be treated.” [35:04] Urs contrasts the Golden Rule, "treat others the way you want to be treated," which he calls selfish, with the Platinum Rule. The latter encourages leaders and teams to have conversations about how they want to be treated and receive feedback.“Humble leadership sometimes means raising your voice or giving clear, direct orders. Let me be very clear—this is not about name-calling or yelling. It's about being firm, direct, and inviting feedback, all with the goal of raising performance.” [46:23] Urs shares a story from his time as a NATO Peacekeeper Commander, explaining how strong, safe workplace cultures thrive on openness and feedback. It’s not about agreeing on everything, but about being receptive to criticism.“Schedule one 'deepening the relationship’ meeting with one of your teammates.” [51:22] Marcel and Urs discuss humble leadership throughout the episode. To make the shift to Radical Humility, Urs suggests starting with a first step: strengthen the relationship with one teammate this week.Key Takeaway: Urs Koenig closes the episode with this message: “Be tough on results, tender on people. The notion that we either have to be a good human or a tough leader is a false dichotomy. We can all courageously do hard things in a human way.” [53:52]Join Marcel on Substack!Subscribe to Marcel’s Substack and get exclusive access to the Green Room for post-episode conversations where Marcel and his guests give you practical advice to make you a better, more effective leader. Subscribers will also have access to live Green Room conversations and be able to interact with guests. Subscribe here. Mentioned in this episode:Urs KoenigUrs Koenig on LinkedInRadical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human: Urs KoenigMarcel SchwantesMaSend Marcel a text message!