Love in Action (Marcel Schwantes)
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| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 May 2019 | Become Part of a Growing Movement with Mike Vacanti | 00:38:41 | |
Times are changing. There is a movement happening: are you in? Joining us today is Mike Vacanti, the founder of the HumansFirst Club, and today we’re talking about the hope of being able to create positive change in the workplace, and how to lead from a humans first perspective. The HumansFirst Club Movement:We are at an inflection point where we’re realizing we can do better. The HumansFirst Club is an opportunity to have positive, constructive dialogue around what it is we’re experiencing now in the workplace, and the ideas we can share and build upon as a community to take the steps forward toward a future that really does value people first. What happens at a HumansFirst Club event:At HumansFirst Club events, we have people from all different perspectives and job roles, from business leaders, to HR, to authors, and instructors. They have unique and proven ideas and these ideas are gaining traction. At the center of it all, these people and their audiences have that great need of wanting to be happier and better.Business benefits of the movement:Given the opportunity, people will amaze you. By putting in a lot of the processes and operations and controls we feel are there to drive business results, we’re actually creating barriers to things that would happen naturally if we empowered people to deliver. If we create this transparency where our employees can attach their beliefs to the company beliefs, what they will contribute will far exceed what we could demand that they contribute.Leadership the HumansFirst way:We’re taught to look at the quantitative measures of people: what are they capable of from a statistical standpoint? But what about looking at the core of who our people are? What drives them? What are their true values? How are they influencing other people around them? What type of energy do they show up with during the day? How much do they smile? Do they lift the energy of other people? From a leadership standpoint, one of the most important things we can do is choose what to stop doing. What we stop doing is probably more important than what we do next. Take away the historic processes that may actually be barriers to high achievement — don’t add more to the bucket. Make sure you have the right things in the bucket. Why people lead with fear:Mike puts forward three theories. First, people think: this works because I experienced this, because I’ve now risen to a level of authority. This is the path to leadership and achievement. Second, there’s not much incentive to let go of it. To protect pride and ego, people cast fear so they can’t be challenged on their position and authority. Finally, laziness. It’s just easier to throw fear out there. You can detract, deflect, and don’t ever have to be vulnerable and be exposed for your insecurities. It’s a wall people hide behind.Final thoughts:We all have the ability for deep thinking, higher consciousness, and the opportunity to create positive change for at least one other person. We need to get rid of our limiting beliefs, choose what to stop doing, and fill in those gaps with things we know are important — so we can enhance our lives, and the interactions and relationships we have with others. Know that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. Resources for Mike Vacanti: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Website | HumansFirst Club | Brave Leadership | |||
| 03 Oct 2019 | Love is Just Good Business with Steve Farber | 00:50:16 | |
This week’s guest is executive coach and thought leader, Steve Farber, who teaches that love, rather than being a soft skill as it’s widely considered, is a hard-core leadership principle that helps shape winning businesses and elevates the customer and employee experience. Steve authored the seminal book, The Radical Leap - widely considered one of the top 100 business books ever written. He is the President of Extreme Leadership Inc., and he recently released another book, Love is Just Damn Good Business. He chats with host Marcel Schwantes about his latest work.At work, we have the opportunity to create a transformative culture and quality experience. If we do, we can impact our businesses, our customer experience, and our lives, for the better. [5:19]Love is the core of great leadership and it's at the foundation of any thriving competitive business. [6:32]Steve presents the business case for love as a strategic advantage. We need our customers to love what we do for them because that’s our competitive advantage. The only way to create that kind of experience for our customers is to create an environment where employees love working. [8:04]I can't create or contribute to a culture that people love working in unless I first love it myself. [9:04]Marcel asks Steve to unpack the formula for putting love into action: Do what you love in the service of people who love what you do. Steve explains that this means doing what you love, to serve people in such a profound way that they love you in return. [9:43]Steve explains the LEAP model of leadership: cultivate Love, generate Energy, inspire Audacity, and provide Proof. Love is not just the first element of LEAP, it makes the other elements possible. [13:00]Leadership is not about your position or title, it's about the way you engage in the world around you and your ability to influence people to change things for the better. Leadership by its nature is extreme because you're involved in the act of transformation in some way. You're stretching and growing your own skills and capabilities and doing that for the people around you. [15:23]Love is a must-have. It affects our bottom line, our productivity, our profitability; it gives us a better chance of increasing market share and reducing turnover. [20:27]Applying the principles of love means raising expectations and standards; at the same time, your tolerance for substandard behavior goes down. [22:50]Ask yourself: Why do I love this place? Is there something in this experience that I love? How do I show it, or how do I show it better? [23:02]Marcel asks, Why do so many leaders still lead with an iron fist instead of love and compassion? Steve thinks it’s because it’s easy to leverage your position of authority; that some people enjoy having power over others; and many people think that’s the way a leader is supposed to be. [36:21]A leadership question anyone can ask themselves: What can I do right now, regardless of what anybody else around here is not doing, to change my piece of this organization for the better? [40:38]Marcel adds that regardless of your position or status, you can impact your surrounding environment. [42:50]Steve encourages listeners to find something in your life that you love doing, and do it just because. That simple action will spark joy in your life. [44:00] Marcel reminds us that when love is baked into the employee experience, the customer experience is going to be off the charts and they will reciprocate with loyalty and referrals. [48:37]ResourcesSteveFarber.comLinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook Win a free copy of Steve’s book!Contribute your stories of love and fear. The first 15 people to do so will be mailed a free copy of Steve’s book. | |||
| 07 Jul 2022 | Julie Winkle Giulioni: Promotions Are So Yesterday | 00:59:20 | |
Julie is the co-author of the international bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go, translated into seven languages, and Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive. She leads DesignArounds, a firm that creates and offers training to organizations worldwide.Highlights:“My story has this through line of learning and development…that throughline is helping people to grow.” [10:25] Julie Giulioni shares her story and her passion for working with people on growth and development, both in the workplace and outside of work.“It really does feel like Promotions Are So Yesterday, is the sequel [to my previous book] because as you know, Help the Grow really focused on the conversation, ‘how can we disarm this whole thing called career development?’.” [12:50] Before diving into her new book, Julie reiterates the message behind her first book and what that means to her research. “The climb is listed as well as your other 7 discoveries for these new alternative ways people want to grow and develop.” [17:35] Marcel and Julie touch on the 7 dimensions of development in the book: Contribution, Competence, Confidence, Connection, Challenge, Contentment, and Choice.“We found that contribution across ages, genders, levels - that was number one.” [23:30] Julie discusses the really positive meaning behind the number one dimension, Contribution, as a top need for people in the workplace. A surprising yet comforting bottom dimension? The climb of the corporate ladder. “This whole conversation around choice is really alive for a lot of employees, managers, and organizations, alike, as we try to figure out where does that decision-making lie.” [30:55] Julie explains how the ranking around choice fluctuates and has changed heavily based on COVID related shifts in the workplace.“A facilitative mindset acknowledges there is wisdom, there are insights, there are brilliant ideas inside each person just waiting to find expression” [35:25] Julie outlines how leaders can act as a facilitator by asking great questions and at the same time cultivating a silence for a safe playing field for employees to share their contributions.“With people being so busy these days, adding one more thing, to their list, to their brains….it’s gotta be really high value” [44:20] Intrinsic motivation and desire is key for employees and adding to their competence. Julie stresses that leaders and employers putting together plans need to be real in consideration of what is truly possible.“The work becomes the development, the development becomes the work.” [47:14] Marcel sums up the movement in which employees are shaping their work and the way leaders can seamlessly embed this intention of learning in any job.Resources:Julie Winkle GiulioniAssessment - Julie Winkle GiulioniJulie Winkle Giulioni, Author - Home | FacebookJulie Winkle Giulioni - LinkedIn | |||
| 19 May 2022 | Anthony Pacilio: CAI Neurodiverse Solutions | 00:52:06 | |
Today’s show is proudly sponsored by CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. Are you prepared for the rising demand for neurodiverse talent? As the need for highly-skilled, top talent grows exponentially across most industries, CAI Neurodiverse Solutions recruits, assesses, and manages neurodivergent individuals, while creating rewarding, long-lasting careers. For more information, contact: CAINeurodiverseSolutions@cai.io.Anthony Pacilio is an expert in neurodiverse employment and currently serves as the vice president of CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. There, he helps neurodiverse candidates find roles, as well as helps businesses maintain best practices when working with neurodiverse employees. In the past, Anthony has worked in the finance and healthcare industries with similar missions. Highlights:“You’re getting a set of individuals who have different thinking patterns, who recognize different processes, and can actually broaden companies’ returns on investment.” [11:45] Anthony tells us how hiring neurodiverse candidates can actually make your organization more money.“It’s not just finding an individual to put in a job. It’s making sure the individual we are putting in that job is going to have support systems, is gonna have mentors, is gonna have everything they need to be successful.” [12:53] Anthony described the CAI’s strategy and how it’s about more than simply putting people in jobs.“Neurodiversity in the workplace is building a program that takes individuals that have these extremely valuable skillsets and putting them in a place where they’re able to succeed, but also be able to give a return on investment. And that’s the business case. We’re not doing this for charity. This is a business case.” [18:07]The first step to hiring more neurodiverse candidates? “The first shift we need to experience is a shift of the mind. It’s a mindset to want to be more curious, rather than make your general assumptions and lean on that bias that says ‘no they’re not going to be right for our organization.” [21:30]“A neurodivergent employee has unique strengths in areas that we may not even be aware of. It behooves every leader to pull that out of that person, so that they can make an impact for the organization.” [28:55]“Everybody thinks that support mechanisms are costly, that they’re thousands of dollars, and I can tell you that they’re not.” [38:03] Anthony talked about how accommodating neurodiverse people isn’t as difficult as some people think.Anthony shared a poignant story about how families react to CAI’s work. “Parents are always worried about their children – what’s gonna happen after they’re gone, if they didn’t have their independence? Well, not anymore. ” [43:00]“When you’re speaking of what we’re trying to do and leading by example in this particular space… you’re missing a whole lot of opportunity if you haven't developed empathy.” [47:02]ResourcesEmail CAI Neurodiverse SolutionsCAI Neurodiverse SolutionsNeurodiversity Career Connector | |||
| 02 Dec 2021 | Working Better Together with Jen Fisher | 00:42:16 | |
Jen Fisher is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on the Love In Action podcast. Jen is Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, where she evolved the health and wellness program into a first-of-its-kind holistic and inclusive well-being strategy. Jen empowers Deloitte's people to prioritize their well-being so they can be at their best in both their professional and personal lives. In her role, she drives the strategy and innovation around work, life, health, and wellness. Jen is the co-author of the bestselling book, Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. Jen shares her experience as a working employee going through chemotherapy and the valuable lesson she learned in those difficult times. “Why do we give ourselves permission to set boundaries when we're sick, but not when we're well?” [4:07]“We’ve adopted all this technology, but we haven’t adapted to it very well,” Jen claims. “In my own words, the technology is using us, not the other way around. ... It’s more about how we, as human beings, choose to use it in our lives that has a negative impact. Our society has become this ‘always on 24/7, constantly connected’ society.” [10:21]Skills like empathy, compassion, authenticity, and emotional intelligence are not “soft”; they’re essential. According to Jen, they play a key role in the future of work because they cannot be replicated by machines or AI. Instead of fearing that technology is going to put us out of work, we should be celebrating that we can focus on humanizing the workplace. [17:27]Marcel asks Jen what organizations can do to maximize their employees’ well-being, to decrease burnout, and increase engagement and productivity. “The area you want to get to is trusted teams, which value human connection, relationships, and individual well-being,” she responds. “You achieve that through creating a culture of psychological safety, where people feel like they can show up as their authentic selves and ask for what they need.” [23:45]Essential skills are the skill set of the future. They can and need to be learned, taught, and brought into organizations by leaders who are tuned into them. These organizations are the ones that will truly thrive, Jen comments. [31:32]“The mascot we assigned for trusted teams is a dolphin, so [my co-author and I] want everyone to be a dolphin,” Jen encourages. “Communication and relationships are really important to dolphins; they do things in packs but they're also really great individual performers; they hunt, and they take care of their kids, but they're also very playful in their spirit… Be a dolphin not just at the workplace, but also in your personal life.” [34:56]ResourcesJen Fisher on LinkedInWork Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. | |||
| 10 Oct 2019 | Connect First with Melanie Katzman | 00:37:31 | |
Marcel Schwantes talks with author Dr. Melanie Katzman about her book, Connect First: 52 Ways to Ignite Success, Meaning and Joy at Work. Melanie is a psychologist and executive coach to the world's top organizations and government agencies. She is also the founder of Katzman Consulting and a founding partner of the global nonprofit Leader's Quest. She has been featured in The Financial Times, New York Times, Vanity Fair among others, and has made numerous television appearances on ABC, CBS and Lifetime.The big idea in Melanie’s book is that we should stop and take a look at the many things that can be done on a daily basis to improve our lives and the lives of the people that we work with. Her book gives practical, actionable ideas to improve our lives. [4:14]If we don’t change ourselves, we can’t change anything around us. [4:59]Smiling is a neuro hack: if you smile at someone, they smile back at you. A smile ignites engagement with others immediately. [5:24]Marcel asks why connecting matters from a business standpoint. Melanie responds that it matters because it’s the way to get the highest quality information as quickly and frequently as possible. If you alienate people they will not perform for you. [7:30]Engaging all your senses means being attentive to people. See the people around you, smile, talk with them. Listen to them: focus on understanding the message they are trying to communicate to you. Share food together to get to know them and understand their culture. [8:15]Melanie explains that being popular means being the person who people want to be with. People respond to people who show an interest in them, she says. This is important to help you advance in your career. [10:56]One of the best ways to connect with others is to tell stories. Stories reduce your listener’s defenses, makes them calm down and listen to you, and taps into the part of our biology that helps us connect. [12:10]Marcel says that handling conflict takes skill, and not having that skill can cause damage. He asks Melanie to share how we can resolve conflict amicably without losing connection. [12:39]Melanie says that you don’t have a real relationship unless you’ve handled conflict and come through it successfully together. She shares how to handle conflict successfully, including advice on how to apologize the right way. [13:07]Two trends that are causing people to forget how to connect in the workplace are our focus on our technological devices and the speed associated with technology. We’ve come to expect instant responses and results, and are so busy we brush aside the human to human connection we all need. [17:14]The lack of human connection leads to a lot of conversation in our heads with ourselves, in which we develop a whole narrative about what the other person thinks or feels about us. Oftentimes we’re wrong. [19:03]Melanie explains the science of why we need human connection and the positive outcomes when we connect. [20:00]They discuss love and fear in the workplace. Melanie shares why she believes people lead from fear, and the benefits of leading with love. [23:40]Melanie wants us to realize that no matter your situation, what you do and how you do it makes all the difference for yourself and for others and for the community around you. So don't be paralyzed. Take action and recognize that we all have a platform, and we should leverage it with intention. [32:56]Resources:Melanie Katzman on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook Connect First | |||
| 14 Jan 2021 | Leading with Character: Why it Matters with Dr. Jim Loehr | 00:42:38 | |
Dr. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, speaker, and executive coach. His groundbreaking energy management training has received worldwide recognition, appearing in national publications such as Harvard Business Review, Time, and Newsweek. Dr. Loehr has also appeared on national TV shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show. Prior to its acquisition by Johnson and Johnson, he was the chairman and CEO of the Human Performance Institute (HPI), which he co-founded. In addition to his innovative contributions to sport, business, medicine, and law enforcement, Dr. Loehr is also a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book, Leading with Character: 10 Minutes a Day to a Brilliant Legacy, details the importance of character-based leadership for personal and professional advancement, backed by scientific research. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss his book and how they apply to businesses today.“My life isn’t mine,” Dr. Loehr claims. “My life is a gift, and I get fulfillment when I give it away.” He describes his life’s purpose as making a difference, researching, and advancing knowledge to help others fulfill their missions, and being an agent of fulfillment in the lives of others. [3:26]Marcel asks Dr. Loehr if character still matters. He responds that there are two types of competencies when it comes to character: performance competencies, which include focus, ambition, and discipline, and help drive success in extrinsic ways; and ethical and moral competencies, which relate to one’s treatment of other human beings. “Performance competencies drive what you do, and ethical and moral competencies drive how you do it,” he explains. [7:05]Dr. Loehr says that the hypermasculine, tough guy persona that is seen as the ideal leader is a tragic misrepresentation of great leadership. While an analytical, strong, and decisive mind is a necessity, so is empathy and consideration of others. [11:29]“We’re all vulnerable to a number of glitches in our moral reasoning that hijack our ability to make good, solid decisions,” he claims, “and for the most part, they operate out of our awareness.” [15:16]Dr. Loehr talks about the accompanying journal in his book. Journaling on a regular basis and recording their aspirations had powerful impacts on the way his clients wanted to live and move forward. “What this book represents… [is] writing out some of the most important answers to the questions of life… to feed those muscles of character directly,” he explains. [18:51]Dr. Loehr shares an exercise he facilitated, where participants were required to list six words that describe them when they are the best version of themselves, and then list six more words they believe would be inscribed on their tombstones. They were asked to read their answers aloud in groups, and were startled to discover that everyone shared similar answers in both activities. The common theme that recurred through everyone’s answers was their connection to other people. [23:45]Marcel asks Dr. Loehr how to convince reluctant executives to place more emphasis and value on character as it relates to organizational culture. “One of the things I would have a CEO think about is how they like to be treated by people of higher authority,” Dr. Loehr says. Additionally, “what was it that you admire most about the people who led you?” [29:33]“Care about your people more than the results, and they will do everything that they humanly can to make your business work,” Dr. Loehr advises leaders. “Caring for others is an active process… a leader who understands leadership at its core loves their people because of what they do… they give life to your business. Without them, you have nothing.” [33:11]ResourcesJim Loehr on LinkedIn Jim-Loehr.comLeading with Character: 10 Minutes a Day to a Brilliant Legacy | |||
| 05 Sep 2019 | Vulnerability is Self-Disclosure with Dr. Carol Grannis | 00:38:11 | |
Dr. Carol Grannis is the Chief Self-Esteem Officer for Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of the Anytime Fitness franchise system which is the fastest-growing franchise in the country. She has 28 years of experience in HR, Employee Engagement, and Training and Development. She is also a speaker, lecturer and facilitator for groups all over the world. She chats with host Marcel Schwantes about vulnerability in this week's show.Vulnerability is self-disclosure. It is being courageous about disclosing a mistake, something personal about yourself that's hard, or an emotion. There is a palpable, resonant feeling among people in the room when leaders are vulnerable. [5:10]Trust is built when a leader shares a mistake or something personal. Another outcome is that people see you as human. [6:33]You can be too vulnerable. Carol says that when you share your mistakes without also sharing a solution and what you learned from your mistakes, your team may doubt your capability as a leader. The pivot point is to share your mistake and then say, “here's what I've learned about it and this is what I'm going to do differently.” [8:48]Self-disclosure can be planned or unplanned. Most leaders plan to share a story about their vulnerability as a trust-building strategy. They find that when they share, people are in the moment, and there is a sense of relief and connection. [10:40]Our culture teaches us to be tough and competitive. This is why it's so hard for people to be vulnerable, Carol says. We also fear how we would be perceived as a leader if we display vulnerability. [15:09]It is a myth that self-disclosure comes easier for women than for men. Carol finds that when asked intentional questions, men show up just as much as women do. [17:22] Marcel asks why people still lead with the iron fist instead of love and care? Carol responds that it is because leaders are rewarded for financial or sales outcomes. Iron fist leadership may get you short-term results but will eventually burn you out. [19:20]Carol shares her stories of when she felt love and fear at work. [24:52] It is important for leaders to show love by acknowledging, caring about and understanding their employees. It is just as important for leaders to show love to themselves. [30:28]Carol challenges listeners to do the Personal Histories Exercise at their next team meeting. Leaders should go first and practice vulnerability. She promises that the tenor, resonance, and relationship of your team will change. [32:20]ResourcesCarol’s Twitter: @CarolGrannisCarol’s Instagram: @carol.grannisEmail: carol.grannis@sebrands.comContribute your story of love and fear | |||
| 07 Nov 2019 | Extraordinary Leadership with Jacqueline Carter | 00:46:04 | |
Marcel’s guest on this week’s Love In Action show is Jacqueline Carter. Jacqueline is the international partner and the North American director for Potential Project. She has over 20 years of experience working with organizations around the globe, including Cisco, Marriott and Google, to improve performance. She is also the co-author along with Rasmus Hougaard, of the exciting new book, The Mind of a Leader: How to Lead Yourself, Your People and Your Organization For Extraordinary Results. The book is based on extensive research, including assessments of more than 35,000 leaders, and reveals how leaders can disrupt how they lead by training their brains. Most leaders are overwhelmed and overworked. Jacqueline calls it a leadership crisis. She says that it’s tough to be a leader today and it’s not getting easier. [4:30]Her research gave three major insights: The workplace has dramatically changed - people are looking for meaning, purpose and happiness in their jobs. Creating an environment where people feel happy is a big task for leaders, and most feel ill-equipped to do it. [5:41]Leadership is an inner game - it starts with understanding, managing and leading your own mind before you can lead others. [6:30]Mindfulness, selflessness and compassion are the three core qualities that make great leaders. [6:43]We’re most stressed first thing in the morning because of cortisol spikes, so it’s the most important time to do mind training practices which will help settle the mind and give us more clarity. [8:17]If you don’t set an intention, your day will just happen. [9:00]Because of its neuroplasticity, we can change the way our brain looks and functions. [9:52]Mindfulness is the ability to be present in the moment, to be focused on the task at hand and aware of what’s going on around us. Our mind has a natural tendency to wander, and research shows that our attention span is getting smaller over time. However, attention matters in business. Mindfulness training helps to train the attentional muscles so we can be more focused and more effective. [13:33]Marcel asks Jacqueline how to practice mindfulness. She shares a simple A-B-C-D technique and invites listeners to join in. [16:25]The main reason meetings are not as effective as they can be, Jacqueline says, is because people are not paying attention, their minds are wandering. She shares how practicing mindfulness helped one organization decrease their meeting time by 35% and become more efficient. [22:47]Marcel asks what to do with our devices so we can be more mindful. Jacqueline comments that even the mere presence of a smartphone during a conversation negatively impacts our ability to feel connected with each other. She shares some practical tips to help us get the best of technology without letting it get the best of us. [28:10]Selflessness is not allowing our natural egoistic tendencies to get in the way of being a good leader. We naturally see the world from our own point of view. Selflessness asks us to be more intentional about others and their needs and how we can best be of service. The foundation of selflessness is bringing more humility and gratitude into our leadership. [30:35]Empathy is when we feel with someone. Compassion is more focused on how we can make their life easier. If as a leader, you can help to alleviate some of the unnecessary stress and pressure your workers face, you will be able to create a kinder and more effective workplace. [35:23]Jacqueline appeals to listeners to put your own oxygen mask on first. You can’t take care of other people if you’re not taking good care of yourself. Her research has proven that the most successful leaders are disciplined about taking care of themselves. [41:14]ResourcesPotentialProject.com Email: jacqueline.carter@potentialproject.com | |||
| 24 Mar 2022 | Understanding Burnout with Jennifer Moss | 00:47:59 | |
Jennifer Moss is a burnout expert. She is also an international speaker, award-winning journalist and author, and a frequent writer for Harvard Business Review and SHRM. As a nationally syndicated radio columnist, she reports on topics related to happiness and workplace well-being. Her articles have been featured in publications such as Forbes, Fortune, and The Huffington Post. Her most recent book, The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, emphasizes the impact of corporate burnout and shares steps organizations can take to mitigate this crisis. She is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.Marcel asks Jennifer to share her story. “Happiness is in love and action; it’s about resetting priorities and understanding what makes us happy,” she claims. “We spend about 50% of our waking hours at work, and it’s really depleting us. How do we make sure that the place where we spend so much of our time is happy and healthy?” [3:48]Jennifer had the privilege of working with the world’s leading experts in her research on burnout, collecting thousands of qualitative responses through WHO from 46 different countries. She was able to hear, in their own words, how people were feeling, and the results were devastating: 89% said their well being had declined; 85% said their job demands had increased and were getting worse; 67% were unable to talk about their mental health at work. “Only 2% of people in our data across 46 different countries said that their well-being was excellent,” she remarks, “so you imagine most people are really unwell.” [8:37]Burnout has been especially hard on women during the pandemic, Jennifer’s research shows. One respondent resumed working but had no assistance in caring for her eight-month-old baby while attending to her duties. Her husband couldn’t even help her, as he was backed up with work as well. [11:04]“Workload is the leading cause of burnout,” she cites. “Overwork is responsible for the deaths of over 2.8 million workers per year.” Industries like tech, finance, education, and healthcare are where people are extremely burnt out, to the point where there are trickle-down effects. For example, hospitals are shutting down due to a lack of available nurses who can support people in their communities. People are burning out this year from too many unsustainable workloads, Jennifer adds. [16:31]The transition from the face-to-face, physical workplace to the virtual one has forced leaders to assume their responsibilities from afar, but this has led to people feeling micromanaged. This is especially the case for the employees who remained working from home when restrictions were relaxed and the workplace became a hybrid of onsite and remote. [20:30]“We constantly recognize people for growth or revenue, and we don’t recognize them for going above and beyond for a fellow coworker in a time of need,” Jennifer comments. “We need to think about changing the reward metrics… sometimes those metrics have biases that we don't realize. We need to change the bias in our metrics so that we are creating a more diverse group of people that we are recognizing in our organizations.” [26:48]When making policies, we should consider equitable paternity and maternity leave; that way, we make family planning a socially accepted part of the way we work. Additionally, we should advocate for extra leave days for emergencies, in the event that time needs to be taken off for domestic duties. [34:41]“Organizations that embrace vulnerability in leadership are faring way better than those organizations that aren’t,” Jennifer affirms. “They’re saying… ‘I’m also feeling stressed out, so please give me grace,’ [and] that’s all people want.” [40:00]ResourcesJennifer Moss on LinkedIn | TwitterJennifer-Moss.comThe Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It | |||
| 21 Jul 2022 | Marcel Schwantes: Qualities of a Loving Leader | 00:06:24 | |
Highlights:“Good leaders are not afraid to be long” [2:00] Marcel reminds listeners that confident, strong leaders are less concerned with being right and more so with getting to the right answer.“Confident leaders are unassuming, they already know what they think; they want to know what you think.” [3:55] Listening more than speaking is a hallmark of a good leader. Marcel says leaders with the loyal following are curious and ask questions because they seek to know more.“They avoid the spotlight, and they shine it on others.” [4:50] This is the third thing that Marcel shares that good leaders do day in and day out; they acknowledge, celebrate, and boost the confidence of others!“A truly confident and humble leader stays away from gossip, or the need to speak badly of others to make themselves appear better by comparison.” [5:30] Marcel explains why you won’t find good leaders putting others down. These leaders are most concerned with being a better person tomorrow than they were the day before. Mentioned in this episode:Marcel Schwantes | Professional Profile | LinkedInMarcel Schwantes | |||
| 12 Dec 2019 | There’s A Place For Love In Business with Dave Mortensen | 00:34:59 | |
This week’s guest, together with his co-founder Chuck Runyon, made the bold decision to reinvent the culture of work in their business. Today their company, Anytime Fitness, is the world’s largest and fastest-growing coed fitness club franchise and has earned numerous industry awards including Top Global Franchise and one of America’s Most Promising Companies. Dave Mortensen is the President of Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of Anytime Fitness. He has been featured on ABC’s Secret Millionaire and Be The Boss Canada. He is a sought after speaker on leadership culture and employee engagement. He and his partner have also written a book, Love Work, about how to inspire a high performing culture at the center of people, purpose, profits and play.Marcel says that Dave and Chuck have revolutionized the fitness industry. He asks Dave to share how they did it. Dave replies they saw a gap in the industry and thought about how they fill that need by making fitness more accessible to people. He describes the changes they made to help their members make fitness a part of their lifestyle. Their franchise operates in 35 countries today and continues to grow. [4:52]“If you can’t lead the same way you want to be an example of your life, then how can you call yourself a leader?” Dave asks. [8:43]We all have challenging moments and those times impact our ability to be productive. Dave says that your team should be able to share their personal and work-related challenges so that you can help them grow in life. [9:45]Real love is being willing to provide some tough love along the way. When you love someone enough to be willing to tell someone what they need to hear, it’s amazing what they will do for themselves, which will, in turn, help you build a great organization. [12:39]Dave says that their business is built around the four P’s: People: The most important part of the business is their staff. They invest 50% of time and energy on performance. The other 50% centers around their staff’s personal development. [14:52]Purpose: People want to work in an organization with a purpose. Start living out your purpose one person at a time, and it will spread until you have a movement. Speak your purpose, act on it, and live it. [15:46]Profits: A business cannot survive without profits. If you can drive profits, you can make a difference. Profit can be emotional as well as financial. Dave talks about ROEI - Return on Emotional Investment. You should invest your time in something that you love doing and you’re happy with. [16:40]Play: Don’t take yourself too seriously, Dave says. [17:47]Marcel asks: “Is it appropriate to express that much emotion in the workplace…?” Dave responds that it’s appropriate to be who you are as a person. People filter information either with their head first or their heart first. No matter which is true for you, the important thing is to be authentic. [20:38]Vulnerability is being open about the challenges you face. You grow and learn by being real about them. If a leader is vulnerable with his or her team, they will reciprocate. You can’t force vulnerability though. You can only ask great questions to draw vulnerability out of others. [22:54]Dave shares why he thinks there is still so much fear-based leadership in the workplace. He also gives advice about how to combat the fear. [25:04]People don’t give themselves enough credit, Dave finds. He wants to help people see themselves as great people that bring a lot in life. He urges listeners to put love in action, to believe in themselves and to love themselves first. “You’ll find great things that surround you,” he promises. [31:00]Marcel comments, “A healthy ROEI makes for a healthy bottom line and that is what creates a strong and healthy culture that's able to grow into the future.” [33:08] | |||
| 27 Feb 2020 | Toward A Racially Just Workplace with Laura Morgan Roberts | 00:54:34 | |
Laura Morgan Roberts is a Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School's Gender Initiative. As an expert in diversity, inclusion, authenticity and identity development, Laura's extensive research formed the basis for her study of the influence of African American business leaders. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her recent article, Toward a Racially Just Workplace, and tackles what is seemingly the most uncomfortable conversation in the work environment.Laura loves the genuine affirmation of affection from her children that reminds her why life is sacred. [3:36]After President Obama was elected, a popular consensus was that American society had moved beyond racism in the workplace. “I think what we saw was more of a hope than a conclusion… that Barack Obama’s election sort of symbolized that this was a harbinger of things to come,” Laura comments. [4:37]Research shows that only 8% of managers and 3.8% of CEO’s are of African American descent, which is concerning as it does not reflect the global population. [7:29]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks there is such a small percentage of black leaders. “What has been persistent over time is a practice of sort of betting on familiarity… giving those new opportunities… to people who remind us of our younger selves. And so when the people who are in the leadership positions are the ones we're doling out those opportunities to… they're also more likely to be alarmed… when someone who doesn’t share aspects of their experience messes up… You’re not given the same freedom to fail when you’re a person who exists on the margins,” she explains. [10:08]Two key dynamics that pose challenges for black leaders in the workplace are authenticity and authority. [12:38]Many black leaders have stories in which people in mentorship roles have tried to steer them in completely different paths, “with very little knowledge or data of what they were truly capable of,” Laura adds. [16:51]Laura admonishes leaders to “get real” about recognizing that external occurrences affect organizations internally. “There's no… concrete wall that sort of segments the organization and protects it from whatever is happening in society around inequality and exclusion and oppression.” [20:30]Our egos are tied up especially when workplace issues are concerned. [23:51]Oftentimes conversations about diversity and inclusion initiatives turn into ego defensive arguments, which inhibits exploration of avenues for productive coexistence. [26:19]“If you want to understand how to be more inclusive, you can’t just sit around and talk to the people who already feel included,” Laura says. Leaders should take themselves back to experiences where they felt excluded and ask themselves what others could have done to make them feel included. [37:27]The “secret sauce” in truly promoting greater racial diversity, inclusion and equity is the heart. [41:15]Laura offers advice for the African American professional wanting to grow as a leader. [43:27]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks fear is so prevalent in the workplace. “We structure our organizations and in ways that trigger people's feelings of scarcity… and when people are operating in that dimension of scarcity they’re triggered… they're really afraid because they're feeling incredibly vulnerable.” Marcel comments that Laura’s answer is the most scholarly one he’s received yet. [46:40]Laura wants race to no longer be associated with fear, problems and challenges, and would much rather it be embraced. [50:26]ResourcesToward a Racially Just WorkplaceAdvancing Black LeadersLaura Morgan Roberts on LinkedIn | TwitterLauraMorganRoberts.com | |||
| 27 Feb 2020 | Toward A Racially Just Workplace with Laura Morgan Roberts | 00:54:34 | |
Laura Morgan Roberts is a Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School's Gender Initiative. As an expert in diversity, inclusion, authenticity and identity development, Laura's extensive research formed the basis for her study of the influence of African American business leaders. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her recent article, Toward a Racially Just Workplace, and tackles what is seemingly the most uncomfortable conversation in the work environment.Laura loves the genuine affirmation of affection from her children that reminds her why life is sacred. [3:36]After President Obama was elected, a popular consensus was that American society had moved beyond racism in the workplace. “I think what we saw was more of a hope than a conclusion… that Barack Obama’s election sort of symbolized that this was a harbinger of things to come,” Laura comments. [4:37]Research shows that only 8% of managers and 3.8% of CEO’s are of African American descent, which is concerning as it does not reflect the global population. [7:29]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks there is such a small percentage of black leaders. “What has been persistent over time is a practice of sort of betting on familiarity… giving those new opportunities… to people who remind us of our younger selves. And so when the people who are in the leadership positions are the ones we're doling out those opportunities to… they're also more likely to be alarmed… when someone who doesn’t share aspects of their experience messes up… You’re not given the same freedom to fail when you’re a person who exists on the margins,” she explains. [10:08]Two key dynamics that pose challenges for black leaders in the workplace are authenticity and authority. [12:38]Many black leaders have stories in which people in mentorship roles have tried to steer them in completely different paths, “with very little knowledge or data of what they were truly capable of,” Laura adds. [16:51]Laura admonishes leaders to “get real” about recognizing that external occurrences affect organizations internally. “There's no… concrete wall that sort of segments the organization and protects it from whatever is happening in society around inequality and exclusion and oppression.” [20:30]Our egos are tied up especially when workplace issues are concerned. [23:51]Oftentimes conversations about diversity and inclusion initiatives turn into ego defensive arguments, which inhibits exploration of avenues for productive coexistence. [26:19]“If you want to understand how to be more inclusive, you can’t just sit around and talk to the people who already feel included,” Laura says. Leaders should take themselves back to experiences where they felt excluded and ask themselves what others could have done to make them feel included. [37:27]The “secret sauce” in truly promoting greater racial diversity, inclusion and equity is the heart. [41:15]Laura offers advice for the African American professional wanting to grow as a leader. [43:27]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks fear is so prevalent in the workplace. “We structure our organizations and in ways that trigger people's feelings of scarcity… and when people are operating in that dimension of scarcity they’re triggered… they're really afraid because they're feeling incredibly vulnerable.” Marcel comments that Laura’s answer is the most scholarly one he’s received yet. [46:40]Laura wants race to no longer be associated with fear, problems and challenges, and would much rather it be embraced. [50:26]ResourcesToward a Racially Just WorkplaceAdvancing Black LeadersLaura Morgan Roberts on LinkedIn | TwitterLauraMorganRoberts.com | |||
| 10 Sep 2020 | Be Intentional About Integrity In Business with Rob Chesnut | 00:47:54 | |
Rob Chesnut is a former federal prosecutor, an author, General Counsel of Airbnb, and one of the most influential voices in business ethics in the USA. His recent book, Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution, is a manual for cultivating integrous cultures in six steps. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss the importance of integrity in business, and how a lack of it leads to one’s own detriment.Rob’s purpose is to help companies be a force of good in the world. He believes that companies can play a part in solving many of the world’s existing issues. [4:19]Leaders are the thermostats for integrity within their companies: by their words and actions, leaders create the environment in which everyone operates. [7:12]Data shows that organizations that are perceived to act with integrity are outperforming their competitors. Consumers favor business with companies whose values align with theirs, Rob points out. [11:22]Marcel asks Rob how leaders can demonstrate integrity when laying people off. Rob responds that leaders must be the first ones to make the sacrifice of a salary deduction. Also, they should exemplify humility, servanthood and compassion in helping former employees transition. [17:21]Intentional integrity involves talking openly about uncomfortable subjects, being clear about what expectations are and removing ambiguity. Rob explains why every company should live by a code of ethics: it reflects your company’s values. He and Marcel discuss the six Cs of intentional integrity. [23:44]“If you make a mistake as a company,” Rob says, “you can't bury it, ignore it, or pretend it didn’t happen. You need to have the self-awareness to acknowledge that you made a mistake and talk openly about where you failed. Once you’ve done that you can set a new path forward to how you’re going to get back on track, but it needs to be done in a clean way. You can’t just change your behavior suddenly and hope people notice; you need to have that conversation.” [36:00]Rob offers advice to leaders who want to start having the difficult conversations. “Recognize that integrity is not an optional subject anymore. You’ve got to get over your discomfort as a leader and recognize that silence and ambiguity are the enemies of integrity. This is part of the leadership that your employees and the world need from you.” [41:18]ResourcesRob Chesnut on LinkedIn | Twitter IntentionalIntegrity.comIntentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead An Ethical Revolution | |||
| 05 Dec 2019 | Leading By Elevating Others with John Eades | 00:45:35 | |
John Eades is the CEO of LearnLoft, a leadership development company that transforms managers into leaders. In 2017 he was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Management and Workplace. He is also a renowned speaker and host of the Follow My Lead podcast. He joins Marcel Schwantes on this week’s show to talk about his new book, Building the Best: Eight Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Others to Success, and to equip you with the tools you need to become the kind of leader the world needs today.John describes his book as a collection of stories, principles and best practices to help elevate the way you lead. He specifically included tools in the book to help readers apply the principles in their daily leadership practice. [4:23]Marcel cites a line from John’s book: “The most effective leaders who elevate others, lead with high levels of love and discipline.” John defines love as ‘to contribute to someone’s long-term success and wellbeing.’ But there also needs to be discipline. Discipline, in this case, means to promote standards so that those we lead can choose to be at their best. [5:16]John has created an assessment tool to measure both love and discipline. He cites statistics from his research that proves that leaders who use high levels of love and discipline get better business results. [7:37]If as a leader you only look at results, John says, your people will start to cut corners to get the results you want. Instead, you should focus on the daily behaviors and habits that live out your core values. The more your employees buy into your values, the more you will see the desired results. [12:52]John lists the five leadership styles in his book. The top-level leadership style is called Elevate, which entails high levels of love and discipline. He says that you can put this type of leader in any company and they will elevate others. The performance will also elevate. [14:00]Leadership is a journey. We can all develop our skills and become better leaders. [15:58]Once we set high standards we have to hold ourselves and others accountable. John comments that we shouldn’t look at accountability as negative; it also means that giving praise and recognition when standards are exceeded. [17:44]Marcel asks John to share one love competency. John chooses trust because there is no effective leadership without mutual trust. He quotes an old saying, “Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.” You build trust by putting competence and care at the center of your relationships. It takes time though, so you have to be willing to put in the effort. [19:41]John says that it’s a leader’s responsibility to understand the purpose behind the work and communicate that purpose to the team repeatedly. When work is tied to purpose, employees are more engaged and less likely to leave. [23:51]“What are the core responsibilities of a modern leader?” Marcel asks. John responds that a true leader elevates others by inspiring, empowering and serving them. He defines what each of these words mean for a leader. His definition of ‘inspire’ in particular, resonates with Marcel. [25:47]John explains why leading with fear is still so rampant in the workplace. Leaders need to combat fear by choosing to be courageous, he says. [31:16]Marcel comments that great leaders surround themselves with a team of mentors. John names several of his mentors and points out that you have to seek out people who you want to learn and grow from. He wants listeners to actively seek out good mentors because they add so much value. [33:57]John wants you to know that the most faithful wins. He encourages you to do your best wherever you are to elevate others, and don’t give up. In due time you will be rewarded. [40:42]ResourcesTake the Leadership Style assessment BuildingTheBestBook.com John Eades on LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | |||
| 13 Jan 2022 | Winning on Purpose with Fred Reichheld | 00:35:34 | |
Fred Reichheld is creator of the Net Promoter System, and the founder of Bain & Company’s loyalty practice. He is the author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven World. Fred is currently a fellow and senior advisory partner at Bain & Company, and his work on customer loyalty has been widely covered in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, Fortune, and other media outlets. His most recent book, Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers, shows that enriching the lives of customers through love and care is the primary purpose of business. It is also the best way to ensure sustainable growth, happily fulfilled employees, and robust investor returns. He is Marcel Schwantes’s guest this week on Love In Action.“Financials is what we guide our lives and measure our success by, pay bonuses on, and communicate to investors through, but it doesn’t tell us when we’ve done meaningful work that’s enriched the lives of our customers,” Fred shares. “It doesn’t give us a balance sheet of all the lives we’ve enriched or diminished.” [6:39]According to a survey conducted by Bain, only 10% of senior executives surveyed said their business’ primary purpose was their customers. “I’m stunned; the evidence is so clear that unless leaders inspire their teams to enrich the lives of customers, they’re not going to [make things better],” Fred says. [10:19]Marcel asks Fred to define loving your customers. “I think love [is when] your happiness is primarily driven by the happiness you can create in your partner,” he responds. “‘Love thy neighbor as you love yourself’ [means] your happiness comes out of your ability to make your neighbor happy… The Jesus idea of love is pretty close to the business idea of love: the more we can care for others and make their lives better, the happier we are. In a well-run business, the wealthier we get.” [14:34]When employees feel loved and cared for, they translate that into their performance, which leads to happy and satisfied customers, Marcel comments. Fred talks about how and why leaders should help their employees earn happiness through the reactions of their customers. [18:27]“The leader’s primary job is to create a culture where the golden rule is dominant, and where people understand that winning is only going to happen for anyone when teams treat customers right and earn their loyalty,” Fred remarks. “Additionally, the teams are empowered to speak up when they see something going on that doesn't feel like it's consistent with their values.” [21:16]Marcel and Fred explore why ‘bad profits’ are so prevalent. “It's because [leaders] are indicating that the reason we exist is to make shareholders rich; profits is our purpose,” Fred explains. “Or if they understand that customers are their purpose, they don't have the courage to speak up and say these things are toxic.” [23:14]“Net promoter is a tool to make teams happier,” Fred says. “It’s a framework to think about living by the Golden Rule and choosing which people you want to have relationships with… if you choose your loyalties wisely, they shape your life and they define your legacy.” [30:47]ResourcesFred Reichheld on LinkedIn | TwitterNetPromoterSystem.comWinning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers | |||
| 13 May 2021 | Kindness is a Necessity with Houston Kraft | 00:52:18 | |
Houston Kraft is CEO and co-founder of CharacterStrong, an organization dedicated to infusing character, empathy, and connection into education. He is an author, keynote speaker, and curriculum developer. A self-proclaimed kindness advocate, he is passionate about spreading it in meaningful ways. His most recent book, Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness, explores kindness as a skill set and competency that can bring revolutionary change. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss how kindness can improve our quality of life and shares actionable tips to help us be more kind every day. Marcel asks Houston why he wrote his recent book. Houston explains that it’s because he appreciates how much words shape our lives. “Language is the vehicle to experiences, emotions, and memories inside our brains, so it stands to reason that the way we think about things is a huge indicator of how we act.” [6:52]Our culture views kindness as a nice-to-have instead of a must-have, according to Houston. We see it as fluffy, so we don’t see the need to develop it in ourselves as a skill. [9:14]“We are experiencing an increase in accountability. People are being seen, watched, exposed, listened to and critiqued more deeply than they have in the past,” Houston remarks. “The bridge that we are now tasked to cross is how to show loving accountability. Accountability without love is condescending; it creates friction without room for growth,” he adds. [15:45]Houston defines forgiveness and describes what it entails. “By extending forgiveness, you’re setting yourself free from holding on to anger and resentment while also setting clear boundaries around the behavior of [who you are forgiving] so it doesn’t violate you again,” Marcel comments. [18:19]Provide a specific constraint to make your goal of kindness more actionable. For example, asking ‘How do I be kind today towards my mom?’ may yield more actionable answers than simply asking ‘How do I be kind today?’ [25:08]“There’s power in scheduling time to worry,” Houston quotes. “Give yourself 15 minutes a day to worry and only do so during that time. So many of us let worry bleed throughout our day which makes the stuff in the background seem bigger and more monstrous.” [33:33]“My mom wrote notes in my lunchbox from kindergarten to 12th grade. They took her 2 minutes every day, and when I look back and add it up, [I realize] it’s the most profound action of love I’ve experienced. The little things are the big things,” Houston shares. [39:39]Marcel welcomes Tom Geraghty, the creator of the Psychological Safety Toolkit, to share insights about the importance of psychological safety in the workplace and why it’s good for business.ResourcesHouston Kraft on LinkedIn | TwitterHoustonKraft.comDeep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in KindnessTom Geraghty on LinkedIn | TwitterPsychSafety.co.uk | |||
| 03 Sep 2020 | The Relationship Between Leadership and Adversity with Jim Kouzes | 00:42:32 | |
Jim Kouzes is the Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. He is also a lecturer and the co-author of the best-selling book, The Leadership Challenge. He has been cited by The Wall Street Journal as one of the 12 best executive educators in the US, and ranked by Leadership Excellence magazine as 16th on their list of the top 100 thought leaders. He joins Marcel Schwantes to talk about the relationship between leadership and adversity.Historically, many leaders who changed and shaped the world did so in the face of adversity and unfortunate circumstances. Jim defines leadership as the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations. [6:23]At Marcel’s request, Jim condenses his years of research and data into three lessons: leadership is a set of skills and abilities; leadership is everyone’s business; and leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. The five practices of exemplary leadership are: model the way; inspire a shared vision; challenge the process; enable others to act; and encourage the heart. [9:58]“Adversity is the opportunity for greatness,” Marcel quotes from one of Jim’s books. He asks Jim to explain the meaning. Adversity forces you to do things differently, Jim argues. He observed that most people credit their personal best to a challenge they overcame. [13:36]Studies show that leaders who display more empathy and compassion are better able to: walk in another person’s shoes, act on their understanding of others, and have higher levels of commitment to their organizations. Jim gives an example of a micro-action that leaders can do to demonstrate these positive traits. [17:41]Marcel asks Jim why he thinks some leaders still lead through fear. Jim says it may be because of belief: those with fixed mindsets are less likely to engage in exemplary leadership practices. Additionally, one of the ways people learn how to lead is by observing others. If leaders model tactics of fear and intimidation and they seem to work, their successors are likely to lead the same way. However, this kind of leadership is not sustainable, he points out. [24:50]One of the ten truths of leadership is that a leader’s behavior matters, as it has a direct impact over employee engagement. The most challenging exemplary leadership practice is inspiring a shared vision, Jim adds. Many leaders find it difficult to communicate their ideas in a way that they are confident their constituents understand. [30:26]Jim says, “The secret to success is staying in love. Staying in love gives you the fire to ignite a flame in others and have a greater sense of purpose. A person who is not in love does not feel the kind of excitement necessary to get ahead and to lead others. There is no other thing in life that is more positive and exhilarating than love.” [35:56]ResourcesJim Kouzes on LinkedIn | Twitter | |||
| 19 Dec 2019 | The Power of a Healing Organization with Raj Sisodia | 00:53:22 | |
This week’s distinguished guest is Raj Sisodia, Conscious Capitalism thought leader, international speaker, and bestselling author. Raj is the F.W. Olin Distinguished Professor of Global Business and Whole Foods Market Research Scholar in Conscious Capitalism at Babson College. He has co-authored a new book with organizational innovation expert Michael J Gelb, entitled The Healing Organization: Awakening The Conscience Of Business To Help Save The World. Raj chats with Marcel Schwantes about how for-profit businesses can become agents of healing for their employees, customers and communities.The word healing comes from two root words: wholeness and holy. Healing, therefore, is about reducing suffering, elevating joy and promoting healthy growth. [4:27]Work, as it’s traditionally viewed, has a high human cost. Raj is on a mission to show that we don’t have to kill people to make money. In fact, when our employees are happy and thriving, our businesses will prosper. [ 6:15]An example of a healing organization in Raj’s book is Greyston Bakery. Its founder Bernie Glassman started the bakery to “give people a first chance.” Their model is that they don’t hire people to bake brownies, they bake brownies to hire people. This open hiring policy has transformed the lives of countless people. [10:29]Raj says that we were put on this planet to care for one another. It’s what gives us the deepest satisfaction and happiness; it helps us heal. Business gives us the opportunity to care for each other at scale. [15:02]“Unexpressed love is the greatest untapped resource on this planet,” says Raj. [17:50]We should allow people to express love and be vulnerable about their challenges, Raj advises. Leaders modeling this make their employees comfortable to do the same. Suffering would then be replaced with joy and healing. [18:38]Strength, courage, focus, resilience, and discipline are desirable masculine qualities but they should be counterbalanced by feminine traits. “Out of balance masculine traits have caused a lot of devastation in the world,” Raj comments. We should be both tough-minded and tender-hearted, as Martin Luther King Jr said. [24:53]Raj says that the ultimate message of his book is to invite leaders to heal themselves. [26:00]It’s deeply ingrained in our culture to consider anything feminine as being weak. However, there is a strong correlation between so-called ‘feminine qualities’ and the traits of great leaders. When we elevate the feminine we will see many of our challenges go away. [28:05]Marcel asks if any for-profit company can become a healing organization. Raj says that they can by selling to their customers in a way that serves their wellbeing. Internally, a healing organization’s purpose should be to improve the lives of their own people, their families, and the community. [31:21]Raj talks about how his mentor Bob Chapman transformed over 100 businesses through his mission to touch the lives of as many people as possible. He says that when Bob Chapman shows up to invest in your business, you know there’s hope and a future for your company. Raj describes Bob’s work as a healing ministry. [32:33]Raj explains why he believes leaders still lead through fear. [40:09]Marcel and Raj discuss NKC, who says that: “Leaders driven by love will bring sustainability and healing to the business as well as for themselves.” [44:20]Healing organizations lead with love, innocence, simplicity, and truth. [46:12]A healing organization helps its customers engage in meaningful consumption. [48:04]Raj wants you to think about your own need for healing. “You are your most important stakeholder,” he says. Heal yourself and then bring that into the world. [50:15] | |||
| 29 Jul 2021 | [Replay] A New Way To Think About Conflict with Dr. Nate Regier | 00:39:18 | |
This week’s show is one of the best yet! Dr. Nate Regier gives Marcel Schwantes and listeners a new way to think about conflict, calling it the greatest untapped energy resource in the world. Considering that Gallup estimates that negative conflict costs the US economy $350 billion a year, Nate’s statement seems doubly shocking. He joins Marcel to discuss this counterintuitive idea as well as his new book, Conflict Without Casualties: A Field Guide For Compassionate Accountability.Dr. Nate Regier is the co-founder and CEO of Next Element, a global leadership training and certification company specializing in communication and conflict skills. He is an expert in positive conflict, social and emotional intelligence and leadership, neuropsychology, and group dynamics. [2:00]Conflict Without Casualties is a field guide that covers actionable techniques and strategies to deal with conflict, based on Nate’s years of research and experience. [4:42]Mediation, management and reduction are some of the most popular terms associated with conflict, Nate says. This implies that conflict is the bad guy. Quite the opposite, he believes that conflict is simply a gap between what we want and what we’re experiencing. It’s neither good nor bad. [6:45]Conflict is like the grain of sand in an oyster shell, Nate says. Without it there wouldn’t be a pearl. Conflict has a purpose and a reason so it can have a productive outcome. As such, conflict should be stewarded and leveraged. [9:19]Marcel asks Nate to talk about the drama triangle. Nate describes the three roles in the drama triangle and argues that it’s actually the rescuer who does the most harm. [12:52]Diversity is part of the grand design of the universe, and where there is diversity there will be conflict. Therefore, conflict must be by design as well, Nate posits. The only question is how are we going to use it. [17:35]Conflict is the energy source, but compassion is how we turn that energy into something positive. Compassion means to struggle with, to be with people in the suffering. Our purpose is not to alleviate suffering, but to struggle purposefully with others to create amazing things, Nate says. That’s when conflict can do miracles. [18:05]Compassionate accountability is the art and science of struggling with people in a spirit of dignity to create something amazing. Compassion drives inclusion and engagement, and coupled with accountability, it helps people achieve. [19:53]Compassion is a cycle of three interrelated skills that happen in order. These skills are openness, resourcefulness and persistence. The most effective strategy for communicating through conflict is the ORPO (open, resourceful, persistent, open) strategy. Nate describes the ORPO strategy and explains how it works in everyday practice. [21:50]Marcel comments that this approach to conflict is based on authentic communication. When leaders model it, it filters down throughout the organization and creates a positive culture. [28:00]Nate’s mission is to bring compassion to every workplace in the world through simple, elegant, powerful and scalable methodologies that anybody can learn and use. [31:05]One of the most powerful things leaders can do is to start at open by disclosing their motives. [34:46]ResourcesTheCompassionMindset.comNext-Element.comDr. Nate Regier on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | |||
| 31 Mar 2022 | Are You Leading with Integrity? | 00:03:27 | |
In this mini-episode, Marcel Schwantes shares practical insights on how to lead with integrity. He discusses the impact this has on an organization. | |||
| 26 Sep 2019 | Building the Bonds of Trust with Joel Peterson | 00:34:26 | |
This week's show is sponsored by TDIndustries, a legendary Fortune magazine Best Companies to Work For. Like Joel Peterson's message in his book The 10 Laws of Trust, TD has made trusting relationships the foundation of its success. To learn more about TDIndustries visit TDIndustries.com or listen to episode 19 featuring CEO Harold McDowell. Marcel chats with Joel Peterson in this week’s show. Joel is the Chairman of JetBlue and author of the recently re-released book The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds That Make a Business Great. Listen in to learn how you can build a high trust organization.When there's trust with teams, things go more rapidly, you innovate more, people are more flexible and innovative, and they just have more fun! When you’re in a turnaround where things aren’t going well for your company, you better have high trust or your turnaround won’t succeed. [3:34]Marcel asks, How big a problem is a lack of trust? Joel responds that trust is at risk in society as well as in organizations. As a result, politics takes over and people jostle for power. People operate by fear and greed rather than duty or love. [4:27]You can use the diagnostic tool in Joel's book to measure the level of trust in your company, and start applying the 10 laws to build a high trust organization. [6:36]Changing a culture of mistrust is very difficult: it happens one conversation at a time, one person at a time, and it starts with you. [ 7:32] What needs to be removed from the path for trust to happen, Marcel asks. We build trust by delivering on promises, Joel responds. Transparency, clarity and constant feedback are also vital.[ 8:30]Joel explains how a high trust culture saves a company money. [12:32]Law 2 is Invest in Respect. If you want to build a great culture you need to have respected people on a winning team doing something meaningful. [14:56]Law 8 is Show Humility. People don't trust leaders who never admit a mistake or show vulnerability. Humble leaders allow themselves to be influenced, they take feedback seriously. [17:05]There are two levels of betrayal. Joel advises how to deal with each type. He emphasizes that where there is a values dispute, remove yourself from the situation. People will compromise on many things, but not their values. [18:16]Marcel wants to know how leading from fear destroys trust. Fear is a strong motivator, Joel explains, but it's not viable long-term. Once you scare someone into doing something, they will do it as long as they feel afraid; the minute they're no longer scared, they will either leave or get back at you. [21:53]Love is the most powerful motivating force in the universe. Plus it's completely durable. If you can build an organization rooted in love, where you care deeply for one another, your company’s potential is limitless. [ 23:00]ResourcesJoel’s book: The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds That Make a Business Great JoelCPeterson.com To see how Love in Action works at TDIndustries, visit TDIndustries.com Subscribe to the TD Talks blog | |||
| 15 Apr 2021 | How Companies Can Support Working Mothers with Mita Mallick | 00:37:19 | |
Mita Mallick is Head of Inclusion, Equity, and Impact at Carta, a contributor at Entrepreneur Media, and the author of the popular “Please don’t” column at SWAAY. Additionally, her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review. She has led iconic brands like AVEENO, Suave, Dove, and Vaseline, where she signed Viola Davis to be the Vaseline Healing Project Ambassador. She joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss the biases against working mothers in organizations and how to combat them. Paid time off is not enough to support women, Mita says, because there is a common social bias which affects them during their maternity leave. Unfair treatment persists after they return and holds them back. [2:37]Mita shares her experience with unfair treatment on the job during her maternity leave. Her employer offered her position to another worker, even after assuring her she would retain her role in the organization when she returned. “This is [not just] my story,” she says, “it’s the story of so many women and this happens every day.” [6:42]Mita talks about the conversations managers should be having with employees going on maternity leave. Managers should provide employees with feedback on their performance and the state of their assignments, so they know where they are leaving things and do not have to worry about work on their time off. [10:23]“I strongly believe our employees are our forgotten consumers,” Mita claims. “As companies, we spend so much time thinking externally about who we sell to and how we get them to try our products. [We need to also] ask [our employees] what they want and need, and provide it for them.” [15:25]Women have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, five million women have lost their jobs, and 2 million have permanently left the workforce. Additionally, there are 3 unemployed working mothers to every father who has lost his job. Black and brown women are even more affected by their job losses. [17:41]Having a gap in your resume makes it more likely for you to be seen as lazy, incompetent, and unambitious, Mita remarks. Because of this, it may be difficult for women who have been forced out of employment due to the pandemic to find new work. “When advertising, companies need to be open about them being okay with prospective employees having a gap in their resume,” she adds. [21:21]Marcel asks Mita why the role of a Chief Diversity Officer is important to an organization. She responds that it’s to ensure that employees’ needs are met, so it enhances the organization’s overall performance and strategy. [24:41]“Kindness is such an underdeveloped, underutilized, and underrated leadership trait,” Mita comments. “Kindness and love are connected. [Leaders can] show love at the workplace by honoring their employees’ experiences and contributions.” [30:24]ResourcesMita Mallick on LinkedIn Maternity Leave Isn’t Enough to Retain New Moms | |||
| 27 Nov 2020 | Patience is a Powerhouse with David Sluss | 00:53:43 | |
David Sluss is an executive educator, scholar, and Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business. He joins Marcel Schwantes to explore the virtue of patience and why it is something we need to actively practice. Kelly Merbler, Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, leadership development consultant, keynote speaker, and principal of The Kelly Merbler Company, joins Marcel for post-conversation commentary. We often talk about patience as an abstract concept. However, patience is a leadership powerhouse. Unfortunately, instead of modeling patience, most leaders value speed and urgency. This makes them demand unrealistic deadlines of themselves and their employees, causing unnecessary stress. [2:30]Good leaders are creative, collaborative, and productive. Patience amplifies these positive traits. According to David’s research, without patience there is no relationship between being a visionary leader (task-focused) and a participative leader (relational-focused). [6:00]David defines patience as “the propensity to act calmly in the face of frustration and adversity... “Patience within leadership [means] you’re still acting, engaging and doing things, but you’re doing them calmly [in the face of frustration and adversity].” [11:00]The best way to come up with ideas in a remote workplace environment is to have each individual contributor brainstorm on their own and then pool everyone’s ideas together. [15:45] David talks about what patience looks like in leadership. During mid-April, “my manager specifically allowed each contributor to speak with him one on one to address any concerns,” David shares. “He allowed us to relax deadlines and constraints that wouldn’t normally be relaxed… patience meant we focused on what was prioritized and needed to go slow [in order] to go fast.” [19:00]A lack of impulse control is what usually leads to impatience, David claims. “We’re just waiting, not acting calmly, and we’re not doing anything,” he says. This lack of action urges us to want to act and so we move forward without control. [23:15]Marcel asks David how leaders can design a team for patience. David advises leaders to implement check-ins into team processes. This allows team members to slow down to go fast, and encourages them to act calm when conflict arises. Additionally, these check-ins provide opportunities to consistently re-prioritize tasks to ensure that the purpose or vision is being adjusted as time goes on, which is beneficial in times of crisis. [29:30]Kelly talks about her personal struggle with being patient. “I have a high sense of urgency,” she shares, “and when patience comes in it takes me off the natural flow [I have] of creating momentum.” [42:35]Marcel comments that losing your patience is detrimental, because it drudges up other emotions like anger and resentment, and that can cause people to lose trust in you. [46:30]As leaders, you don’t attract what you want; you attract who you are. If you are impatient, you attract more impatience to your team. [48:20]ResourcesDavid Sluss on LinkedInBecoming a More Patient LeaderKelly Merbler on LinkedInKellyMerblerCo.com | |||
| 13 Aug 2020 | Creating Courageous Cultures with Karin Hurt | 00:41:02 | |
Karin Hurt is a former Verizon Wireless executive, an accomplished author, and an international keynote speaker. She has over 20 years of experience in customer service, sales, and human resources. She inspires transformational change around the world through her leadership training and consulting firm, Let's Grow Leaders, of which she is the CEO and co-founder. Her newest book, Courageous Cultures, is a practical manual to building an open environment in which ideas are cultivated at every level in an organization. She joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss her work.Many leaders believe that they have an open environment where their employees can speak up, feel heard and understood. They are shocked when they learn employees are holding back. [1:13]Karin shares that getting consistent critique has ensured that her book is thorough and practical. [6:06]According to Karin, 49% of people said they don’t share their ideas because no one asks; 50% don’t because they don’t believe anything would come out of it; and 40% said they lack confidence to share an idea. The number one reason why employees don’t share ideas, the research reveals, is that they don’t believe they would get the credit. [12:27]In the long run, the companies that will have high retention and creativity are those who are connecting humanly and empathetically during the current global crisis. [16:30]The three most toxic behaviors some leaders participate in that are being tolerated and even rewarded are shaming, blaming, and intimidation. These behaviors typically occur in dehumanizing cultures of fear, modeled from the top down. [21:30]Karin offers advice for leaders who want to cultivate courageous cultures. Leaders should use tools provided in the book to proactively ask people for ideas, then respond to those ideas with feedback and gratitude, and suggest another area where new ideas are needed. It doesn’t have to be a grand cultural change strategy, Karin points out. Focus first on making things practical, and then you can move on to the strategy. [27:59]Being vulnerable and asking for suggestions from new employees on how to improve allows for trust to be built, because they see you are willing to let your guard down and actually ask for help instead of just pushing your authority down on them and imposing rigid policies and procedures. [32:11]ResourcesKarin Hurt on LinkedIn | TwitterLetsGrowLeaders.comCourageous Cultures by Karin Hurt and David Dye MarcelSchwantes.comMarcel Schwantes on LinkedIn | |||
| 22 Apr 2021 | The CEO Test with Adam Bryant | 00:40:41 | |
Adam Bryant is Managing Director at Merryck & Co, as well as Senior Advisor to the Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University. He is the former “Corner Office” columnist for the New York Times. His recent book, The CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make Or Break All Leaders, is a practical playbook for executives of all levels, sharing the seven key reasons why leaders succeed or fail in their roles. He joins Marcel Schwantes today to discuss his book and how leaders can apply its principles in the workplace.Adam says that the Corner Office came from his interest in CEOs as humans. “What I realized [from years of interviewing CEOs] is that [CEOs] in the business press are always interviewed in the same way, as strategists” he shares. “The more time I spent with them, the more I became intrigued with them as people.” [4:40]If leaders want to build a good culture, they need to start from the ground up. Company values should be addressed, discussed, and implemented at every level. People become cynical if company behavior contradicts its stated values, and cynicism can be cancerous to an organization, Adam explains. [12:13]“You cannot tolerate the high-performing jerk.” Regardless of someone’s extreme competence in their job, they cannot be made an exception to the values of an organization. “If you don’t let them go [you allow] the cynicism to creep in.” [14:09]Often leaders overlook the fact that they are responsible for setting the tone and rules when a team is dysfunctional. Leaders must be intentional about stating their role and the roles in a team, as well as the expected behavior, Adam states. This eliminates the creation of silos, Marcel adds, which causes competition rather than collaboration. [19:20]“The higher up you go in the [organizational] hierarchy, the less accountability you receive,” Marcel cites. “The reason is obviously because you’re listening to less and less people the higher you go. Those of us that are just command and control [oriented] are not going to want to listen to many different perspectives.” [23:47]Adam lists the different aspects of leadership. Leadership is about humility, but you also have to be confident; leadership is about being compassionate, but you need to hold people accountable; leadership is about patience, but it also involves urgency. [27:02]“I think American society is a pendulum that swings back and forth… I’m hoping [the pendulum] can get back to us seeing each other as human beings,” Adam shares. “Listening… is a lost art in our society… not only is it a superpower for leaders, but I think it sets you apart in your career.” [33:06]ResourcesAdam Bryant on LinkedIn | TwitterAdamBryantBooks.comThe CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make Or Break All Leaders | |||
| 10 Feb 2022 | Making Common Sense Common Practice with Ken Blanchard | 00:46:11 | |
A prominent, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Ken Blanchard is respected for his lifetime of groundbreaking research and thought leadership that has influenced the day-to-day management and leadership of people and companies throughout the world. With a passion to turn every leader into a servant leader, Ken Blanchard shares his insightful and powerful message with audiences around the world through speeches, consulting services, and bestselling books. When Ken speaks, he speaks from the heart with warmth and humor. His most recent book, Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust, compiles decades of simple truths about leadership into actionable insights to turn common sense into common practice. He is Marcel Scwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.Servant leadership consists of two parts, according to Ken. “The vision, direction, values, and goals… are the leadership part,” he explains. Such is the responsibility of the hierarchy; people need to know what good behavior looks like, and what they’re held accountable for. The service part of servant leadership involves “helping them win.” Servant leaders work to help their people accomplish their goals and live according to the vision. [7:15]Are you here to serve or be served? Ken describes how effective leadership is an inside job. “When I ask people how many of them want to be a servant leader versus a self-serving leader, everyone puts their hands up, but when I ask how many are servant leaders, they hunch down in their chairs,” he shares. “When you’re a servant leader, it’s really about we, not me. You’re there for your people.” [11:03]Marcel asks Ken to talk about “turning the traditional pyramid upside down.” Implementing this counterintuitive way of thinking can work for every organization, says Ken, but the human ego gets in the way. What prevents people from being servant leaders is either a more-than philosophy, where people believe they shine brighter than others, or a less-than philosophy, where they ruminate on their faults and doubt themselves. “In both of them, they’re focusing on themselves,” he adds. “The cure for false pride is humility… and the way you deal with feelings of inferiority is to realize that God didn’t make any junk.” [15:42]Every one of us is a leader, and no-one can avoid that. Leadership is an influence process; by simply having a relationship of any nature with someone, you have the potential to lead them. Therefore, servant leadership is about becoming a better human being. Great human beings don’t center their lives on themselves, they center it on others. [21:15]“You can’t know how to apply a situational style of leadership to one employee versus another employee, and the circumstances that they're under, unless you understand who they are as a human being,” Marcel quotes. He and Ken explore the importance of relationships. [25:13]Ken believes servant leadership is love in action. “Love is patient, kind, does not envy, and all those wonderful characteristics,” he remarks. “To be a great servant leader, you have to be patient, kind, and all of those characteristics… It’s not soft at all because it’s very powerful. Love means ‘I care about you, I want you to win…’ Love is about both people and results.” When people realize you truly cherish them, they want you to win too, Marcel adds. [32:12]“My hope for people who read this book is that they will use it with their people, because simple truths are not to be done to people; they are to be done with people,” Ken comments. “If you are a leader who wants to serve instead of be served, and build trust with you people, you’re gonna go up the hierarchy like crazy and win.” [36:49]ResourcesKen Blanchard on LinkedIn | TwitterKenBlanchard.comHowWeLead.orgSimple Truths of LeadershipHelping People Win at Work: A B | |||
| 16 Jul 2020 | The Power of Higher Purpose with Robert Quinn | 00:46:13 | |
This week’s guest on the Love In Action podcast, Robert (Bob) Quinn, believes that purpose has a positive influence on a company’s financial health and competitiveness. In addition, on a personal level, purpose helps people grow and thrive. Bob is the Margaret Elliot Tracy Collegiate Professor Emeritus at Michigan Ross School of Business. A prolific author and revered teacher and speaker, he has published 18 books and has been named one of the top speakers in the world on organizational culture. He is among the top 1% of professors cited in organizational behavior textbooks. His viral Google talk on personal purpose has amassed over 16 million views. Bob joins Marcel Schwantes to talk about his book, The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counterintuitive Steps for Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization, including how to shift from a transaction-oriented to a purpose-oriented mindset.Bob’s purpose is to inspire positive change. [5:58]Once the central focus switches from external rewards to higher purpose, the workforce transforms from agents into owners. [9:01]Marcel asks, “What difference does higher purpose make in people's lives?” Bob responds, “To have a higher purpose is to have a calling in life. Your work becomes your purpose. The moment that happens everything changes because you're now living from intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation, and at that point - Maslow said this years ago - labour becomes love.” [10:21]Purpose-driven people live longer, are less prone to many diseases, have better relationships, and make more money. [11:20]“Purpose-driven organizations have highly engaged workforces, and they make more money,” Bob says. When you pair profit with relationships, it leads to impressive results at work. [12:05]Marcel quotes Bob’s recent blog post, “How an organization responds in a crisis is a function of the culture created prior to the crisis… Those organizations are harvesting their rewards.” Bob gives an example of a company whose culture helped them recover from a crisis. [16:04]These are extraordinary times, Marcel says. “So we got a global pandemic, economic hardship as a result, and then on top of that throw in racial injustice. And that's just in the last five months!” Bob comments that it’s the most tumultuous period he has lived through. [19:42]“In a crisis we desperately need a leader to do something,” Bob argues. “The purpose of a leader is to connect people to their purpose; it's to tie and bind people together in pursuit of a new and better future.” [20:31]Marcel and Bob discuss some counterintuitive steps for creating a purpose-driven organization, as detailed in Bob’s book. [22:39]“Purpose holds us accountable to do hard things, not convenient things,” Bob remarks. “But when we do hard things those are very powerful signals to the culture that it's changing and moving in a positive direction.” [28:19]Bob explains the role authenticity plays in high performance organizations. [28:47]Bob’s book lays out the counterintuitive process of connecting people to purpose. [35:34]Bob wants listeners to take away these four questions, which will instantaneously transform us if we answer them honestly: What result do I want to create? Am I internally directed? Am I other-focused? Am I externally open? [42:20]This episode is proudly sponsored by Ally Business Coaching. Visit them at https://lnkd.in/eTzc7HxResourcesRobertEQuinn.comRobertEQuinn.com/Blog The Economics of Higher Purpose: Eight Counterintuitive Steps for Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization bookBecoming Who You Really Are course | |||
| 28 Apr 2022 | Dr. Nathan Long: Saybrook University | 00:45:32 | |
Dr. Nathan Long is the president of Saybrook University. With 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Long oversees all strategic and operational aspects of the university. He holds a Doctorate and Masters of Education in interdisciplinary studies.Saybrook University is an online, private, non-profit graduate university and the premier institution for humanistic scholarship and practice. Founded by luminary psychologists, for 50 years, Saybrook has offered advanced degrees, currently offering programs in psychology, integrative medicine and health sciences, business administration, counseling, and transformative social change. The institution is committed to helping students develop as whole individuals– mind, body, and spirit – and to relentlessly pursuing a more socially just and sustainable world. With low residency requirements for master’s and doctoral degrees, students can earn an online graduate degree and meet their personal and professional needs as adult learners servicing their communities.Highlights:“We are a humanistically focused institution of higher learning with an emphasis on social justice and sustainability.” [10:55] Dr. Long talked a bit about Saybrook’s mission and how the university uses love to support its students and alumni. This all stems from a desire to help, and you can hear the passion in Dr. Long’s voice. “The humanistic psychologist is not saying ‘here’s what I’m going to do to fix you’.” [17:23] We discussed humanistic psychology and how Saybrook puts that methodology at the core of its operations. According to the humanistic approach, the therapist doesn’t just label the patient and try to change them. Instead, the therapist and the individual are on a journey together. Each person is different, so applying labels isn’t entirely helpful.According to Dr. Long, the principles of humanistic psychology thread through almost every other discipline. Alumni can take lessons learned from Saybrook into virtually any career they choose. Dr. Long went on to discuss a few alumni success stories. He talked about how Saybrook’s humanistic ideas and philosophy can be applied to executive and leadership success. As Dr. Long says: “We’re not here to judge you.” Saybrook teaches that the therapist’s mission is to help the individual, not judge them. Leaders and therapists alike should identify what a person wants out of life, rather than label them with a disorder or diagnosis. We talked a little bit about leadership, and Dr. Long made the point that “if you’re not present, you’re going to be less effective as a leader.” [32:33] One of the top qualities of being an effective leader is simply being present. Dr. Long also stressed the importance of being “open to the journey, the possibility, and the prospects.” [36:28] It’s critical to approach situations or leadership roles with an open mind. “I lead with love… by celebrating our team here at Saybrook.” [37:45] We finished with these words by Dr. Long. He talked about how he puts love in action at Saybrook. Resources:Saybrook University: https://www.saybrook.edu/ | |||
| 12 Mar 2020 | Leaning Into The Uncomfortable with Todd Palmer | 00:38:19 | |
Marcel Schwantes welcomes Todd Palmer to this week’s Love In Action show. Todd is the CEO of Extraordinary Advisors, a renowned executive coach and author of The Job Search Process: Find and Land a Great Job in Six Weeks or Less. He shares how he went from being $600,000 in debt to making the Inc 5000 list six times! He and Marcel chat about his amazing story and his proven framework for helping business owners achieve success through authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability.The impostor syndrome is real, Todd says. It shows up in every part of our lives and it goes wherever we go. [2:45]Todd would not have made the Inc 5000 list had he not dealt with his impostor syndrome. He describes the feeling of empowerment when he made the transformative decision to “...take the wheel of my life again.” [3:52]Marcel quotes Todd’s book, “Growth happens only when we lean into the uncomfortable.” [6:07]“In order for me to lean into the uncomfortable ...the first person I would have had the conversation with was myself, and to look deep within, to do an inventory of how I got there. It was so incredibly painful but the flip side of it is, it was transformative,” says Todd. [7:00]Fixing your business is an inside out process, according to Todd. You have to work on yourself first. [9:13]Marcel comments that working on yourself requires self-awareness, as well as a level of authenticity, transparency and vulnerability not everyone is naturally wired to do. [11:40]You can’t take care of your business if you don’t take care of you. [12:59]Todd describes how he helps his clients lean into the uncomfortable. [13:15]Storytelling is the new business currency, according to Todd. He and Marcel discuss the impact of stories on businesses and lives. While telling your own story is good, it’s much more powerful to tell other people’s stories, especially how your work has impacted their lives. People resonate with the stories they hear, Todd adds. They see themselves in the arc of the story. [14:56]Marcel asks Todd to define psychological safety. [18:35]Todd comments, “If you have the best talent going in the right direction because they feel cared for, they feel heard, they feel validated and they feel rewarded to grow that organization as a collective team, it gives you the power of many.” [20:20]Todd shares an interesting story about what he learned from prisoners. He applauds the Hustle 2.0 program. [22:28]Ditching your comfort zone is a disciplined, methodical process that requires commitment. [25:00]Marcel asks Todd, “Is it fair to say that the impostor syndrome is basically wearing false masks?” Todd agrees and adds that it has been programmed in us to not show up authentically. However, if we have enough courage to put away the masks, we’d be amazed how much people want to help us. When we collaborate with others, we get the best ideas. [26:39]Leaders who accept themselves, who acknowledge that they are a work in progress, allow that acceptance to come out in their teams, Todd says. “Sometimes the hardest part though is to authentically see ourselves.” [28:24]Todd wants listeners to know that the real differentiator in life is people. “The better the people are in your life, the better you show up for other people.” [33:55]“Look within before blaming the rest of the world for your challenges,” Todd urges listeners. [35:27]ResourcesExtraordinaryAdvisors.comTodd Palmer on Facebook | InstagramHustle 2.0 program | |||
| 23 Jul 2020 | Humanocracy with Gary Hamel | 01:02:42 | |
Gary Hamel is a world-renowned influential business thinker, a consultant, the Director and co-founder of Management Lab, and a visiting Professor at the London Business School. His newest book, Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, is a practical guide to dismantling business bureaucracy and replacing it with a much more human-centered and effective system. He and Marcel Schwantes discuss the book and how leaders can apply the principles of ‘humanocracy’.Many organizations struggle to adapt to change: it’s usually new businesses who create new business models. Gary remarks that deep change is usually episodic and crisis driven, due in part to pre-existing old bureaucratic structures. Those responsible for seeing and anticipating the future and change are at the top, and by the time an issue is big enough to cross their notice it is often too late. [8:18]Bureaucracy was invented for a reason and it was one of the most important human inventions. It was beneficial in bringing people together to do work at scale and improve productivity. However, like all technologies, it was a product of its time, and isn’t suited for the advanced modern world. [12:48]Bureaucracy was intended to maximize control, while humanocracy is aimed at maximizing contribution. There is still control and boundaries in humanocracy, while amplifying people’s capacities to grow and learn. [18:10]“Leaders are people who know how to make a catalytic effort with others not on the basis of positional authority, but rather through the ability to cast the vision and bring people together,” Gary says. “A leader seeks power with, not power over. If you have to use your bureaucratic power to get things done then you are eroding your real leadership capital.” Gary believes we must redefine leadership as an ability instead of a position. [25:22]“An organization has little to fear from the future or its competitors when it’s brimming with self-managing micropreneurs,” Marcel quotes from Gary’s book. He asks him to elaborate. Management pundits have claimed that building a large organization that is entrepreneurial at its core is impossible. Gary gives an example of a company that successfully proves them wrong. [30:33]Marcel asks Gary about the risks of a culture of too much humanocracy. He lists rushing into dismantling bureaucracy too quickly. Though imperfect, Gary says, bureaucracy has many benefits. Modern organizations need paradoxical characteristics, such as extreme discipline and control but enormous freedom. Gary believes human beings are good at handling paradox. To him, the definition of a successful organization is “one that is constantly optimizing and redefining those trade offs in the best possible way.” [40:05]Marcel asks Gary why he thinks some leaders still lead through fear. In the industrial age, the goal was to turn humans into literal machines, Gary posits. German sociologist Max Weber said, “Bureaucracy succeeds to the extent it is dehumanized,” so in a bureaucracy there was no room for what makes us human, including love. Gary believes that the problems of the modern world require every ounce of human initiative and ingenuity to be solved. An assumption exists that love and accountability are mutually exclusive, he adds. “Real love understands that for people to succeed, there must be discipline.” [48:12]ResourcesGary Hamel on LinkedIn | TwitterGaryHamel.comHumanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them | |||
| 11 Apr 2019 | Creating Joy at Work with Rich Sheridan | 00:34:05 | |
When you think about work, do you think about joy as well? Joining us on this episode is Rich Sheridan, the author of Joy, Inc. and most recently Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear. He leads Menlo Innovations as their co-founder and CEO, and the company has won the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility for 11 straight years. Today we’re talking about how you can bring more joy into your work — and what can happen when you do.Defining Joy At Menlo, Rich shares that their mission from day one is to end human suffering in the world as it relates to technology. And their goal inside of that, since their founding, was to return joy to technology. If you’re going to embark on a joyful journey, ask yourself two questions. Who do you serve? And what would delight look like for them? They may look simple, but Rich warns against picking the easy answers. Fear in the workplace The natural fear in the workplace for any employee is that something bad is going to happen to them: they’re going to lose their jobs, miss the next promotion, or be overlooked for a key assignment. There’s a brand of management that sees that as a good thing … but what kind of culture is that creating? With fear, work is no longer about contributing, it’s about being better than the other guy just so you get to stay. That creates a very debilitating culture. Systems, not bureaucracy Bureaucracy manifests itself as a lot of waiting: waiting for decisions to be made, or answers to be had, or a sign off on an approval. All of this waiting weighs an organization down and robs the energy of your team. After a while, they disengage.But Rich shares the story of his eldest child’s pediatrician. A truly wonderful doctor, yet somehow, he had no patients in his waiting room every time they visited. Was he just bad at business? This place should be filled with patients. It turns out no. He was amazing at systems. One of the most important things we can do as joyful leaders is think about the systems that keep chaos out of our world so we can lift the human energy of our team and keep the weight of our human aircraft as light as possible and fly to heights and distances. The competitive advantage of love Think of what you could accomplish if instead of only 30% of your employees were engaged, 70% of them were? If these people came in every day with a spring in their step, a dedication in their energy, and they engaged in a fundamentally different way? Think about the value that would bring to your organization, how much more output you would get, the quality of the output they would produce, and how much better a reputation you would have, not just with your customers but with the others you’re trying to recruit into your organization. LegacyFamily is of the utmost importance. During Rich’s disillusionment days, he was coming home late having accomplished nothing, and realized the thing that mattered most to him was slipping out of his grasp. Time will pass, and it will pass regardless of whether you’ve enjoyed your work life or you haven’t. Rich wants to be a good example to his kids, to show them that it is possible to have the kind of joyous work life that everyone dreams of.Rich Sheridan: LinkedIn | Twitter | Menlo Innovations | Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace | People Love | Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear | |||
| 20 Jan 2022 | On Growth, Care and Development with Omer Glass | 00:37:37 | |
Omer Glass is CEO and cofounder of GrowthSpace, the world's leading employee development platform. GrowthSpace was founded on the belief that the future of learning and development is data driven, measurable, and personalized for every employee. Prior to GrowthSpace, Omer was Management Consultant at Shaldor, one of Israel’s leading management consultancies. He is also the chairman of Hands of Light, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting ALS and cancer patients. He is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.GrowthSpace is a platform that connects thousands of people with over 1000 experts from over 40 different countries. Its goal is to help clients achieve the ultimate development opportunity by matching them with the right expert who specializes in their intended area of growth. Omer shares how GrowthSpace helps scale employee development. [4:39]Marcel asks Omer to talk about the inspiration behind GrowthSpace. “[The company I was working for] got acquired by another company and people were leaving… [the CEO] did surveys to understand why and [discovered] that people didn’t feel like they had enough employment development opportunities… so [my cofounder and I] basically said ‘let’s create [a tool] for employee development,’” Omer responds. [9:14]“In business, especially startups, if you think you know everything, you will fail eventually,” Omer advises. “In order to really succeed, we need to grow. If you’re not open to feedback, your product will be bad. As an executive, you will not feed the next stage if you are not open to feedback,” he adds. [14:08]Data is the source of truth, Omer says. As a company driven by values of growth and care, GrowthSpace is dedicated to making an impact. They determine whether they succeed in that goal by using data to get to the truth. Additionally, Omer embodies the phrase ‘strong opinions, loosely held.’ Growth is the priority, so if his employees have opinions or ideas that are better suited for getting to the truth, he’ll favor those ideas over his. [18:42]Marcel asks Omer what he thinks is causing the Great Resignation. “It’s a combination of three things,” Omer claims. “Number one is the COVID-19 crisis: people were afraid to be laid off, so if they had a job, they’d just keep it; when the crisis was over, a lot of people that should have left their job [hadn’t done it]. Number two is the demand for talent; where there is a high demand, the conditions are better, so people are looking for better opportunities. [Number three is the] generation shift; people are less patient in environments where they cannot express themselves fully.” [23:27]“Resignation is a symptom of something wrong,” Omer adds. “Sometimes people just want to leave, which is okay. Sometimes you don’t get enough opportunities where you are, which is also okay. But if the culture is good, you’re investing in your people, and you create a culture of openness and transparency rather than fear, people will stay, and you will retain your talent.” [26:45]“The question you need to ask yourself [as a leader] facing any situation with your employees is: ‘What can I do in order for them to succeed?’” Omer shares. “You need to focus on what [each employee] needs for them to understand you.” [28:43]ResourcesOmer Glass on LinkedIn | |||
| 21 May 2020 | Getting In The C.A.R. with Monte Williams | 00:48:57 | |
This week’s Love In Action podcast is sponsored by ALEU - The Leadership Development Company. Founder Monte Williams believes that “When you lead yourself with passion, you inspire others; and when you inspire others, anything is possible.” His personal mission is to inspire passion through the leadership of self and others. Monte also serves as Senior Director of Client Services at TaskUs, and over the course of his career he has built many high performing teams which have generated millions of dollars in revenue. He is an executive coach and speaker; he recently delivered an inspiring TEDx talk entitled, Get In The C.A.R. - The Keys To Sustainable Leadership. He joins Marcel Schwantes to talk about his company’s mission and how leading others must be preceded by leading yourself.Every business problem can be solved by investing in the growth and development of people, because when your people succeed your business succeeds. [1:43]Monte describes what inspired his mission statement. [5:10]Monte recounts his most trying leadership moment: “...it was the most just deflating, empowering conversation I think I've ever had in my career, because she was able to dig deep and pull out something that I had been battling with all my life… But if I wanted to make this leap into the next stage of my career I had to deal… with Monte.” [8:26]Monte posits that these three principles can simplify leadership:We are all human.We are all leaders.We are all connected by the human experience. [12:31]Monte says that three core principles bring success: Courage, Agility and Resilience, or C.A.R. Courage is “the ability to make the necessary changes within ourselves to inspire the most favorable outcome in our environment.” Mohandas Gandhi is a great example of courage, Monte says. Agility is “the ability to respond to real life stimuli... while still maintaining focus on the greater goal.” He cites Chesley Sullenberger III as an example of agility. Resilience is the ability to “weather difficult environments long enough to achieve whatever goal it is that you're trying to achieve.” A prime example of resilience is Nelson Mandela, Monte says. [16:18]“There is a human element to leadership that cannot be ignored or denied,” Monte says. “People don't work for companies. They never have, they never will. People work for people.” [29:30]The things that bring success in personal relationships, such as honesty, appreciation, trust and security, are the same things people want in their business relationships. [31:43]“You cannot ignore the human element,” Monte argues. “You can't ignore the emotional piece of leadership because when you ignore the emotional piece of leadership you can never help somebody reach their potential and you can never maximize your potential in your business.” [32:05]Marcel points out that this pandemic is a great opportunity “to pivot away from the transactional leadership model to more of a transformational servant-leadership model.” [ 33:50]ALEU offers executive coaching, where they help leaders develop a framework and culture for leadership and development. The company also helps businesses refine their organizational architecture so that everyone is positioned for success and growth. Another service ALEU offers is leadership coaching for the workforce. [40:39]Monte wants listeners to understand that their people are their most valuable asset, so people should come first no matter what. [43:40]Monte’s takeaway for listeners is: “If we're able to look at leadership from that perspective [that we’re all leaders] and help people get to wherever they want to get to in their journey, we will create a better world, create a better society, and we will create more profitable businesses.” [46:16]If you want to learn more about solving problems by investing in people, Contact Monte Williams at monte@aleu.co fo | |||
| 22 Oct 2020 | How Belonging Impacts This Extraordinary Life with Kevin Monroe | 00:50:25 | |
Kevin Monroe is a globally recognized thought leader, consultant, and self-proclaimed perpetual optimist. He is dedicated to “helping people flourish on the road less traveled in business, leadership and life.” He is the host of the This ExtraOrdinary Life Community and Podcast, and a longtime friend of Marcel Schwantes. He joins Marcel to talk about his journey in podcasting, what makes life extraordinary, and belonging.Kevin believes that the world needs more gratitude. Gratitude is the most fertile soil in which to begin any plan or endeavor. [3:37]Kevin shares his journey into podcasting. His very first podcast was started on a whim, with no clear strategy or prior knowledge of how podcasting even worked. Though it was sporadic and not properly planned out, Kevin developed relationships with many successful individuals due to that initial podcast. [6:42]The difference we want to make in the world is really achieved by doing ordinary things with extra focus, flavor, and flair, which transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. [12:58]The little things can have a great impact on people. In one instance, Kevin shares, he was meeting a sceptical executive to do a presentation about the value of servant leadership and why it should be at the core of business. At the end of the presentation, the executive told Kevin that the most impactful part of the experience was the way Kevin greeted him and said that he would begin greeting his employees in the same manner. [21:49]There is a key difference between belonging and fitting in. Kevin defines fitting in as compromising aspects of yourself to conform to pre-existent norms. Cultures of belonging promote autonomy and flourish, Marcel adds. He sees fitting in as just going through the motions, and belonging as what lends to growth and thriving environments. [30:27]Kevin shares how leaders can foster environments of belonging in their workplace, even if they don’t have much authority. You must first have the conversation about belonging and authenticity with yourself, and then start talking with your team. [38:28]Marcel asks Kevin why he thinks fear is still prevalent in the workplace. “Belonging is linked to a whopping 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover, and a 75% reduction in sick days,” he replies. “Employees with higher workplace belonging also showed a 167% increase in their employees promoter score. I have a hunch that a high percentage of those who are actively disengaged have a sense of unbelonging so great that they are willing to sabotage their own organization.” [41:13]ResourcesKevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter Email: kevin@kevindmonroe.comCall or text Kevin at +1-404-713-0713 KevinDMonroe.com | ThisExtraordinary.lifeHarvard Business Review- The Value of Belonging at WorkTheGratitudeChallenge.communityGratitudeEncounter.com The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse video The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse book | |||
| 06 Jan 2022 | How Oxytocin Improves Performance with Paul Zak | 00:42:09 | |
Paul Zak is a professor at Claremont Graduate University, founder and Chief Immersion Officer at Immersion Neuroscience, and Senior Scientific Advisor at CancerLife. Over a decade ago, Paul and his team discovered that the neurochemical oxytocin was the driver of trust, love, and morality that distinguish our humanity. In his quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection and happiness, he dedicated two decades of his life to brain research, which took him from the Pentagon, to Fortune 50 boardrooms, and the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Paul is also an accomplished speaker and author. His second book, Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies, explores the neurochemistry behind toxic organizational cultures, and how we can harness that neurochemistry to build effective workplaces with trust, joy, and commitment.Marcel Schwantes asks Paul to talk about his background. “My goal in my professional life is to create technologies and knowledge to help people curate their lives for greater happiness,” Paul shares. [3:22]Oxytocin has numerous effects on our behavior, Paul finds. The more you trust someone, the more oxytocin your brain produces, and that prompts you to reciprocate good deeds and hospitality. Additionally, oxytocin increases your sense of empathy and reduces physiological stress. It allows you to feel comfortable within a group or community, which lends itself spectacularly to teamwork and organizational performance. [6:44]“Trust is a set of behaviors, not a feeling state,” Paul clarifies. Marcel asks him to describe how he and his team created the survey instrument they used to study several thousand companies. “Once we identified the sets of behaviors that were relevant to trust within organizations, we created this survey… [a lot of] companies let us come in and take blood from their employees to measure oxytocin levels. Then, we collected data from a huge swath of the US population to identify how these behaviors improved the performance of those organizations,” he explains. [12:14]We’re not out of the pandemic yet, Marcel comments. Research proves that the sudden shift to remote work and all the challenges it entails has had negative effects on people’s mental health, making it a crucial issue for organizations to address. He asks Paul where holistic development falls under the oxytocin umbrella. “The precursor for trust is psychological safety,” Paul replies. “If I am so stressed out that I'm just holding on with my fingernails, I'm not going to connect to those around me or have the bandwidth to be an effective employee.” He discusses how a high trust model influences holistic development. [20:15]According to Paul, building caring relationships at work is an opportunity to expand your social network, which is where most of life’s satisfaction comes from. He explores the concept of trust and accountability, and why one does not negate the other. [26:31]Uncertainty manifests itself in the brain exactly like stress, which is an inhibitor of trust. “Humans don’t like uncertainty… if they don’t [have the relevant information], humans [run the rumor mill] and use bandwidth on that rather than focusing on creating value for the organization,” Paul claims. “I can reduce that rumor mill if I share information broadly.” [28:04]“If you think about the investment you can make to improve performance, trust is a fairly inexpensive dimension with high returns,” Paul advises. “Think about creating a culture where your high performers can thrive, grow, feel recognized and have the opportunity to control their work lives.” He shares why leaders should personalize their efforts to recognize high performers. [31:50]ResourcesPaul Zak on LinkedIn | TwitterTrust Factor: The Science of Creating High Performance Companies | |||
| 11 Jun 2020 | Toward A Racially Just Workplace with Laura Morgan Roberts | 01:00:26 | |
These are extraordinary times. In addition to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are once again experiencing the pain and conflict arising from the killing of an unarmed black man at the hands of a white police officer. The country is yet again being forced to face its painful history of systemic racial prejudice towards people of color, and people everywhere are rightfully demanding meaningful change. The issue of racism goes beyond the killing of George Floyd, however. It is a “we” problem, and it's going to take all of us to speak up, speak out, and be a voice for change. As business leaders, we have to confront the injustices that we see at work and put the spotlight on what's happening inside our corporate walls. This week’s show is a replay of an episode in which Laura Morgan Roberts addresses the issue of racism in corporate America, and offers powerful solutions for all of us. Professor Laura Morgan Roberts is an expert in diversity, inclusion, authenticity and identity development. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her recent article, Toward a Racially Just Workplace, and tackles what is seemingly the most uncomfortable conversation in the work environment.After President Obama was elected, a popular consensus was that American society had moved beyond racism in the workplace. [4:37]Research shows that only 8% of managers and 3.8% of CEO’s are of African American descent, which is concerning as it does not reflect the global population. [7:29]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks there is such a small percentage of black leaders. “What has been persistent over time is a practice of sort of betting on familiarity… giving those new opportunities… to people who remind us of our younger selves. And so when the people who are in the leadership positions are the ones we're doling out those opportunities to… they're also more likely to be alarmed… when someone who doesn’t share aspects of their experience messes up… You’re not given the same freedom to fail when you’re a person who exists on the margins,” she explains. [10:08]Two key dynamics that pose challenges for black leaders in the workplace are authenticity and authority. [12:38]Many black leaders have stories in which people in mentorship roles have tried to steer them in completely different paths, “with very little knowledge or data of what they were truly capable of,” Laura adds. [16:51]Laura admonishes leaders to “get real”: external occurrences affect organizations internally. “There's no… concrete wall that sort of segments the organization and protects it from whatever is happening in society around inequality and exclusion and oppression.” [20:30]Oftentimes conversations about diversity and inclusion initiatives turn into ego defensive arguments, which inhibits exploration of avenues for productive coexistence. [26:19]“If you want to understand how to be more inclusive, you can’t just sit around and talk to the people who already feel included,” Laura says. Leaders should take themselves back to experiences where they felt excluded and ask themselves what others could have done to make them feel included. [37:27]The “secret sauce” in truly promoting greater racial diversity, inclusion and equity is the heart. [41:15]Laura offers advice for the African American professional wanting to grow as a leader. [43:27]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks fear is so prevalent in the workplace. She replies, “We structure our organizations in ways that trigger people's feelings of scarcity… and when people are operating in that dimension of scarcity they’re triggered… they're really afraid because they're feeling incredibly vulnerable.” [46:40]Laura wants race to no longer be associated with fear, problems and challenges, and would much rather it be embraced. [50:26]ResourcesToward a Racially Just WorkplaceAdvancing Black Leaders | |||
| 11 Jun 2020 | Toward A Racially Just Workplace with Laura Morgan Roberts | 01:00:26 | |
These are extraordinary times. In addition to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are once again experiencing the pain and conflict arising from the killing of an unarmed black man at the hands of a white police officer. The country is yet again being forced to face its painful history of systemic racial prejudice towards people of color, and people everywhere are rightfully demanding meaningful change. The issue of racism goes beyond the killing of George Floyd, however. It is a “we” problem, and it's going to take all of us to speak up, speak out, and be a voice for change. As business leaders, we have to confront the injustices that we see at work and put the spotlight on what's happening inside our corporate walls. This week’s show is a replay of an episode in which Laura Morgan Roberts addresses the issue of racism in corporate America, and offers powerful solutions for all of us. Professor Laura Morgan Roberts is an expert in diversity, inclusion, authenticity and identity development. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her recent article, Toward a Racially Just Workplace, and tackles what is seemingly the most uncomfortable conversation in the work environment.After President Obama was elected, a popular consensus was that American society had moved beyond racism in the workplace. [4:37]Research shows that only 8% of managers and 3.8% of CEO’s are of African American descent, which is concerning as it does not reflect the global population. [7:29]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks there is such a small percentage of black leaders. “What has been persistent over time is a practice of sort of betting on familiarity… giving those new opportunities… to people who remind us of our younger selves. And so when the people who are in the leadership positions are the ones we're doling out those opportunities to… they're also more likely to be alarmed… when someone who doesn’t share aspects of their experience messes up… You’re not given the same freedom to fail when you’re a person who exists on the margins,” she explains. [10:08]Two key dynamics that pose challenges for black leaders in the workplace are authenticity and authority. [12:38]Many black leaders have stories in which people in mentorship roles have tried to steer them in completely different paths, “with very little knowledge or data of what they were truly capable of,” Laura adds. [16:51]Laura admonishes leaders to “get real”: external occurrences affect organizations internally. “There's no… concrete wall that sort of segments the organization and protects it from whatever is happening in society around inequality and exclusion and oppression.” [20:30]Oftentimes conversations about diversity and inclusion initiatives turn into ego defensive arguments, which inhibits exploration of avenues for productive coexistence. [26:19]“If you want to understand how to be more inclusive, you can’t just sit around and talk to the people who already feel included,” Laura says. Leaders should take themselves back to experiences where they felt excluded and ask themselves what others could have done to make them feel included. [37:27]The “secret sauce” in truly promoting greater racial diversity, inclusion and equity is the heart. [41:15]Laura offers advice for the African American professional wanting to grow as a leader. [43:27]Marcel asks Laura why she thinks fear is so prevalent in the workplace. She replies, “We structure our organizations in ways that trigger people's feelings of scarcity… and when people are operating in that dimension of scarcity they’re triggered… they're really afraid because they're feeling incredibly vulnerable.” [46:40]Laura wants race to no longer be associated with fear, problems and challenges, and would much rather it be embraced. [50:26]ResourcesToward a Racially Just WorkplaceAdvancing Black Leaders | |||
| 28 Jul 2022 | Jenn Lim: Beyond Happiness | 00:36:12 | |
Jenn Lim is the CEO of Delivering Happiness (DH), a company she and Tony Hsieh (the late CEO of Zappos.com) cofounded to create happier company cultures for a more profitable and sustainable approach to business. Highlights:“A big part of happiness is not just our highs but it’s also our lows…and I did not know that at the time I would be experiencing one of the biggest lows in my life.” [8:45] Jenn Lim reflects upon the loss of Tony Hsieh during the publishing of her book, Beyond Happiness.“I started doing really purposeful work on how you can create organizations with scientific happiness, positive psychology, and be profitable too.” [12:50] After a series of profound life events, Jenn experienced a shift where her work with Tony Hseih and Delivering Happiness began.“A sense of authentic self, pleasure and higher purpose are essentially the three elements of happiness.” [14:05] Jenn provides a brief definition of happiness and Marcel challenges the meaning of the book title, Beyond Happiness. Going beyond creates deeper conversation on the highs and lows, mental health, and “shadow sides”.“Did the pandemic affect how we were able to connect and relate to each other and raise our happiness? We are kind of post-pandemic now, but we’re never really past it. So how has that changed how we should look at happiness and business?” [18:27] Marcel brings a connection to the pandemic...the time in which Jenn was working on the book. Jenn comments on how we are seeing that shift in attention to happiness with the “Great Resignation”, what she refers to as a “Great Awakening”.“They realized their whole entire purpose, which was to ripple out impact and happiness, to their customers and community.” [23:30] Mountain View Egypt is a client of Delivering Happiness, Jenn shares their journey in and outcome in shifting their practices surrounding culture and happiness in their business. “If you think about these different levels of happiness all of us as leaders can embed these things in our systems and know that if we give people more autonomy; we give people more sense of progress and connectedness and a higher purpose that they align to their personal purpose. That’s where the magic happens. ” [27:00] What can leaders do to improve happiness in their organization? Jenn discusses the impact that can happen. “It’s great to have a mission statement on the wall, but what does it actually mean?” [29:00] Jenn challenges leaders to hone and develop their purpose and how they are embedding these practices of happiness by attaching meaning and value to their people’s work. Mentioned in this episode:Jenn LimBeyond Happiness: Inside the BookJenn Lim - Emeryville, California, United States | Professional Profile | LinkedIn Mountain View | |||
| 29 Aug 2019 | Employee Engagement Starts in the Brain with Dr. Melissa Hughes | 00:46:24 | |
Marcel Schwantes chats with Dr. Melissa Hughes about how the brain works and how to make it work better. Dr. Hughes, a neuroscience expert, is the author of Happy Hour With Einstein, as well as a keynote speaker and thought leader. She shares practical applications of neuroscience to help leaders learn habits that lead to positive work cultures of belonging, psychological safety and gratitude.Learning is not confined to the classroom. Everyone wants to know how to make their brain work better. What differentiates one company from the other is the ability to learn together. [4:00]Companies implement many initiatives to increase employee engagement. However, research shows that the biggest reward comes when people feel valued and respected. We all want to know that what we do matters. [5:40]Psychological safety is very important: employees need to feel safe enough to take risks, and be authentic and vulnerable without fear of negative consequences. In psychologically safe teams, members feel respected and accepted. These teams perform better. [6:26]We all need to feel a sense of belonging at work. When we do, our brain generates neurotransmitters to facilitate activity in the prefrontal cortex. When we feel that we don't fit in, our brain releases stress chemicals to activate the fear-threat center. Belonging is the foundation for culture and culture is the foundation for engagement. The leader’s job, therefore, is to make people feel connected, happy and satisfied. [11:00]Instead of asking how to increase engagement, leaders should ask how to decrease cortisol and increase dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin, the good neurotransmitters that make people feel connected and creative. [14:00]Melissa explains how oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine affects our emotions. She shares simple ways how leaders can create experiences for their employees that generate these feel-good brain chemicals. [16:06]Gratitude is a natural antidepressant. It elevates our mood, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and gives us a greater sense of belonging. When we practice gratitude we release dopamine and serotonin which travels to the bliss center of our brain. The more these neural pathways are stimulated, the stronger and more automatic they become. [28:49]Increasing productivity does not start with how to do the work. It starts by treating people with the same care and compassion as those we love. When we do this, we create a better work environment with higher productivity because everyone is invested emotionally in what they are doing. [40:20]When we learn how to trigger positive emotions we can reach our highest potential and find purpose, success and satisfaction. [42:35]ResourcesMelissaHughes.rocks | |||
| 23 Jan 2020 | Women Advocating For Change with Mikaela Kiner | 00:48:16 | |
Mikaela Kiner has over 15 years experience in HR leadership roles at major companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon. She is a certified executive coach and the founder of Reverb, a HR consulting and leadership development company which helps their clients create healthy, inclusive cultures. She joins Marcel Schwantes on this week’s show to discuss her powerful new book, Female Firebrands.Female Firebrands is a solutions-oriented guide for dealing with workplace issues that affect women. Marcel says that it should be mandatory reading for men in leadership positions. [1:39]Mikaela uses the term ‘firebrand’ to describe women who are successful professionally as well as mission-driven to leave the world a better place. [4:37]The #MeToo movement uncovered the bad behaviors and stereotypes that have long existed in the workplace; however, much more needs to change, Mikaela laments. Nevertheless, she takes a positive view because the movement has given both women and men the tools to speak out and effect change. [6:05]The leader sets the tone for the organization. Good leaders have a no-nonsense culture with regard to inappropriate behavior: you will be held to account no matter your position in the company. [8:08]“The way to share stories that the most people could resonate with was by sharing the stories of a diverse group of women,” Mikaela says. [11:00]Society’s classic double bind is that when men and women behave the same way, they don’t receive the same feedback. Women are usually perceived negatively. [14:55]Marcel asks Mikaela to define ‘unconscious bias‘, one of several terms used in her book. We all have some, she responds. The goal is to become aware of them (the free online Implicit Association Test can help) so you can recognize them when they come up and move forward. Marcel adds that our unconscious bias can hold us back because of how we perceive our own limitations. [17:15]Consider the diversity of the team around you. Who is not represented? Seek them out and invite them in. Then pay attention to inclusion: make sure everyone feels welcome and recognized, Mikaela advises leaders. [23:35]Male privilege is a fact, not a criticism. The systems and structure of the workplace, and what leadership is perceived to be, all favor male attributes. Mikaela advises men how they can use their privilege for good. [24:50]Marcel and Mikaela discuss the ‘glass cliff’ and how women can safeguard themselves. [27:05]One of the reasons women don’t fight for equal pay is that they were never taught to negotiate. [30:50]Mikaela shares several tips about how both men and women can fight pay inequality. One important tip for women is to always, always negotiate the first offer. [32:38]When there’s only one seat at the table for women, we look at each other as the enemy, Mikaela explains. [36:18]Mikaela shares three ways men can be advocates for women. [38:31]When the ‘hot moment’ comes, be ready with a response that’s comfortable for you. [45:50]ResourcesMikaela Kiner on Linkedin | Twitter ReverbFemale Firebrands bookImplicit Association Test (IAT) | |||
| 03 Feb 2022 | Starting the Moral Revolution with Jacqueline Novogratz | 00:42:17 | |
Jacqueline Novogratz is founder and CEO of Acumen, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to changing the way the world tackles poverty. Under Jacqueline’s leadership, Acumen has invested over $132 million to build 136 social enterprises across Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the US. Her most recent book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World, highlights 12 leadership practices for those eager to change the world for the better. She is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.Jacqueline to share her story. “When I was about 10 years old my uncle Ed gave me a blue sweater that had a zebra in the front and mountains across the chest. I wore this sweater which I cherished all the time. My high school nemesis made a very lewd and inappropriate comment about my sweater, and I ran home, yelled at mom, and we ceremoniously dumped it in Goodwill. Fast forward 10 years, I’ve left a career on Wall Street. I’m jogging through the hills of Kigali when I see this little boy about 10 feet in front of me wearing my sweater. I have held that story as my story of understanding how interconnected our world is, and how our action and our inaction can impact people every day all around the world,” she says. [5:28]Too often, markets overlook, underestimate, and sometimes exploit the poor. “I thought if you could give people access to markets, it was enough,” Jacqueline admits, “but if people don't have the capability to interact with those markets, it's not enough.” However, too much aid from the top down creates dependencies. [8:35]Jacqueline talks about co-founding a microfinance institution in Rwanda. “When I first moved to Africa, I had this idea that I was going to save… a little corner of the world. I was firmly and flatly rejected, and got a quick lesson in humility: most people do not want saving, particularly by people that don't fully understand who they are,” she claims. Two women from Rwanda approached her when she was working in Kenya and asked for her assistance in doing a feasibility study, as a law had just passed that gave women the right to open a bank account without their husband’s signature. With that clarity of vision, she went on to build the first financial institution in Rwanda for women. [11:54]According to Jacqueline, one of her proudest investments was in the founders of the company currently known as d.light design, Inc - Sam Goldman and Ned Tozun. They had a solar lamp they wanted to sell to low-income people as an alternative to kerosene. Now, they have brought affordable light and electricity to over 100 million low-income people, and helped spawn an off-grid solar energy revolution. [16:11]Jacqueline defines the term ‘moral imagination.’ “Too many people use the lens of only their own imagination, even when solving problems for people whose lives are completely different from their own,” she explains. [22:55]“We need to recreate mindsets,” Marcel comments. “In the US, we live in such a self-centered, self-focused society, we may not even know how to extend that kind of love outwardly, to see the world beyond your own immediate needs.” [25:25]The exciting conversation at this moment in history, Jacqueline remarks, is about how we will use our tools, skills, and moral imagination to solve the biggest problems of our time. These problems cannot be solved by the nonprofit sector alone, nor corporate, nor government. “It will take all of us.” [32:57]Empathy alone reinforces the status quo, but cynicism is its best friend. “If we can dare to look for beauty and not just focus on how hard everything is, we may find that things feel just a little bit easier,” Jacqueline advises. [36:47]ResourcesJacqueline Novogratz on LinkedIn | TwitterAcumen.orgManifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better WorldEverytable Food Stored.light design, | |||
| 17 Oct 2019 | Relationomics with Dr. Randy Ross | 00:56:07 | |
Marcel welcomes Dr. Randy Ross, Founder and Chief Enthusiasm Officer at Remarkable, to the show. Randy is a master of cultural transformation who has traveled internationally as a speaker, coach and Fortune 500 consultant, building teams and developing leaders. He has a unique understanding of employee engagement and he offers practical solutions for increasing both team morale and performance in his new book Relationomics: Business Powered by Relationships.Few business books have been written about building healthy relationships in the workplace, even though people and organizations thrive in relationally-rich environments. Randy wrote his book to help leaders use principles that foster good relationships among their teams. [5:09]Marcel asks Randy about the four principles that cultivate healthy relationships. Randy says that these principles are:Intentionality - making relationships a priority;Humility - being honest about yourself with yourself;Accountability - creating continuous feedback loops to get the information you need to grow;Sustainability - leading in a way that deeply connects with your people. [6:15]Randy defines culture as the collective expression of the values, beliefs and behaviors that individuals brings to any endeavor. If we build teams that embrace and embed our values within their very core, it will flow over into our beliefs, which will then impact our behavior. [10:40]The deeper the connectivity within an organization, the stronger the return on equity. [13:17]The great deception is that we can elevate ourselves to our highest potential without anyone else’s influence. This is a lie, Randy emphasizes, because we all have blind spots that other people see but we can’t. We need feedback from others to grow. [18:03]Randy shares three questions people ask themselves before they choose to follow someone: Can I trust this person? Can I count on this person? Does this person have my best interest at heart? [21:47]Humility is just being real: it’s being comfortable with who you are, leveraging your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses. [28:55]Marcel asks how leaders can practice humility without coming across as soft or weak. Randy responds that humility means that I'm not only comfortable with myself, but I'm comfortable with you. It’s acknowledging that everyone brings their own mix of talents and experience to the table, and that I welcome those gifts. If I lead with humility, I bring out the best in my people and I can rally them to bring more to the table than they take away and create value for others. [32:11]One of the things that breed toxicity in the workplace is unresolved conflict, Randy says. He gives five rules of engagement that help to resolve workplace conflict and build healthy relationships. [35:44]Leading with love is about having someone’s interest at heart. Leaders can demonstrate love by sharing their time, their knowledge, their relationships, and their affection and appreciation. [46:31]Creating open loops of continuous feedback throughout an organization will create organizations that become self-coaching and self-correcting. Performance will shoot through the roof as a result. [52:19]75 years of research proves that good relationships keep us healthy and happy. [53:40]ResourcesDrRandyRoss.comCreateRemarkable.com | |||
| 29 Oct 2020 | Friendship is More Than Magic with Shasta Nelson | 00:46:53 | |
Shasta Nelson is an author, keynote speaker, and the Founder and CEO of GirlFriendCircles. An expert on friendships and healthy relationships, she has written several books covering how they impact all facets of life. She has been featured in many magazines, TV shows, and newspapers, including Good Housekeeping, The Today Show, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Her most recent book - The Business of Friendship: Making Most of Our Friendships Where We Spend Most of Our Time - is a guide to developing deeper connections with your colleagues. She joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss the power of friendship, and why it's important for the workplace.Marcel asks Shasta what inspired her to write her recent book. "I would often ask why businesses aren't taking all the research surrounding the importance of friendships among employees seriously. It seemed that people would only take it seriously if there was a book about it as a business subject," she replies. [4:07]The results of a Myers Briggs Institute survey about job satisfaction suggest that the bottom line for job satisfaction is having closer relationships with your coworkers. Socialization is a human need, which is why we function best when we feel like we belong to a community. [12:09]Friendship is a triangle of three requirements, which are: positivity, consistency, and vulnerability. Positivity is the foundation of the triangle. Every relationship starts with low levels of consistency, and therefore low levels of vulnerability. As consistency increases, so should vulnerability. [16:15]Marcel asks Shasta what leaders should be doing to counter loneliness at work. There is a prevalent belief that managers do not want friendships among coworkers. Shasta remarks that the first thing leaders should do is dismantle that belief, and make it explicit that they encourage close relationships in the workplace. [21:45]The biggest obstacle preventing an organizational culture of friendship is the mental block we have against it. Another big obstacle is a lack of positivity in the workplace. [33:35]Marcel asks Shasta why she thinks fear-based management styles are still prevalent. "Fear [levels are] high in all of us individually, so it makes sense why it's affecting us collectively. Much of our lives are controlled by fear, and we are affected by each other's mood." [37:01]ResourcesShasta Nelson on LinkedIn | TwitterShastaNelson.comThe Business of Friendship: Making Most of Our Friendships Where We Spend Most of Our Time | |||
| 04 Apr 2019 | How to Lead with Love with Howard Behar | 00:31:33 | |
On this episode of Love in Action, we have Howard Behar, the former president of Starbucks. During his tenure, Howard grew the coffee company from 28 stores to over 50,000 locations, and he’s the author of It’s Not About The Coffee and The Magic Cup. Today we’re talking about servant leadership, how to lead with love, and the power of putting people and values first.The Magic CupThe core message of the book is that, as a leader, you need to be focused on what your values are. Live up to those values no matter what your fears are, and get back on track if you ever lose your way. We all have a magic cup, and the cup represents your life. What you put into your cup is what you get out of it, so do we fill it with greed and ambition? Or are we going to fill it with the things we do to help others?Servant leadershipOur primary responsibility in life no matter what we do is to serve others. And sometimes leaders forget that. The goal of any leader should be to help his or her people achieve what they want in their lives, and in so doing, have the people help you achieve what you want in your organization. But you have to serve your people first. You have to give love before you get love. You have to give trust before you get trust. Some people think servant leadership is a “soft skill” and it’s just “being nice.” It’s anything but that. It's still about holding people accountable for their performance, but doing it in a way that builds people up instead of tearing them down. It’s loving, caring, direct conversations, holding each other accountable, and achieving results.As an example, Howard shares the story of Jim and the daily messages on his cups of coffee — and how something so small can mean so much.Love in businessWhen we talk about love, we’re not talking about the same kind of love you might have for your spouse or children. We’re talking about the love that we give to all human beings because they’re human beings.People lead with fear in the workplace, most likely because they’ve never been loved. That’s how they’ve been treated. They learned that yelling, screaming, and blaming are what get people motivated, and if they create fear in their team, people will produce results. That’s certainly something that can happen in the short term. But over the long term? Impossible.Changing our workplace culturesThe first step is to have a leader who wants to be a servant leader. It’s not an overnight process. You have to practice. You have to allow people to hold you accountable. You have to hold yourself accountable. Change yourself first before changing your organization.AdviceKnow who you are, know what your values are, live your life by those values, and understand that in order to have a productive, fulfilling life, you have to learn to serve yourself first, and then serve others. It’s not about being greedy. It’s about being okay with you. If you’re not okay with you, you can’t be okay with others.ResourcesHoward Behar | Website | hb@howardbehar.com | It’s Not About The Coffee | The Magic Cup | |||
| 16 Dec 2021 | Workplace Psychology with Jennifer Musselman | 00:56:15 | |
Jennifer Musselman is a globally recognized executive coach and a licensed marriage and family therapist for high-performing executives and entrepreneurs. She has been featured on Psychology Today, Forbes, and Huffington Post. She specializes in emotional intelligence, navigating conflict among leaders and couples, anxiety, burnout, and stress and depression management. With 20 years of experience as an executive at Fortune 500 companies, Jennifer intimately understands the pressures her clients face in having to do a balancing act with their professional goals and their personal life. She is this week’s guest on this special episode of Love In Action, which is both an interview and a live consultation.Jennifer recalls her negative experiences within a toxic workplace. “There was a change in leadership at the top that completely altered how people started connecting and relating with each other,” she says. “What I didn’t understand was the workplace trauma… even my personal therapist didn’t know how to handle it because therapists aren’t trained for that.” She describes the harmful effects that followed in her personal life, and how it motivated her to study organizational psychology. [5:07]Marcel asks Jennifer for tips on how to manage our emotions during a state of languishing. Self-care through self-reflection can help you recenter yourself, she replies, and doing so with a trained professional is even better. “Sometimes we need someone to get us out of our bodies and heads.” [10:18]Leadership is about modeling the behavior that you espouse across the board, Jennifer defines. A good leader actively practices the values of their family, their company, and their country. [16:17]Jennifer shares a recording of a live consultation with one of her clients, a CEO of a technology company. She helps her client explore the ups and downs of the recent happenings in his life, and how he has been mitigating them. They discuss:When conflicts in your personal life clash with your professional life. “I need to be focused for the team, and I can’t let personal things seep into how I present myself in the business, but unfortunately it has,” her client shares. “It’s been a challenge in the last few weeks.” [19:05]How to pull yourself out of a low-energy slump. “Everyone needs their own process of self-reflection,” Jennifer advises. “Find moments of personal reflection, which includes your thoughts… and then pay attention to how you behave. Having a chart of that gives you a better understanding of yourself and how you handle these moments.” [26:42]Mastering self-efficacy. “[Self-efficacy] is embracing that [you] don’t have to have all the answers; [you’re] in process. The answers will come, and you’ve created the network of people to lean on,” Jennifer remarks. [33:37]Jennifer rejoins Marcel to talk about key takeaways from her session with her client.According to Jennifer, there’s a fear of being perceived as weak when you’re in a position of power, particularly in men. People see when you’re struggling and can create their own narratives about what might be happening, so it would be beneficial to be a little transparent with them. Expressing vulnerability creates a bond with your coworkers, and gives people the opportunity to support you. [42:48]“Our minds, hearts, and bodies are connected,” Jennifer says. “When we start to feel emotional, there’s a physiological reaction… The first thing you have to do is get a hold of that sensation in your body… deep breathing connects you to your heart.” [45:00]Leaders need to allow employees to have a voice, Marcel comments. It’s not just handing down decisions from the mountain top; employees should be able to voice their concerns, input, and even ideas. That’s the caring part of leadership, he adds. [49:23]ResourcesJennifer Musselman on LinkedIn | TwitterJenniferMusselman. | |||
| 24 Oct 2019 | Activating the Seeking System with Dan Cable | 00:31:04 | |
Bestselling author Dan Cable is this week’s guest on the Love in Action podcast. Dan is a social psychologist and Professor of Organizational Behavior at the London Business School. He has also been ranked among the top 25 most influential management scholars in the world. His teaching and work are focused on culture and employee engagement, and the link between brands and employee behaviors. His research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Business Week and his clients include some of the biggest brands on the planet including Coca Cola, Estee Lauder, and Twitter. Dan joins host Marcel Schwantes to discuss his research as detailed in his book, Alive at Work: The Neuroscience of Helping Your People Love What They Do.The big idea in Dan’s book is that the emotions of winning have changed. Fear is not the emotion that leads to change agility, innovation, and creativity. The book is a quest to understand how leaders can activate the emotions of competitive advantage. [3:50]The seeking system in our brain causes us to want to learn from and experiment with the environment to see how it responds to us. When we follow this urge to experiment and learn, our brain rewards us with dopamine. [5:55]Marcel asks what playfulness in the workplace looks like in a way that makes business sense. Dan responds that it is freedom within a frame. If we're only being playful and experimenting without minding our existing business, we don't have much of a business. Leadership is about welcoming playfulness and ambiguity in constrained ways that help us learn, grow, and stay relevant without sinking the ship that we're on. [7:36]Emotions are our feelings that motivate behavior. They solve problems which help our survival. If leaders want to encourage employees to try new things or take risks, they need to activate emotions such as curiosity, excitement, and enthusiasm. These are the emotions of competitive advantage today. Fear is stronger than these emotions, so if you activate fear, you quelch the curiosity or enthusiasm. [10:21]Dopamine opens up our learning centers, Dan says. It causes the feeling of zest, where life feels like an adventure we get to do. It’s a brain chemical that makes us feel enthusiastic about working and about life in general. [12:46]Dan explains that leaders can encourage curiosity, enthusiasm, and excitement in three ways: Highlight people's unique strengths and what they bring to the table;Prompt curiosity by making a safe place to experiment and learn;Personalize purpose: each employee should know how and whom their work is impacting. He relates how KLM became one of the top 5 social media savvy companies in the world by using these three strategies. [14:10]Marcel asks how a job seeker can know if the company they’re interested in is the kind of employer that activates the seeking system of their workers. Dan shares a few tips that a prospective employee can use to determine this. [19:00]The faster the world changes, the more the seeking system becomes the solution to organizational problems, Dan says. Artificial Intelligence cannot replace the human element of understanding the customer’s needs and strategizing new solutions. [23:41]If leaders can activate positive emotions at work, they will put more life into their employees. [27:28]ResourcesDan Cable on Twitter | LinkedIn | |||
| 12 Sep 2019 | How Women Rise with Sally Helgesen | 00:42:16 | |
As you seek to rise to the next level — whether that means a new job, a challenging promotion, an entrepreneurial venture, or a whole new direction — it’s often the case that the skills that got you here won’t necessarily get you where you want to go. In fact, the very behaviors that served you well in the past may be in your way. Sally Helgesen has been cited in Forbes as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership. She is a best-selling author, speaker and leadership coach and has been ranked among the world’s top 20 leadership thinkers by Global Gurus. She joins Marcel Schwantes to talk about some of the most common habits that undermine women in their quest to become more successful, and what she has found gets in the way of women reaching their fullest potential. Sally has had the same twofold mission for over 30 years: to help present and aspiring women leaders to recognize, articulate, and act on their greatest strengths; and to help organizations develop more inclusive cultures where women can thrive and realize their best talent. [4:15]Marshall Goldsmith’s book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, identified the behaviors most likely to get in the way of successful people. Sally was very influenced by the book, but noticed that some of the behaviors that Marshall focused on were distinctive to his male CEO coaching base. She suggested that they collaborate on a book with the same theme but adapted to identifying the behaviors and habits most likely to get in the way of successful women. The resulting book, How Women Rise, seems to resonate in a deeply personal way with women leaders around the world. [5:07]Sally describes two behaviors that hold women back in their careers. She states, By proving that you're the best for the job you have, you are proving that you are perfect for the job you have. You need to be competent at your present job, while also keeping your eye on where you want to go. [7:40]There is an inverse correlation between competence and confidence, according to Argentinian sociologist Dr. Tomas Chamorro, guest on Episode 12 of this podcast. People tend to think that men who are extremely confident are competent which is often not true. On the other hand, women tend to lack confidence when they are in fact very competent. [13:00]People change their minds when they change their behavior and get different results. Sally has been advocating for leaders to demonstrate inclusive behaviors because this is how to create a more inclusive culture. [16:48]Leaders become better by focusing on their strengths, and assessing their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Some of the greatest strengths of successful women leaders are:putting themselves in the center of things;valuing relationships and attending to building the details of relationships;communicating across levels rather than always up and down; bringing information from their personal lives into the work lives;understanding the value of a diverse workforce. [22:53] More women need to position themselves as visionaries. This will help increase the number of women in the C-Suite. [26:06]People in a knowledge economy need to be engaged in order to produce, and fear does not engage. [33:22] The people most successful in making long-term positive change in their lives are those who engage others. Don't try to do it alone. [37:17]Resources SallyHelgesen.comSally on LinkedInContribute your story of love and fear | |||
| 03 Mar 2022 | Elevating the Human Experience with Amelia Dunlop | 00:42:23 | |
Amelia Dunlop is Chief Experience Officer and US Customer Strategy and Applied Design Leader at Deloitte. Her core belief is that before we are consumers, we are humans with values and emotions. She uses that belief to influence how she connects businesses with their customers. As a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s CMO Journal and Adweek, Amelia holds a deep passion for the written word. Her first book, Elevating the Human Experience: Three Paths to Love and Worth at Work, tells the story of how Amelia discovered her own sense of love at work, and embraces the readers who may be struggling with that very same thing. She is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.Elevating the human experience is fundamentally about acknowledging human work and nurturing growth through love, Amelia says. “So many traditions and philosophies teach that the human condition is one of suffering,” she remarks. “There are many things you and I may not have in common but [we can understand] that feeling of suffering we share, and so that’s why I believe every experience could be made just a little bit better.” [7:56]Burnout, loneliness and isolation are not new concepts, Marcel comments. People were burning out pre-pandemic, but it’s at the forefront now. Amelia shares how workplaces have created these problems, and how they intersect with lack of self-worth. The increasing amount of attention around burnout, DE&I, purpose and well-being shows that we all want to feel loved and worthy, she explains. When you don’t put the human at the center, these problems arise. [10:21]The first path to elevating the human experience is the path of the self; you must see yourself as inherently worthy of love. “For me, one of the struggles growing up is that all we were taught about external affirmation… Everything you do is graded, and so we have this mindset that we’re only worthy when we get a certain letter grade,” Amelia claims. She talks about how this translates into the workplace. [14:17]In order to continue growing professionally, we need to learn to grow personally, Amelia quotes. It takes the whole head and heart to show up equally. She recalls how she learned to understand herself in the context of an obstacle. [19:46]Amelia describes the four ways we can show up as allies at work. “The first is as a friend, [who] just wants to be there on your journey with you; the second is as a mentor, who offers you a short way to see the world a little differently; third is as a sponsor, who uses their power, formal or informal, to remove obstacles for someone else; and fourth is as a benefactor, which is the combination of the first three.” [27:26]When workers feel like they belong, are respected, and are psychologically safe, it creates the ideal work environment, which translates to better results and productivity, Marcel cites. “Some of these things seem intuitive [in that] it’s definitely the type of world I want to live in and the workplace I want to be a part of, but we’ve also done the research to demonstrate,” Amelia adds. “Organizations that focus on this human experience are twice as likely to outperform their peers over a three year period.” [31:04]“We have about 40 years of research from Gallup that says [recognizing your employees’ contributions improves employee engagement,” Marcel affirms. “It does something special to the human spirit when somebody lifts and builds you up through gratitude.” [37:00]ResourcesAmelia Dunlop on LinkedIn | |||
| 19 Aug 2021 | Learning the Lost Art of Connecting with Susan McPherson | 00:37:23 | |
Marcel Schwantes’ guest on this episode of Love In Action is Susan McPherson, founder, and CEO of McPherson Strategies. A renowned keynote speaker and facilitator at American Speakers Bureau, Susan is also a founding member of Kindred, and a board member at THE LIST and The 19th. She has over 25 years of experience in marketing, PR, and sustainability communications. Her most recent book - The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships - provides insights on how to forge lasting relationships and foster value-based connections. Technology is a tool that helps us connect, but we tend to measure connection by clicks, likes, and followers, according to Susan. [9:06]Marcel shares his experience of seemingly genuine attempts at connection which turned out to be someone trying to sell him something. “When we reach out to others,” Susan advises, “lead with how you can be helpful; go as far as doing a little bit of research about the person before you reach out to them.” [12:49]We are now more wired than ever before, but somehow we're more disconnected from each other, Marcel claims. He asks Susan how we can address the current ‘loneliness epidemic.’ "I think intentionality has broken down the loneliness during this pandemic,” Susan replies. “One of the ways we can help ourselves be less lonely is by reaching out to the people that we know.” [19:05]“From a professional perspective, I learned early on that if you don’t have a seat at the table, you have to make your own. If you invite two people and ask them to bring two people, guess what: you're the convener, you're bringing the people together. There’s joy, love, and power in that,” Susan remarks. [23:30]Research shows that friendships and meaningful connections at work directly impact an organization’s performance. Productivity skyrockets, turnover rates decrease, and people are more likely to recommend the company to someone they know and admire, Susan shares. [27:02]Marcel asks Susan how leaders can show love in the workplace. “I think we have to look inside ourselves and think about what our superpowers are, what our strengths are, and what we can do to help others. When we can find that, then we can share those with the people that we care about, the people that help us succeed,” she says. [31:59]ResourcesSusan McPherson on LinkedIn | Twitter | InstagramThe Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships | |||
| 20 May 2021 | Cultivating Compassionate Conversations with Kim Loh | 00:26:29 | |
Kim Loh is a conflict resolution and negotiation specialist, leadership coach, and co-author of the book Compassionate Conversations: How to Speak and Listen from the Heart. Her book is viewed as the definitive guide to learning effective strategies for engaging in open and honest conversations about divisive issues. Previously, she worked in peacebuilding and mediation research for the United Nations, as well as writing and advocacy for international NGOs and academic institutions. A lawyer by profession, she is an expert in international arbitration and litigation. Her work today centers on serving conscious leaders to up-level their human relationships and harness the true power of their teams. She joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss what drives conflict and share strategies for peaceful resolution.Marcel asks Kim to unpack the term “difference equals threat.” Humans are surrounded by similarities and differences, and are constantly balancing between the two, Kim explains. “If, through our own limitations, we cannot accommodate what’s happening [around us], we are likely to perceive it as a threat, which activates the flight or fight response,” she comments. [6:25]Kim shares tips for peaceful conflict resolution and reduction. The first thing you need to do when faced with conflict is to be aware of your role in it. You must take responsibility for yourself and your actions before analyzing the external factors of the conflict that need to change. [10:34]“All conversations about differences should begin and end with what we have in common,” Kim advises. She briefly describes strategies for eliminating division in conversation. [14:12]‘Talking straight’ is less about being blunt and more about having the courage to speak from the heart in goodwill and with good intentions, Marcel says. Kim believes that we are plagued by the things we don’t know how to say. When we listen well and talk straight, we create the freedom to be more truthful in conversation. [18:24]Though society as a whole is cognitively focused, our hearts are what will allow us to make sense of and peace with things that our minds cannot, Kim remarks. [20:34]ResourcesKimberly Loh on LinkedIn | TwitterKimberlyLoh.comCompassionate Conversations: How to Speak and Listen from the Heart | |||
| 19 Sep 2019 | Helping People Change with Richard Boyatzis | 00:49:18 | |
This week’s guest on the Love In Action podcast is Richard Boyatzis, a renowned expert on emotional intelligence and bestselling author. Richard and his colleagues at Case Western University have recently released a new book entitled Helping People Change, which reveals their findings about a more effective approach to helping people learn and change behaviors.The big idea in the book is that we want to help others learn or change, but how we go about it causes them to close down to new ideas, which is the opposite of what we’re aiming for. The way to help people open up to change is to inspire them into the psychophysiological state he calls the Positive Emotional Attractor (PEA). Richard advocates the Coaching With Compassion approach. [04:55] Marcel asks why we tend to try to fix people or coach for compliance. Richard lists both negative and positive reasons why we tend to do this. One negative reason is if we’re in a position of authority, we may think we know what other people should do and we try to make them do it. A positive reason is that we may really care for the person. [06:58]Coaching with compassion is a way of approaching someone that helps to stimulate a psychological state of mood that focuses on more positive than negative. It allows you to ameliorate the ravages of stress and, being more in the empathic network of your brain, makes you open to new ideas and people. This state can be invoked through two main approaches:asking a person about their dreams, which makes them feel hopeful;building and maintaining more caring relationships with other people which stimulates compassion and gratitude. [12:08]The PEA state is when a person is open to new ideas, people and emotion. Before any learning or change can happen, you need to be in this state because it helps to create the Tipping Point. You want to go into this state periodically every day to tone down the stresses of life. [16:05] Richard says that it's the responsibility of every leader or manager to understand the dreams of the people who report to them. Most organizations are sub-optimizing their human capital. If you activate your human capital by understanding and inspiring them, they will make magic for your organization. [18:22]Marcel asks Richard to unpack an interesting story from his book about diabetic patients. Richard describes how a shared vision of their long-term future with their physicians, increased patients’ treatment adherence. This research can be translated into the workplace, he agrees. [25:25]No organization in the world exists to make money, Richard says. They exist to serve people. Making money is how to measure how effectively you're doing that. [33:15]Instead of focusing on the task, focus on engaging the person doing the task. [36:15]You can create a sustainable culture of caring in your organization by helping your people to form coaching groups where they care for and rely on each other. [ 37:18]Richard shares how our minds and bodies react in a fear-based environment versus a loving one. [38:30]Marcel asks the question "Why do people still lead through fear?" Richard shares his thoughts on narcissism and it's impacts. [43:50]Resourcesrichard.boyatzis@case.eduBook: Helping People Change | |||
| 23 May 2019 | Rebooting Your Company with Doug Conant | 00:50:56 | |
What does it take to reboot a company from the ground up? Joining us on this episode is Doug Conant, the Founder of ConantLeadership and Former CEO of the Campbell Soup Company. Today, Doug is sharing about how he turned Campbell around, and how he’s able to create leadership connections in the smallest of moments. Campbell before and afterWhen Doug entered, Campbell had lost half its market value in one year, they were under investigation by the SEC and the Justice Department, and many people were being let go. Business was not good, morale was not good, and it was a toxic environment. Doug’s core belief is that leadership is all about the art and science of influencing others in a specific direction. It’s all about the people and nothing to do with him. He could not expect the employees to value their agenda as a company until they tangibly demonstrate to them that they value their agenda as people. The challenge was to step up and start demonstrating that. They went from having the worst employee engagement in the Fortune 500 to having the best employee engagement — something that had never been done before over that timeframe. Campbell Success ModelYou cannot win in the marketplace if you don’t first create a winning workplace. And when you begin to win in the marketplace, you’re going to be able to win with your community. And underneath winning in the workplace, marketplace, and community, you need to be winning with integrity. Doug quotes Stephen Covey: ‘You cannot talk your way out of things you behaved your way into. You’ve just got to behave your way out.’ And so as a management team, they had to behave their way out with the people that worked there. Play the long gameIn any position you go into, you have three years. The first year, it’s the other guy’s fault, and you’re doing the best you can with what you’ve been dealt with. The second year, you’re learning. And by year three, you’re supposed to have it. With every job you go into, take the long view. It’s never going to be a one-year wonder turnaround; it has to be a culture of continuous improvement. TouchPointsThe world is now morphing into a place where you have to be very fluent in very small interactions: touchpoints. For the most part, we all do this by the seat of our pants. But we’re best served if we don’t — and we can learn how to be powerful and effective in these micro-moments. There is a simple process for getting good at managing the small moments: enter the moment with a “How can I help?” mentality, and exit with a, “How did it go?” mentality. You can process almost anything in one to two minutes, which is important, because you need to be ready to talk when your people are ready to talk. People have to know you’re really listening, that you understand what they’re saying, and that you want to see them make progress. Head, heart, and hands Be tough-minded on standards, and tender-hearted with people. Head: make sure there is a logic to what you do because your people are hungry for consistent thinking. Heart: show up with great authenticity. Hands: develop the practices that allow you to bring your logic and authenticity to life when you show up in these moments. Resources for Doug ConantTwitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | ConantLeadership | TouchPoints | |||
| 08 Aug 2019 | Can Cleaning Toilets Create Leaders? Welcome Back Love in Action Nation! | 00:42:13 | |
Today, Marcel Schwantes talks to Kristen Hadeed, founder of Student Maid, a cleaning company that has employed thousands of students all around the world. This is a challenging industry, but Kristen blew industry standards out of the water with her innovative ideas, company culture and by focusing on love. Marcel and Kristen talk about some of the challenges of running a company, and what Kristen does to keep positive and motivated throughout the day. They recommend a book and strategy that can help you transform your feelings about your life. [02:50]We don’t always end up where we think we’re going to! Kristen talks about her company, Student Maid, how she came up with the idea, and what role a pair of jeans played in building her business empire. [04:30]If you’ve run a business, you’ve experienced staff turnover - but Kristen had to deal with 45 out of a team of 60 walking out on no notice. She talks about what she didn’t know going into her business, and how she became obsessed with becoming a leader people wanted to follow. She and Marcel talk about what leadership is, and how to let go of the ‘standard’ definition. [7:30]In a world where retention is the gold standard, Kristen supports her people leaving to do other things. She actively shares her knowledge with people, and formally trains her employees on the kinds of skills they’ll need throughout their careers. [12:25]Cleaning is NOT an easy (or always pleasant) job, but Kristen’s team is motivated to do it. Marcel wonders about the different generations she works with, and she talks about her outlook on what makes people tick - regardless of when they were born. [16:30]Marcel notes that vulnerability is a word that scares a lot of leaders. Kristen shares what it means to her, and the different ways you can practice it to connect with your people. Often, that means making mistakes and Kristen talks about her most epic screw up, and what she learned because of it. [21:00]Compassion is being considered more and more important in professional relationships. Marcel and Kristen talk about what compassion looks like in the workplace, and how to navigate situations where being compassionate isn’t the same as being nice. Marcel notes that compassion can take the form of tough love. [26:00]As part of the research Marcel is conducting, he and Kristen talk about fear and love in leadership. They get into what success means, being afraid at work, the impacts of experiencing fear and difficulties, and those wonderful times when you get to feel love at work. At the end of the day, Kristen thinks that having a team you can trust and rely on makes a world of difference. [29:45]Kristen talks about one of the challenges many leaders experience - and all dread. Losing one of your top people always hurts, and it can have effects similar to grieving. She also talks about a statistic that is tugging at her heart. [36:30]Marcel asks Kristen to talk about what she thinks will make a difference in people’s lives. She shares something she thinks is critical for every business owner, and other kinds of leaders should try to do. [38:00]ResourcesStudent Maid Permission to Screw UpKristenHadeed.com | |||
| 21 Jan 2021 | The Ministry of Common Sense with Martin Lindstrom | 00:43:25 | |
Martin Lindstrom is the founder and owner of Lindstrom Company, for which he is a Branding Expert and Consultant. He was named as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine, and was chosen, by Thinkers50, to be among the world’s Top 50 Business Thinkers for three consecutive years. He is a best-selling author and columnist, earning features as a collaborating writer in various publications like Fast Company and Forbes, to name a few. His most recent book, The Ministry of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate Bullshit, is a humorous yet practical guide to eradicating the excessively complicated administrative procedures present in every organization. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss the erasure of common sense in the workplace, and what needs to be done to bring it back.Through his work, Martin has discovered that there is a direct correlation between common sense and empathy. “Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes… common sense is… seeing the world from another person’s point of view, [because] it’s a common area.” He explains why common sense seems to be lacking in many organizations. [4:38]“Technology is increasingly removing the empathy from our world,” Martin claims. Communication through technology limits the scope of information that is being conveyed, as only 10% of communication is verbal. Communicating via technology doesn’t allow you to pick up on all the social cues that are present. This is one reason why employees are becoming less able to empathize with one another, Martin points out. [11:08]Marcel asks Martin how corporate politics destroy common sense. “Politics is all about getting things through a system with only you as the person interested in the outcome, and then you get people to buy into it… If the company is not aligned with where it wants to go, or if [all the different departments] start to protect themselves too much… to save their own back, they’re not interested in the bigger perspective,” he replies. [17:36]Martin shares an example of shaping regulations around empathy instead of placing regulatory issues at the center. “Politics is there when [the company] loses sight of reality, when you only have a one-way street and [your own] point of view,” he says. [18:31]“Technology has stripped our common sense, [and] we have lost a human touch,” Marcel paraphrases. He asks Martin what would happen if organizations didn’t have technology for a while. Martin shares a story where an organization lost control of their technology for six weeks, forcing them to use WhatsApp to run things. Sometime later, he asked 1000 employees how their experience was. He expected them to complain, but to his surprise they enjoyed it: they felt like there was new life in the company, and had a lot of fun. [24:17]“Boredom is the foundation for creativity,” Martin muses. “Being bored allows you to take a pause in your life, ...and see everything you do in perspective, and start to connect dots in ways you’ve never done before,” he says. [28:55]Martin shares some common-sense rules for running successful Zoom meetings. Having team members socialize and communicate with each other in informal ways is productive, as these interactions create the emotional glue and culture of the company. Leaders should allot time to conduct breakout rooms, where these informal interactions can be replicated. [31:42]Marcel asks Martin what steps should be taken by leaders to restore common sense to their organizations. “You must first ask yourselves what the most frustrating thing for you customers is,” Martin advises. [37:24]ResourcesMartin Lindstrom on LinkedIn | TwitterMartinLindstrom.com The Ministry of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate Bullshit | |||
| 23 Apr 2020 | Finding Your Authentic Voice with Kevin Hancock | 00:45:34 | |
In this week’s memorable and uplifting show, Marcel Schwantes chats with Kevin Hancock, who shares his inspirational story of finding purpose in the midst of adversity, and re-scripting his definition of leadership as a result. They also discuss his new book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership.Kevin is the CEO of Hancock Lumber Company, one of the oldest and best known family businesses in America, and six-time recipient of the Best Places To Work In Maine. Kevin has been awarded the Ed Muskie Access to Justice Award, the Habitat for Humanity Spirit of Humanity Award, the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award, and the Timber Processing Magazine Person of the Year award. [2:08]Kevin’s ‘why’ is self-awareness: “... to come to know my own true voice and to follow it as best as I can.” [4:00]Marcel asks Kevin to share his personal story. Kevin relates the personal tragedy that struck him in 2010 and his struggle to lead his company in the wake of it. He soon realized, however, that what he initially saw as a loss was actually an incredible gift. How he viewed leadership was completely changed because of it. [4:32]“Everyone has a valuable, powerful, unique, never to be repeated voice and the best cultural model for an organization is to release those voices, not restrict them,” Kevin says. He sees his experience as an invitation to strengthen the voices of others. [10:49]Marcel and Kevin discuss his book. Kevin says that the seventh power is the power of the individual human spirit. His book is “an invitation to turn inward for strength and meaning and purpose, and for leaders to create cultures that make it safe for people to do that.” [15:45]The seven lessons for the age of shared leadership include:Great people are everywhere.Culture makes the difference.Real change is created first from within.In the 21st century, leadership will be about localizing power and shrinking the center.Listen for understanding not judgment.Overreaching has consequences: it collapses back upon the people that do it.An invitation for places of work to broaden their mission. [18:41]“If you were a manager or a supervisor, leadership was something to be shared and dispersed; and if you were an employee within the company, leadership was something to be accepted and embraced... The invitation was for everybody to share the responsibilities of leading,” Kevin says. [23:51]“People are more apt to support authentically that which they helped to create.” [24:49]Kevin’s philosophy is that work should take less time as productivity expands. His company has revamped its compensation system in line with this principle. [25:44]Leaders who want to create a culture of shared leadership should talk less, sit still more, have faith in their people and engage their power. The way to get people to pick up more, he says, is simply to occupy less. “...the power of them all leading is just immeasurably greater than anything I could do on my own,” he comments. [29:43]Marcel says that “fear and in control are relics of the industrial age that have been passed on from generation to generation.” [34:46]When leaders focus on becoming the change they want to see, the effects ripple throughout the organization. [36:00]Kevin wants listeners to take away these ideas:It takes everyone to lead to defeat the virus.We need a new definition of winning.We have to start thinking more about our shared collective humanity.“Your voice is unique by design. It will never be repeated, and your gift to humanity is to do the best you can to release it and share it and bring it forth into this world.”In nature, power is meant to be dispersed. [38:30]ResourcesKevinDHancock.com | |||
| 12 Aug 2021 | Decoding Digital Body Language with Erica Dhawan | 00:46:01 | |
Marcel Schwantes’ guest on this week’s episode of Love In Action is Erica Dhawan, founder and CEO of Cotential Group, a global consulting firm that transforms the way companies work through 21st-century collaboration. She is a keynote speaker and expert on 21st-century collaboration skills and behaviors. Her most recent book, Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance, educates and instructs readers on how to translate traditional body language to the digital world. Currently, body language is a popular topic among leaders. They want to know how to communicate better nonverbally. There are many subtle things that leaders do or neglect to do that send messages, whether they want to or not. For example, Marcel shares, leaning forward when someone is speaking to you conveys that you are listening attentively to what they are saying. [1:22]“You have to build trust in order to have a healthy culture and high performing organization,” Marcel says. “I think that in a virtual setting especially, trust can make or break teams.” Erica talks about the current crisis of misunderstanding that the virtual nature of the workplace is creating, and how it impacts productivity, collaboration, and profits. [8:10]People read and interpret messages very differently, so we need a new set of common rules to root out miscommunication. According to Erica, research has shown that placing a period at the end of a sentence can signify frustration or anger for the younger generation, but people who learned digital communication in adulthood may interpret it as good grammar. [12:36]“[A] key piece of misunderstanding is how much it's shaped by the power and trust gaps with the other person,” Erica claims. “We are always reading into others’ digital body language based on two questions: ‘Who has more or less power?’ and ‘How much do you trust each other?’” [18:20]Erica shares things you consider when conducting a virtual meeting. Leaders should be mindful of the various personality types in their teams. The extroverts of the team may find it easy to speak up and contribute to discussions, but the introverts may face difficulties and will subsequently be spoken over. Facilitating accommodations like chat tools and small breakout rooms to combat this issue will ensure that everyone has an opportunity to let their voice be heard. [27:07]“Listening [as a skill] today is not only being thoughtful and responsive, but it's also being conscious and careful in the words…” Erica remarks. “Reading carefully is about taking the time to make sure you're reading by assuming good intent, you're reading for how you can add value and respond to them thoughtfully.” [33:34]“I think what is most exciting about leadership in a digital era is how much more geographically inclusive and less visually biased we can be,” Erica comments. “We can truly allow anyone into our space and I think that is the full extension of love and the human spirit.” [40:38]ResourcesErica Dhawan on LinkedIn | TwitterEricaDhawan.comDigital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance | |||
| 17 Mar 2022 | Do You Foster Psychological Safety? | 00:05:48 | |
In this mini-episode, Marcel Schwantes discusses the importance of psychological safety at the workplace. He explains why fear is not a valid motivator, and shares three action items leaders can use to foster psychological safety. | |||
| 30 Dec 2021 | Choosing to be Courageous with Jim Detert | 00:51:17 | |
Jim Detert is this week’s guest on Love In Action. He is a Professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business Administration and the world’s foremost expert on workplace courage. Jim discovered that courage is a skill that anyone can learn and develop over time. Jim’s new book, Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work, explores why people speak up or stay silent at work, and teaches you how to channel your emotions and take action with the right attitude and approach.Jim defines courageous acts. “A courageous act at work is something you do for a worthy cause despite perceived risk, and those risks might be career [related], economic, social or psychological.” [6:45]Marcel asks Jim to share how he conducted his research. “I used all kinds of methods in a lot of cases,” he replies. “I collected deep, rich stories from the actors themselves, and sometimes I asked people to report on others’ courageous acts… I surveyed thousands of people to understand what kinds of behaviors were at play, why people behave how they do, and what skills seem to make a difference in how the acts go.” [15:17] Whistleblowers are workers that take internal problems external, Jim says. Despite laws against retaliation, whistleblowers tend to get “clobbered emotionally” and often lose their careers, reputation, friendships, and relationships, as well as their jobs. Yet even after all this, they confidently say they would do it again. “We have a code that tells us what’s right and wrong, and there seem to be very few people who regret it in the long term after they stand up for who they are,” he claims. [23:37]According to Jim, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing battles at work. One such factor is how important an issue is to you and others. “I can notice 42 things a day that irritate me about my work environment and that I could speak up about, but if I overdo it on Monday about a couple of relatively trivial things, when the big one comes on Thursday, nobody wants to hear me anymore,” he explains. [31:19]In most cultures, especially for men, anger is the acceptable way of expressing hurt or pain. If you see someone acting with anger, as a leader you owe it to them to investigate the root of their anger and display care, rather than dismissing them immediately. Not being bothered to even try finding out what may be wrong is not a sign of a caring leader. Jim and Marcel explore how fear influences leadership. [36:56]“Reasonable people adapt to the world around them; unreasonable people try to change the world around them. That's why all change depends on unreasonable people,” Jim quotes. “My calling in life is to be functionally unreasonable. We can’t change systems and long embedded beliefs without having the courage to challenge them and push for something that might seem crazy or outlandish at first.” [44:36]ResourcesJim Detert on LinkedIn | |||
| 11 Mar 2019 | Why We Named it Love in Action | 00:02:54 | |
Through decades of research, interviews with hundreds of global leaders, and coaching and training his own clients, Marcel Schwantes found that the best organizations on the planet care about and value the whole person — their emotional, mental, physical, financial, and even spiritual well-being — to achieve outstanding business outcomes. In essence, the leaders of these "best places" to work unleash the human spirit to reach its full potential through "Love in Action.”Love in this sense is a verb, not a feeling. It’s packed with pro-social behaviors and positive intent on behalf of serving the needs of all stakeholders, especially employees on the frontlines. The evidence overwhelmingly asserts that a more humane and human-centered approach to leadership — serving the needs of others — will produce great results. This is Love in Action. Subscribe and never miss an episode with the world's top leadership experts and thought-leaders. | |||
| 02 Jun 2022 | Dan Johnston: WorkStep | 00:44:09 | |
This episode is proudly sponsored by WorkStep. WorkStep makes the supply chain a better place to work. WorkStep’s leading software empowers companies to hire and retain their hourly workforce for the long run, while improving outcomes for critical frontline workers. For more information on WorkStep, visit www.workstep.com***Dan Johnston is the co-founder and CEO of WorkStep. He’s worked with some of the largest companies in the world to help them transform their approach to workforce management with cutting-edge technology.Highlights“The shortage of these frontline workers is a real thing and it’s reached critical mass.” [2:27] Marcel opens by discussing how important frontline workers are – and why today’s conversation is more relevant than ever.“At WorkStep, we help large companies better hire and, most critically, retain the frontline workforce across their supply chain. We empower companies with software that helps them source better fit hires and help them understand why their employees are leaving, what they can do about it, and how they can measure the impact of those initiatives… It’s a win for both sides,” [9:51] says Dan, discussing the role of his company WorkStep.“The top driver of turnover is career growth. Those employees who don’t feel like their company is investing in them in the same way they are investing in the company, who don’t feel there are opportunities to grow their skills, grow their wages, and grow their careers within an organization, are the employees who are most likely to quit. Those workers who are most aligned to that growth pathway are most likely to stay,” [13:25] Dan says. According to WorkStep research, the desire for career growth is the number one driver of employee turnover.“What’s interesting about those findings is that the pay is important now, but it wasn’t the top factor.”[16:09] Marcel points out that pay, while important, isn’t the leading cause of turnover.“What tends to drive people to quit is when things are different than what they expected.”[18:33] Dan remarks that problems arise when employees encounter unforeseen issues in new roles. “Especially when we’re talking about the frontline industries, with very high turnover, that new hire period is going to be very critical. Many organizations lose half of their new employees during those first 90 days.” [28:55] Dan points this out to discuss how leaders should focus on the new hire period. “Whether you buy from WorkStep or not, ensure that you’re listening to the voice of your frontline associates, analyzing what they’re saying objectively (and ideally, in real-time), and acting on the true drivers of turnover.”[34:40] Dan recognizes that this is the singular strategy for fighting turnover. “We want our workers to succeed, even to the extent that we may lose them to a competitor. But while they’re under our care, we’re gonna do whatever it takes to empower the heck out of them. It makes business sense because if we are empowering them, and loving them well, and caring for their needs, of course, there’s gonna be a higher return on their energy and of course productivity,” [37:20] Marcel says, pointing to the importance of nurturing talent.“You can save money on turnover… But it’s also the right thing to do. You, as a leader, have the opportunity to do something that improves the job (and therefore the life) of thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of workers.” [42:00] Dan ends with some important info – fighting turnover is a good business decision, and an ethical one too. ResourcesMarcel Schwantes: www.Marcelschwantes.comInc. article: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/why-are-frontline-workers-really-quitting-you-can-boil-it-down-to1-simple-fact.htmlWorkStep: https://www.workstep.com/WorkStep RETAIN: https://go.workstep.com/retain/Contact Dan: dan@workstep.com | |||
| 20 Jun 2019 | The Physiological Impacts of Bad Management with Mark C. Crowley | 00:47:58 | |
How do you lead well, or love well, when you come from a dysfunctional home? It isn’t easy - but today’s guest on the Love in Action Podcast, Mark C. Crowley, author of Lead From the Heart knows it’s possible - and knows how to make it happen. From Difficult BeginningsMark’s mother passed away when he was young, and his father seemed intent on destroying Mark’s self-esteem and emotional well-being. It’s hard to imagine a parent treating a child this way - but we all know it *does* happen, and the children have to find their own way forward. After his father kicked him out of the family home, Mark had a few dark years, but a powerful drive to prove his father wrong, succeed and make an impact on the world. While in college, Mark noticed how different his peers were in terms of how they seemed prepared for the world in a way that he wasn’t. Mark turned his own experience around, and realized that if he had had more coaching, support, mentoring and love - his life would have been better and easier - so he decided to give those things to the people he was leading as a manager. Science Meets PhilosophyWhen Mark started writing his book, it was to fulfill a personal dream, to articulate his philosophy, and help other managers. And then a friend asked him if he was going to explain how it works, scientifically. This meant that Mark had to dig into the physiological reasons that, leading from the heart, make you an effective manager. So he wrote to world-class cardiologists to find scientific evidence. They all ignored him, until, while having a test run, he met a new doctor who was able to connect him with the professionals he needed to bring the weight of science to his thesis of management. It’s been found that the human heart has intelligence, of a kind - and this is awesome news for the business community. The cardiac surgeon Mark consulted told him that with his book, he’d figured out something that the medical community was just beginning to understand: your biography - what happens to you, affects your biology. As in medicine, in management: more often than not - it's how we feel that makes us decide how to behave at work. It Isn’t Always An Easy Sell Love can be evidenced in a lot of ways: setting expectations, sharing heartfelt feedback, getting to know people as people. You can’t manage people if you don’t know their story. How can you support someone, and give them what they need if you don’t know the realities of their life, their motivations, and their priorities? When so many people absolutely dread going to work in the morning, and we KNOW that lack of recognition and appreciation is a huge cause of that, why do so many managers think they need to be sparing with praise, appreciation and great feedback? It should be constant - a part of the culture. Fear Works - But Not ForeverThe people who work for you don’t want you to be the boss ALL the time. Sometimes you should just have a regular, normal conversation. It’s not a waste of time - it’s where the heart gets its energy. But all too often, managers feel like they have to always be authoritative, and use fear to get things done. The thing is - fear works. It helps people hit numbers and milestones. But what’s the coast? Is it sustainable? What is the COST of using fear to lead, and is it worth it?After graduating, Mark’s son told him that there was “no way in hell I want your career.” And while that sounds like the kid is a jerk - what he was actually saying was that “I’ve seen how you were treated and what it did to you. I want something different.” Younger generations are refusing to live and work in fear. That can only be a good thing - and we should do the same. ResourcesLeadfromtheheart.com | Markccrowley.com | |||
| 15 Jul 2021 | [Replay] Unleashing Empowerment Leadership with Frances Frei | 00:56:12 | |
The Los Angeles Times describes Frances Frei as “the go-to woman for companies like Uber who are looking to improve their image.” Frances is a Harvard Business School (HBS) professor who is credited with making HBS more gender-inclusive. She also served recently as Uber’s first VP of Leadership and Strategy, brought in to turn around its toxic culture. Along with co-author Anne Morriss, she has written Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her book and how to unleash the potential of those you lead by applying practical love.Marcel quotes Frances’ book: “Leadership is about empowering other people as a result of your presence and making sure that impact continues into your absence.” [5:46]Empowerment leadership can be represented by a target, the bullseye of which is trust. As a leader moves outward with each ring, they gain the skills to empower more and more people. The next ring is love: How can I set up one other person for success? Belonging is next: What can I do for a varied group? Influencing others is the next step, which entails combining strategy and culture to influence people even in your absence. [6:52]Frances recounts how she helped change the culture of Uber. [9:50]If your culture is broken, start with trust. [18:00]“The reason that people haven't been able to make much progress on trust is they kept trying to move to trust without understanding its very different but comprehensive component parts,” Frances explains. These components are authenticity, logic and empathy. She describes the role of each component in building a trustworthy culture. [18:40]Love is empowering people by setting high standards and revealing deep devotion to them. To bring out someone’s best, they have to feel your high standards as much as your devotion to them. Marcel comments that people often forget the leadership part of servant leadership: high standards and accountability are as important as caring. Both are necessary in a great leader. [23:20]Two practical ways to be more loving by setting high standards are: set better goals and celebrate wins. Two ways to show devotion are: proactively help, and fulfill people’s basic needs. [25:05]Marcel and Frances talk about how she helped make HBS more gender-inclusive. [28:39]“If there are demographic tendencies associated with who's thriving, your culture is broken,” Frances says. [30:54]“If you only give me an hour to diagnose whether the culture has a problem, I'm going to do two things. I'm going to listen to see if any of the cultural values are weaponized, and I'm going to look at the data to see if women and men are thriving at the same rates,” says Frances.Marcel asks, “One of the strategies that often fails in making a workplace more diverse and inclusive - especially for women looking to move up into the higher ranks - is the recruitment process. So what are some ways we can improve it to promote more diversity?” Frances responds with practical advice. [41:20]The most important thing to do for our employees during this pandemic, Frances says, is to enrich them by helping them develop. [46:48]Frances wants leaders to take away this point: if you notice something wrong, address it now. “Meaningful change only happens quickly,” she argues. “Meaningful change happens when the thing you want to change is your number one priority… So when you see something, address it; address it with all your might, close it, and move on to the next thing.” [51:06]Marcel walks listeners through the Leadership Performance Curve exercise from Frances’ book. [53:36]ResourcesFrances Frei on LinkedInTheLeadersGuide.comUnleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You TED Talk: How to Build (and Rebuild) TrustMarcelShwantes.com | |||
| 26 Aug 2021 | Authenticity, Leadership, and Love with Eva Huston | 00:33:43 | |
As Chief Strategy Officer at Duck Creek Technologies, Eva Huston is responsible for building value for the technology and spearheading corporate strategy on a global scale. She is also an independent board member at E2open and previously served as CFO at Verisk Analytics, as well as Managing Director at JPMorgan. Eva is Marcel Schwantes’s guest on this episode of Love In Action. “I think that whenever you can bring your whole self [to work] ... you're just going to be better. Regardless of your background, everybody has something special to bring to the table,” Eva comments. [7:10]Marcel asks Eva to share lessons she learned moving up the ranks as a woman in a male dominated industry. “You'll hear that a theme in my career is that I would create a role that didn’t exist... It's finding new ways to bring value to a company,” she replies. “I tried to look for creative ways to approach things and some ways that might be more traditionally female.” [10:11]Leading with love starts by seeing and honoring the people on your team, Eva says. You would think that you would automatically do that while spending time with them, but it’s common to be around someone for a long time and still not truly see or honor them. Practical love starts when you look at who your team is, what motivates them, and what lies in their hearts. By doing that, you validate them as people. [17:37]“As you go up the leadership ranks, I think that you have to find ways to show your strength that are more indirect so people feel like they have that freedom to grow and flourish,” Eva shares. [21:38]Marcel asks Eva what leadership trait is the hardest to internalize and carry out. “Patience,” she responds. “It's hard for leaders because a person who views themselves as a leader wants to run forward and go fast and get things done. You almost have to counterbalance that with that patience and say like ‘Who's on my team? What do they have to bring?,’ and ‘Let's not start running at a target before we know what we've got here.’” [26:32]It’s hard to be soft, Eva claims, which is why soft skills are so hard to grasp. “That's just something that we as leaders have to realize: that being soft, being human, and being down to earth and approachable is what's going to make our businesses perform the best.” [30:42]A special thanks to our sponsor, Duck Creek Technologies for making the episode possible. Built for insurance, by insurance. Duck Creek Technologies offers the vision and tools you need to drive your business in 2021 and beyond. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more.ResourcesEva Huston on LinkedInDuck Creek Technologies | LinkedIn | Twitter | |||
| 24 Sep 2020 | Compassion Makes a Difference with Dr. Stephen Trzeciak | 00:44:59 | |
Marcel Schwantes welcomes this week’s guest, Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, to the Love In Action Podcast. Dr. Trzeciak is Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Healthcare, and Professor and Chair of Medicine at Cooper Medical School. His research has been featured in prominent medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine. He is the bestselling author of Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference. Dr. Trzeciak was granted the 2019 Influencers of Healthcare Award by the Philadelphia Inquirer.Stephen’s mission is to make healthcare more compassionate through science. [3:11]An unexpected question from his 12-year-old-son changed the trajectory of Stephen’s research. [7:33]“I ended up coming to the conclusion that the most pressing problem of our time is the lack of compassion,” Stephen says. “And I believe that transcends almost everything that we’re seeing in society today.” [9:58]Physicians miss 60-90% of opportunities to treat patients with compassion. [13:07]“We're testing the hypothesis that compassion isn't just a nice to have, that it's literally part of the therapeutic relationship itself,” Stephen says. [14:38]Marcel and Stephen discuss how compassion improves patient outcomes. Stephen points out that if you care about your patients, you’re more likely to be meticulous about the technical aspects of patient care. He shares how depersonalization, a major indicator of burnout, is associated with medical and surgical errors. [18:03]Marcel asks how compassion benefits the patient as well as the healthcare provider. [22:48]The three domains of burnout are depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and feeling unable to make a difference. [23:15]There’s an inverse relationship between burnout and compassion, Stephen argues. People who have more compassion are more resistant to burnout. “The preponderance of evidence in the literature suggests that compassion can actually be protective; and perhaps compassion is actually an antidote to burnout…” [25:25]“40 seconds of compassion was all it took to make a measurable difference in the anxiety levels of patients who had gone through cancer,” Stephen says, “...a meaningful compassionate intervention takes less than 60 seconds.” [31:00]You can become more compassionate if you believe you can, and if you work at it. [35:00]Helping others helps you become more successful, Stephen argues. On the other hand, people who are only focused on themselves are more likely to be depressed, anxious, unfulfilled and unhappy. [37:50]Stephen comments, “The three most important things in success is people, people and people. So if you have the people that are going to be modeling behavior that gives other people elevation and that upliftment of witnessing moral excellence, that's just going to be a chain reaction.” [41:25]Stephen advises listeners to “Find the greatest need that you possibly can and then go fill that need in service to others. And the science shows that that is much more likely to give you your true fulfillment.” [43:21]ResourcesCompassionomics.com | |||
| 25 Apr 2019 | Being a Chief Heart Officer with Claude Silver | 00:39:33 | |
How do you help people bring their whole selves to work? Just ask Claude Silver, the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia. She oversees wonderful people and their heartbeats, and the experience they have within the four walls of the office and even in life. What happens when you make people feel like they belong, that they’re appreciated, and that they’re here to do some incredible, innovative work that excites them? More than you can imagine.Connecting one on onePart of the job description of Chief Heart Officer is, naturally, spending time with people. Claude will either proactively reach out to people, or they will reach out to her, and they spend 15 minutes together. She asks how it’s going, what’s going on, what they’re excited about, and, most importantly, if there’s anything she can help them with, because that’s where curiosity and creativity comes into play. Usually, conversations are about challenges they’re facing, so she goes into every conversation holding two things in her hands: in one hand, non-judgment. In the other, action. Killing cultures“On or off the island,” i.e. favoritism, kills cultures. If you’re saying you’re good today, and today you’re on my island, but tomorrow I kick you out for no reason, it breeds toxicity, gossip, cynicism, and negativity that your people will most definitely feel. It affects people.A lot of what drives this is fear that stems from a lack of self-awareness. We’re worried that if we’re ‘found out’ for who we really are, we’ll be made to leave. This situation leads to hostile, secret-keeping behavior, where everyone keeps their guards up because we’re’re in a workplace that won’t accept us. It’s heartbreaking.Long ago, jobs were about muscle. Today, you need brains. But tomorrow, they’ll be about heart. And tomorrow is here.Tough loveWhen there are disciplinary issues and it’s time for tough love, Claude shares that she practices radical candor. She’s going to give it to you straight, and she’s going to give it to you nicely. You can still be a kind human being and tell people specifically what’s up — and then together, work out a specific action plan. If we put our hearts and minds into our human beings, we will have a knock on success. Not just internally, but to our consumers as well. The HumansFirst MovementThe idea of opening your heart at work is very relevant today. It is just what works. And people are clamoring for HumansFirst to come to their cities because they haven’t had the bravery yet: they haven’t found their voices, or they have, and nobody is listening. So a call for HumansFirst is people’s first step in finding ways to have that conversation with their board, CEO, or managers. Final thoughts As leaders, we are guides, not heroes. If you’re in a leadership role, it isn’t your show. You’re there to coach the people around you. Resources for Claude SilverLinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Job openings at VaynerMedia | |||
| 09 Apr 2020 | The Visionary Leader with Michael Hyatt | 00:37:26 | |
This week’s guest on the Love In Action podcast is Michael Hyatt, CEO and founder of Michael Hyatt & Company, and the former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Michael Hyatt & Company has been featured in the Inc 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America for three consecutive years. Michael is also a bestselling author. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss his new book, The Vision Driven Leader: 10 Questions to Focus Your Efforts, Energize Your Team and Scale Your Business, and to explain how leaders can design an irresistible vision and rally their teams to achieve it. Marcel quotes from Michael’s new book: “Vision is the essential ingredient for successful leadership. There's no substitute... Unless you as a leader have a clear picture of the destination where you want your company to be in 3 to 5 years, you've got nothing that will inspire people to follow you.” [1:30]Michael says, “...in moments of crisis our character is proven.” People who survive a crisis are those who are willing to face the reality of their situation, and who have faith that they would prevail in the end. [3:58]It’s possible to win at work and succeed in life as long as you have a vision. [5:28]Michael lists how vision helps leaders become better: [6:15]Vision gives you confidence. [6:22]Vision accelerates your momentum. [6:42]A clear vision is a filter to differentiate between opportunities and distraction. [7:01]Vision drives execution and reduces overwhelm. [7:29]A clear vision aligns your organization and ensures that you're driving towards the things that bring success. [7:42]A clear vision helps you attract the right teammates and repel the wrong ones. [7:58]“Mission and vision are very different,” Michael points out. “Mission is about your purpose; it answers the question, Why? Vision is about your destination and it answers the question, What?” [8:50]Michael defines vision as “a clear, inspiring, practical and attractive picture of your organization’s future and it has to be superior to the present. It's got to be written down...and it's going to be written in the present tense as though it's actually already achieved.” His company has created a Vision Scriptor tool to walk users through the process of creating a vision. [9:13]Marcel and Michael discuss the qualities of a vision driven leader, as well as leaders who are vision deficient. Michael illustrates the difference between leaders and managers, and emphasizes that both roles are essential. [12:07]“One of the things that happens in a crisis,” Michael says, “is that people lose connection with that larger story... because it's a lot of...daily tasks that have to be done. So it's up to the leader to be refilling the vision bucket that everybody is carrying around, so that they can find meaning in their work, and so they have hope for the future.” [17:20]The long-term vision of most organizations would not change in a crisis; the thing that has to change is strategy. [17:47]Loving customers and employees means serving them well. Creating a culture where people flourish starts with the leader. [20:14]Marcel asks why some people still lead through fear. Michael believes that such people have a scarcity mindset. [23:22]Michael gives practical tips about working remotely, including two useful online tools. [25:44]Creating a winning culture begins with the leader’s vision. What would serve the people we want to serve? How can we help our employees get the “double win”? [31:08]Michael believes that “this is the moment for entrepreneurs for leaders to rise up as an army and really deliver the future that all of us need and want.” [32:58]Listeners should know that they have what it takes, according to Michael. “This moment will bring out the best in your leadership if you let it.” [33:30]ResourcesMichaelHyatt.comVisionDrivenLeader.com/coreMarcelSchw | |||
| 12 May 2022 | Gene Boes: Northwest Center | 00:50:31 | |
Gene Boes is President and CEO of Northwest Center, where he has served since 2018. Northwest Center works to promote DE&I: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Started in 1965, the Northwest Center has spent over 50 years serving children and adults with disabilities. Prior to his work with Northwest Center, Gene had an impressive and successful career. He worked in consulting and leadership roles for Loft9, Microsoft, Deloitte, as well as serving in the US Navy and holding an adjunct professorship at Seattle Pacific University and Seattle University.Visit Northwest Center to learn more about their services.Highlights:As Gene says, “Until everyone is allowed to engage and contribute, none of us reach our potential.” [7:30] That’s the mission and the core belief of the Northwest Center. The organization works for full inclusivity because that’s ultimately how everyone succeeds. “The four founding mothers continue to impact every zip code in the United States.” [9:50] Gene told a great story about the founding of the Northwest Center, and how the organization got nationwide legislation passed. “The truth of it is disability is not always visible.” [11:45] The fact is, we need to examine our definition of disability. It’s important that we understand disabilities aren’t always clear to the naked eye. Gene talked a little bit about this and how crucial it is. “People with disability are not broken. They don’t need to be fixed.” [12:20] quote for the thing“There’s an obstacle. There’s a challenge that they have to overcome to live successfully through everyday life. But the truth is we, the abled, put those obstacles in place and it’s really our responsibility to take those obstacles away through accommodation and being more thoughtful.” [12:26]“A lot of effort with Northwest Center is around education.” [17:30] The Northwest Center knows that education fuels change. So, they practice constant outreach to improve the lives of DE&I people around the nation. “Disability hiring is good for business. Don’t do this because it’s socially responsible. Certainly don’t think of it as charity – it’s not.” [21:28] Gene told me how disability hiring can benefit businesses. All too often, business owners think of hiring DE&I people as just a ‘good deed.’ That’s the wrong way to look at things. “It’s an enormous business benefit to be inclusive, but it’s not easy.” [31:20] Ultimately, hiring DE&I is hugely beneficial for a variety of reasons. But that doesn’t mean it’s simple – Gene tells me why. “At Northwest Center, we have nearly 1,000 employees. I work for 1,000 people. They don’t work for me, I work for them. So when you think about having the biggest impact as a leader, I think listening is an incredibly important trait.” [42:17]“To lead with practical love day in and day out is to remind yourself at the start of every day what you’re there for: to lift other people up.” [43:35] We ended with Gene’s thoughts on practical love and love in action. These were some tremendously insightful words on the importance of carrying love with you during your workday. Resources:Inc. article mentioned: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/5-ways-to-make-your-workplace-more-inclusive-for-what-is-now-largest-minority-population.htmlNorthwest Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwcenter Northwest Center on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwest-center/ Northwest Center on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nwcenter | |||
| 19 Nov 2020 | The Self-Evolved Leader with Dave McKeown | 00:41:52 | |
Dave McKeown is a renowned author, speaker, and executive coach. He is also a podcast host, the Program Leader of Box of Crayons, and the founder of Outfield Leadership. His book, The Self-Evolved Leader, is a practical roadmap to achieving leadership excellence, doing more with less, and developing the perfect team. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss the contents of the book and how they apply to the workplace.A self-evolved leader views leadership as a calling and a craft that needs to be mastered. “They push for their own growth and development… they have a number of characteristics and behaviors that end up pushing them towards excellence...” says Dave. [4:34]Dave names some ideas in our current leadership models that hinder effectiveness: the fallacy of certainty, an over-reliance on the concept of the “visionary leader,” and the notion that we must lead through acts of heroism. [6:27] Marcel asks Dave about the mindset of a self-evolved leader. He responds that leaders cannot rely on their past experiences to push them into success. Instead, they must focus on helping their team members achieve shared goals. In doing so, they develop into the best versions of themselves. [10:51]Teams that co-develop their vision together are more successful. Even if they disagree in certain areas, they are still more likely to achieve their vision because they have the same end-goals. [14:05]The six micro-disciplines of leadership are: taking a pause, existing in the present, focusing, intentionality, listening, and pushing for clarity. Leaders should focus on developing these skills, as they contribute significantly to effectiveness. [21:57]Some leaders just aren’t good at relinquishing control, Marcel muses. “We tell ourselves it’s not, but it’s an ego thing,” Dave replies. “We use excuses like ‘it’ll take me longer to delegate than it will to do it myself,’ ‘they won’t do it right anyway and/or I’ll have to fix it later’.” Training your employees to do tasks you’ve delegated saves you hours of work, he shares. [26:10]Marcel asks Dave how fear affects performance. Fear makes people feel restricted in their choices. It makes performance dip because people feel like they have no control over certain aspects in their life. They buy in to loops of negativity which eventually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. [35:24] “Define what success means to you,” Dave advises listeners. “Map out an opportunity for you to work on [success], break it down into key steps, execute them, and then review what’s working and what’s not. Rinse, and repeat.” [39:15]ResourcesDave McKeown on LinkedIn | TwitterOutfieldLeadership.comThe Self-Evolved Leader | |||
| 30 May 2019 | Are Women Better Leaders with Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic | 01:01:36 | |
Are women better leaders than men? Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is an international authority on psychoanalysis, talent management, leadership development, and people analytics. He’s also an author, and his latest book is rather controversial. He asks the question: Why so many incompetent men become leaders? And why are women so good at it?The Controversy That Isn’tTomas’s book sparks controversy as soon as you read the title: Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (and how to fix it). He notes there are 3 general reactions: those who immediately approve, those who are scandalized and defensive, and those who are willing to read and understand the argument, whether they agree or not. Those who read it realize it’s really a book about leadership and competence, and not quite as divisive as the title suggests. It’s about how we mistake confidence for competence, and Tomas explains what that means and how it affects work.Incompetent Leadership TraitsThere are three traits that lead to poor leadership: overconfidence, charisma, and narcissism. Often, there is no skill or ability to back them up, but because we reward these traits by assuming there must be, we end up putting the wrong people in leadership roles. Consider the ‘charisma’ myth. Many leaders have the power of drawing people in and persuading them, but it certainly doesn’t make them good leaders.Mentally Ill LeadershipHow do you recognize when you’re working for a leader with psychopath or narcissist tendencies? These people - in differing degrees - lack empathy, have a strong desire to break rules and defy status quo, are likely to engage in manipulation to advance themselves at the cost of others and are extremely socially skilled with aggressive underpinning motives. There are some surprising qualities here that, when the ‘dark side’ is kept in check, make for great leaders, and Tomas reveals what they are.Replace Men With Women… Or NotIt seems like the easy answer is to remove incompetent men with these traits and replace them with women. But that’s not the correct way to look at solving the problem and for larger corporations, it actually hurts women. Instead, Tomas proposes a true meritocracy where we pay more attention to skills rather than traits, and he explains what that looks like and why more women will naturally rise to the top. He also explains why we’ll have a different type of men rise with them.Universal Qualities of Good LeadersTomas wrote that the very traits that propel more men into leadership are the same traits that get them fired. In other words, what it takes to get a leadership role are nearly opposite of what it takes to do it well and keep the role. Tomas goes into more detail about the universal qualities that make all leaders more effective: competence, people skills, integrity. He also dives into the topic of IQ and how it relates to good leadership.Tools for Selecting Better LeadersDevelopment is super-important for leaders, but selecting good leaders to start with is key. Sure, you can always work with people to make them better, but your return on investment will be substantially higher when you select great people, to begin with. Tomas reveals several of the tools he teaches to other companies, some of which have been around for decades, yet no one uses. He points out an interesting trend: the people who most need coaching and development will be the least likely to accept it.ResourcesWebsite | Twitter | LinkedIn | Forbes | |||
| 28 Jan 2021 | Confessions of an Executive Coach with Dan Foxx | 00:53:19 | |
Dan Foxx is an executive coach, keynote speaker, author, and the founder and owner of Unlock Your Leadership. He has coached over 5000 top executives from America's finest companies; from high techs in the Silicon Valley to promising startups. His most recent book, Confessions from the Heart of an Executive Coach, is a collection of Dan’s observations and stories based on notable experiences throughout his career. He joins Marcel Schwantes to share insights he has gleaned from his 23 years of executive coaching.Marcel asks Dan why he wrote the book. “Most people are striving to matter, be accepted [and] get respect,” Dan begins. “They want to be successful in their heart, and what holds them back is fear.” His aim is to help leaders understand the psychology behind leveraging outcomes, and how they can use that psychology to their benefit. [6:35]Shifting your perspective about failure is key to achieving true success, as it is a necessary tool for learning how to improve. Most people look at failure in a negative light because it affects their self-esteem. However, Dan has observed that every success story has had its share of setbacks. “Failure is the foundation for success,” Marcel sums up. [12:13]Dan shares that his entire approach to business changed after meeting someone he looked up to, who gave him valuable advice: that all his clients had one common need, and that need is love. He incorporated more compassion and kindness in his interactions with his clients, and his business began gaining traction as a result. “[Everyone] is craving to matter to someone, to be able to be vulnerable… and not have to put up a facade,” he says. [15:55] Marcel has observed that openness and vulnerability transfers to clients when coaches are willing to first take the risk. In these trusting environments, more impactful work is done and issues are tackled at the roots. [23:41]Dan shares practical ways in which members of an organization can show love to one another. These include small but meaningful acts of appreciation, like personally greeting each other and expressing gratitude for each person’s unique contributions to the organization. [25:12]“Almost everyone is suffering from past emotional wounds that they keep buried because they don’t know how to reconcile themselves to it and heal,” Dan claims. “It creates a hole in their heart that is supposed to be filled by human connection, relationships, and a sense of being valued and appreciated. So when they are given that, they want more.” [30:02]A leader loves by first acknowledging that a position of leadership is not a position of privilege, but a responsibility of service. The higher up you are in the chain of command, the more people you are in service of. [35:28]Fear is what usually drives our lives. Dan comments that the more we focus on our fears, the larger they become. In order to overcome our fears, we must shift our focus to love, which pushes fear to the corner where it doesn’t dominate our attitudes and decision-making. [42:12]ResourcesDan Foxx on LinkedIn UnlockYourLeadership.comConfessions from the Heart of an Executive Coach: True Stories Behind Closed Doors: Why Some CEOs Win Big, While Others Crash and Burn | |||
| 15 Oct 2020 | Gratitude Infusion with Kerry Wekelo | 00:27:20 | |
Kerry Wekelo is the Chief Operating Officer of the Culture Infusion program for Actualize Consulting, and an author. Her latest book, Gratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture, delivers practical strategies to develop a gratitude-based work climate and improve the efficacy of organizations. She joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss how you can infuse more gratitude into your leadership practices and organizational culture. Research has shown that people who are grieving loss or going through difficult periods in their lives have used gratitude as a coping method, and it has worked well and helped them move on. Gratitude is a really easy way to pivot your emotional state, according to Robert Emmons. [5:05]Actualized Consulting went from a 33% turnover rate to less than 4% by infusing gratitude into their culture, claims Kerry. The first 5 years were more focused on financial and operational stability, and not on their people, but they quickly discovered the value in expressing gratitude, and implemented practices into their regular internal operations. [7:24]Marcel asks Kerry what the obstacles may be for leaders who are sceptical about the outcomes of gratitude. “People are so busy and feel like they have to be doing so much that they don’t take a moment to pause and realize that gratitude doesn’t take much time,” she responds. They don’t prioritize it because they may not believe in it, Marcel adds. [10:40]Kerry and Marcel discuss how gratitude works in times of uncertainty. Kerry shares how she has been using gratitude as a coping tool to stay grounded. Marcel advises listeners to also use gratitude whenever they are experiencing difficult times. [13:24]Marcel asks Kerry why she thinks some leaders still lead through fear. “They just haven’t experienced or been exposed to it [love],” she replies. “People don’t think it’s numbers driven, but if you think about it, it can reduce your turnover and have higher productivity.” [19:39]ResourcesKerry Wekelo on LinkedIn | TwitterKerryAlison.com ActualizeConsulting.comGratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture | |||
| 24 Feb 2022 | What Makes Leaders Memorable | 00:03:18 | |
In this mini-episode, Marcel Schwantes discusses what makes good leaders memorable and more effective. He asks listeners, “Are you approachable?” | |||
| 13 Feb 2020 | What Drives Human Behavior with Dr. Mara Klemich | 00:50:42 | |
Dr Mara Klemich is a consulting psychologist with degrees in clinical psychology and neuropsychology. She is also the co-founder of Heart Styles. For over 30 years Mara and her husband Stephen Klemich have drawn upon their expertise in psychology, neuroscience and leadership to help people become the best version of themselves. They have developed a radical approach to identifying what drives human behavior, and have outlined those principles in their newly-released book, Above The Line: Living and Leading With Heart.Mara says: “I wanted to see what human beings can do with their lives when they've got all of their brain intact and the only thing that's holding them back is their own fear.” [5:38]The book examines why we do the things we do, how it influences our behavior, and how to develop. [8:13]Mara gives a formula to help us understand why we do the things we do: S+T=B. S stands for situation; T is for thinking; B stands for behavior. Our behavior is determined by our thinking in any situation, she explains. [9:41]The templates in our subconscious may be driving our fear-based or pride-based behavior to protect ourselves. [13:00]Whenever you have a change in your emotions as well as in your physical body, it’s likely that a template is being triggered. Get familiar with your own physiological responses and what usually triggers your defensive mode, so you can preempt them and make different choices. [17:00]All human beings operate out of either love and security, or fear and insecurity. When we feel insecure, we try to hold on to our security through external means. [23:35]Love, authenticity, integrity and building character is about courageous humility, Mara says. [25:00]In their 4-quadrant model, Mara says that “courageous humility and growth-driven love are above the line, whereas self-limiting fear and ego-driven pride are below the line.” [25:40]Marcel asks Mara to share some insights from her research about how the principles of humility and love can transform how we lead and work. She shares an interesting anecdote in response. [29:14]The Heart Styles Indicator is an online assessment that shows you the gap between how you want to be and your present self, and gives you a personalized action plan to help you improve. [35:42]Marcel asks how we can be the best version of ourselves. Mara responds that we have to start with self-awareness. We must have the courage to face the parts of ourselves that we are not satisfied with. When we look at our faults honestly we can start to grow our true character. [39:15]“Real character strength is not hardening your heart,” Mara says. “True character is actually facing your fear and having the courage to actually walk through it.” [46:25]Mara urges listeners to have compassion for others, and not just themselves. [47:32]ResourcesHeartStyles.comStephen and Mara Klemich on Facebook | LinkedIn | InstagramAbove The Line: Living and Leading With Heart | |||
| 27 Jan 2022 | How to Master Staying Present with Scott O’Neil | 00:43:15 | |
Scott O’Neil is an author and the former CEO of both the Philadelphia 76ers NBA Team and the New Jersey Devils NHL Team. He is cofounder of Elevate Sports Ventures, Board Advisor at Myota, and is on the Board of Directors at Zooi, Inc. Scott’s recent book, Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving, is a practical guide filled with actionable lessons and candid stories of his own struggles and successes. He is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.“You have to love each other but you don’t have to like each other,” Scott says. In a family, you may not always like your relatives, but you always love them. If you can create that type of connection and teamwork at your workplace, life gets “pretty good, pretty quickly.” Leaders demonstrate love through action, he adds. It’s less about the telling and more about the showing. [3:47]Marcel asks Scott to talk about his motivation for writing his book. “I wrote this book after my best friend unfortunately took his own life… I spiraled into a really bad place… I would just tuck myself in my little office and write on my iPad. A lot of it was nonsense, but the stuff that did make sense was about lessons I learned… from asking friends about their experiences,” he shares. “My wife brought her friend [in my office]... he gave me some wonderful counseling advice and asked to see what I had written… he said ‘Scott, can you imagine if you publish this and influence one person?’” [9:21]Scott’s book is the kind of raw and vulnerable honesty that’s true to life. “The world is wobbly and life is messy,” he claims. “The more we can talk about [that] and get comfortable, the better off we’ll be.” [12:57]Practicing gratitude is an important part of living your best life. Scott implores listeners to do a 30 day gratitude challenge: each morning, send a message to a different person expressing how grateful you are for their impact in your life. “The world will send you people that need to hear from you and you'll get a response [that says] ‘Wow, I really needed to hear this today.’ And for me being in a dark place at one time, I needed to hear it, and so I will tell you there are people in your life that need to hear it,” he remarks. [16:32]Marcel asks Scott to define a leadership constitution. “[It’s] who you are at your core,” he responds. “Not what you aspire to be.” Scott explains how leaders commit to creating their own leadership constitution, and shares his own. [24:12]There is an epidemic of loneliness in the workplace, Marcel comments. “Isolation is today’s kryptonite.” He and Scott discuss how fostering a sense of community can cut through the transactional atmosphere of the virtual workplace and get rid of the disconnect. [27: 41]What’s most important will be different for every person, but as a leader who prioritizes a healthy work culture, you should think about how to create environments for connection and community, Scott says. “I wanted to be intentional about my WMI, about the way I spend my time, about who I am and how I show up, about the relationships,” he adds. [37:31]Scott advises listeners to think about being their authentic self. “Find out who you are, and surround yourself with people to fill your gaps,” he shares. “If your glass is full and you're doing wonderful, I encourage you to reach out and help others who don’t have their video on in the next Zoom, whose voice mailbox is full, who's not responding to texts… the world is better when love is in action.” [39:47]ResourcesScott O’Neil on LinkedIn | TwitterBe Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving | |||
| 04 Jun 2020 | Unleashing Empowerment Leadership with Frances Frei | 00:56:12 | |
The Los Angeles Times describes Frances Frei as “the go-to woman for companies like Uber who are looking to improve their image.” Frances is a Harvard Business School (HBS) professor who is credited with making HBS more gender-inclusive. She also served recently as Uber’s first VP of Leadership and Strategy, brought in to turn around its toxic culture. Along with co-author Anne Morriss, she has written Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. She chats with Marcel Schwantes about her book and how to unleash the potential of those you lead by applying practical love.Marcel quotes Frances’ book: “Leadership is about empowering other people as a result of your presence and making sure that impact continues into your absence.” [5:46]Empowerment leadership can be represented by a target, the bullseye of which is trust. As a leader moves outward with each ring, they gain the skills to empower more and more people. The next ring is love: How can I set up one other person for success? Belonging is next: What can I do for a varied group? Influencing others is the next step, which entails combining strategy and culture to influence people even in your absence. [6:52]Frances recounts how she helped change the culture of Uber. [9:50]If your culture is broken, start with trust. [18:00]“The reason that people haven't been able to make much progress on trust is they kept trying to move to trust without understanding its very different but comprehensive component parts,” Frances explains. These components are authenticity, logic and empathy. She describes the role of each component in building a trustworthy culture. [18:40]Love is empowering people by setting high standards and revealing deep devotion to them. To bring out someone’s best, they have to feel your high standards as much as your devotion to them. Marcel comments that people often forget the leadership part of servant leadership: high standards and accountability are as important as caring. Both are necessary in a great leader. [23:20]Two practical ways to be more loving by setting high standards are: set better goals and celebrate wins. Two ways to show devotion are: proactively help, and fulfill people’s basic needs. [25:05]Marcel and Frances talk about how she helped make HBS more gender-inclusive. [28:39]“If there are demographic tendencies associated with who's thriving, your culture is broken,” Frances says. [30:54]“If you only give me an hour to diagnose whether the culture has a problem, I'm going to do two things. I'm going to listen to see if any of the cultural values are weaponized, and I'm going to look at the data to see if women and men are thriving at the same rates,” says Frances.Marcel asks, “One of the strategies that often fails in making a workplace more diverse and inclusive - especially for women looking to move up into the higher ranks - is the recruitment process. So what are some ways we can improve it to promote more diversity?” Frances responds with practical advice. [41:20]The most important thing to do for our employees during this pandemic, Frances says, is to enrich them by helping them develop. [46:48]Frances wants leaders to take away this point: if you notice something wrong, address it now. “Meaningful change only happens quickly,” she argues. “Meaningful change happens when the thing you want to change is your number one priority… So when you see something, address it; address it with all your might, close it, and move on to the next thing.” [51:06]Marcel walks listeners through the Leadership Performance Curve exercise from Frances’ book. [53:36]ResourcesFrances Frei on LinkedInTheLeadersGuide.comUnleashed: The Unapologetic Leaders Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You TED Talk: How to Build (and Rebuild) TrustMarcelShwantes.com | |||
| 21 Apr 2022 | Stephen M. R. Covey: Trust & Inspire | 01:16:44 | |
Best-selling author Stephen M. R. Covey is the former president and CEO of The Covey Leadership Center, where he increased shareholder value by 67 times. Through his methods, he led The Covey Leadership Center to be the #1 leadership group in the world. He’s a Harvard MBA, who founded and currently leads Franklin Covey’s global speed of trust practice.“I saw firsthand the high cost of low trust,” [7:40] says Stephen. He points out the toxicity of a low-trust environment from his own personal experience: “We became aware that we need to build trust with each other intentionally.” [8:00]“Trust matters. It impacts everything.” [9:50] As Stephen says, trust is a performance multiplier and a leadership creator. It impacts organizations at virtually every level, creating benefits big, small, and everywhere in between. “My work on trust is ten times better because I also experienced the negative side. I experienced what it was like to not be trusted and to have a low-trust culture,” [12:05] Stephen says. His book isn’t just based on theory: Stephen has experienced low-trust work environments, and he’s seen firsthand how that quality can cripple an organization. “The world has changed but our style of leadership has not.” [13:03] One of the man great insights that Stephen provides is the world’s need for a new style of leadership.“This is not just a book on trust. This is a book on a new kind of leadership that is needed to succeed in our world today.” [14:41] It’s important to remember that Stephen’s book isn’t just about the idea of trust, or even the idea of trust in the workplace. The book can be applied to every aspect of your life. Stephen emphasizes the importance of elevating caring above competing. In business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of scarcity. But Stephen believes in an abundance mentality, and discusses how this can create trust in an organization. Stephen pointed to Satya Nadella as an example of a trust hero. He describes how Nadella changed Microsoft from a company on the decline to an innovative leader in their industry. “We need to become more trusting in our world, not less,” [37:45] says Stephen. There are a lot of doubters, saying that there’s too much risk in trusting. But Stephen always concludes that we need more trust, and that there’s some risk involved in trusting people, but there’s more risk in not trusting people.ResourcesFrom Boss to Leader: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/Trust and Inspire Book: www.trustandinspire.comStephen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-m-r-covey-6400191a5/Stephen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephenmrcovey | |||
| 23 Dec 2021 | Leading with Care with Heather Younger | 00:42:59 | |
Heather Younger is on a mission to ensure leaders use their power to make the workplace a safe space. An experienced keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, her recent book, The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading With Heart Uplifts Teams & Organizations, emphasizes the need for leaders to model kindness, compassion and empathy, and outlines nine ways to manifest the radical power of caring support in the workplace. She is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.Heather talks about the experience at a previous job that inspired her to pursue leadership development and employee engagement as a career. “I realized I needed to be … that voice for those who didn't ordinarily have a voice at the table, who often felt like they were hopeless and helpless,” she shares. [3:31]If the top leadership isn’t open and humble enough to recognize and accept they may be responsible for their company’s issues, half the battle is already lost, Marcel says. “They have to champion the change management. They have to champion a new way of doing things,” he adds. [10:12]Heather shares the story of WD-40’s CEO’s pivot to leading with care, and why it’s a business imperative. After changing the way he viewed and interacted with employees, the bottom line of their company increased exponentially. By putting care into the workforce, he created a vision that rallied shareholders, stakeholders and customers and significantly improved performance. WD-40’s employee engagement scores reach 96% year after year. [14:37]Soft skills are the new hard skills. Leaders that think empathy, compassion, and kindness are ‘too squishy’ are the ones that fail to step up with courage, Marcel remarks. He and Heather discuss the importance of cultivating self-leadership skills as a prerequisite to being a leader. [23:00]Listening is an important part of leading with care, according to Heather. “In order for [listening] to be effective, it has to be bidirectional,” she claims.”It’s not just you sitting and hearing; it’s you asking the right questions, going back and forth [with] dialogue. Most people think listening is shutting up, but not always. In fact, the most effective listening [involves] asking the right questions, open and closed.” [29:34]“How do you get people to go above and beyond in an environment [that bred] the Great Resignation?” Heather explores ways to motivate your employees. While money and bonuses are good incentives, they can only go so far in encouraging people to actively engage and perform at their best ability in an otherwise toxic environment. “Do they feel like they're on a mission that is bigger than themselves? Do they feel like they're involved in meaningful work? If the answer to both is no, money [as an incentive] isn’t going to last.” [34:29]ResourcesHeather Younger on LinkedIn | TwitterHeatherYounger.com | |||
| 13 Jun 2019 | How to be Happy at Work with Dr. Annie McKee | 00:33:50 | |
Being happy at work isn’t something most people expect. But today’s guest, Dr. Annie McKee, believes it’s possible. In fact, she wrote a book on it, called “How to be Happy At Work,” published by Harvard Business Review Press. According to Annie, there are three key factors: hope, purpose, friendship, and in this episode, we dive into how to be happy at work.Why She Wrote the BookAnnie has spent every day after earning her doctorate studying, teaching, and consulting on leadership, although she never intended to write a book on happiness. But then something happened. She and her team helped so many organizations but she could never shake the feeling that something was missing. She Annie and her team went back to the research, reports, and conversations to discover what it was. Regardless of where a person works, they want, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to be happy at work.The Myth About WorkAnnie meets more unhappy people than happy people in her line of work, and to her, it’s unacceptable. So she took a look at why. Annie found that our happiness - or lack thereof - comes from a historic era: the industrial revolution. Bosses then were most concerned with how they could get the most out of every person every day. Annie talks about how this inhumane drive has carried over and how leaders need a new way of thinking.The Definition of Happiness at WorkThe attention on happiness, not just in life, but also in work, has exploded recently. Annie isn’t talking about the hedonistic view of happiness, but rather, what the people she worked with were telling her. Here’s Annie’s take on the definition: a sense of fulfillment as a result of purposeful, meaningful work, a hopeful outlook about the future, and good friends in the workplace. In fact, that’s the framework for her book: hope, purpose, and friendship.The Happiness-Engagement LinkAs you know, employee engagement is low across the board. While there hasn’t been a lot of research on the link between happiness and engagement, there have been many done on engagement and productivity in the workplace. Annie talks about why the link between happiness and engagement leads to greater productivity. She shares some examples of how leaders can build environments that create happiness, and it all comes back to hope, purpose, and friendship. She and Marcel break down each of those. The core of it all is love.Happiness TrapsA lot of people don’t think they SHOULD be happy in the workplace. It’s beliefs like this, paired with outdated management styles, that stand in the way of happiness, and by extension, productivity. Annie reveals other happiness traps, things that prevent us from being happy like bad managers and toxic cultures. But we also set traps for ourselves, and first among those is the ‘overwork’ trap. Annie talks about how to disarm overwork and other traps.Leading Through FearWe’ve made it a point to ask all our guests about the phenomenon of leading through fear and why they think it happens. Annie has a very good idea why: insecurity. It’s an odd thing, she points out, that when people are at the top of their game and the top of their organization, why they’d be insecure. Annie knows the answer to the question: we haven’t been prepared to deal with the grain of insecurity we ALL have.ResourcesWebsite | Annie’s Books | Work is Love Made Visible | |||
| 30 Apr 2020 | Psychological Safety with Dr. Timothy Clark | 00:48:53 | |
Dr. Timothy Clark is an Oxford-trained social scientist, author, and international authority in the fields of psychological safety and innovation, large scale change and transformation, and senior leadership development. He is the Founder and CEO at LeaderFactor, and is a highly sought-after advisor, coach and facilitator to CEOs around the globe. His latest book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, guides leaders through the process of building psychological safety in their organizations. He joins Marcel Schwantes to share how leaders can create an environment where employees feel included, fully engaged, and encouraged to do their best.Marcel is grateful for the spirit of humanity and how resilient humans are in the face of adversity. His home was recently adversely affected by a tornado, and his friends, relatives, neighbors and even strangers offered whatever they could to assist him and his family. The best of what humanity had to offer showed up and came to his aid, he says. The human spirit in our DNA rises up with strength and courage in this time of crisis to help others in need. [4:16]Principles are aspects or elements of truth in leadership; they are eternal and unchanging constants. [8:24]Psychological safety is inexpensive authenticity: being yourself without any economic, emotional, social and political expense. [12:13]Safety is holistic, Tim says. After a devastating experience early in his career, he realized it was his stewardship to help create, curate and protect a culture that would provide psychological safety to the members of an organization. It’s a sacred stewardship every leader has, he adds. [14:51]“Innovation is never easy to think of; it requires creative abrasion and constructive dissent processes that rely on high intellectual friction and low social friction,” Marcel quotes from Tim’s book. Tim describes the terms and shares that each one builds on the next. [16:16]The four stages of psychological safety are: Inclusion Safety, Learner Safety, Contributor Safety, and Challenger Safety. Tim describes and explains each stage, sharing the research behind them.[19:18]The absence of psychological safety eventually negatively affects one’s mental health and emotional well-being. It poses a hindrance to personal and professional development, which profoundly impacts one’s overall sense of self. [30:50]Marcel asks if there can be too much unhealthy psychological safety. Tim responds that sometimes people misinterpret psychological safety as absence of accountability. Rather, it involves a high tolerance for candor, and maintains respect and mutual accountability. [31:32]Psychological safety is a form of industrialized love. [37:09]Leading a team in a virtual environment requires a high tolerance for candor. [40:01]“I know of no rights of race that are superior to the rights of humanity,” Tim quotes. We divide ourselves by differences which are arbitrary distinctions that we need to get rid of. [43:50]A leader is not based on title or position or authority; leaders must recognize that their influence is profound and that if they do not lead the way, then they will only get in the way. [44:29]ResourcesDr. Timothy Clark on LinkedIn | TwitterLeaderFactor.comThe 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and InnovationThe 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Guide | |||
| 18 Nov 2021 | On Closing the Gender Gap with Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg | 00:46:22 | |
A special thanks to our sponsor, Duck Creek Technologies for making the episode possible. Built for insurance, by insurance. Duck Creek Technologies offers the vision and tools you need to drive your business in 2021 and beyond. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more.***Colleen Ammerman is the Director of Gender Initiative at Harvard Business School. She has authored various articles and teaching materials on gender and work, and her research with Harvard Business School Alumni examines how race, gender, and other factors shaped their life and career experiences after grad school. Her colleague is Boris Groysberg, Professor of Business Administration. He is the author of the award-winning book Chasing Stars: The Myth of Talent. A frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Boris has written more than 100 articles and case studies on how firms hire, engage, develop, retain, and communicate with diverse talents to create inclusive cultures.Their book, Glass Half Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work, aims to peel open the curtain on the pervasive managerial actions and organizational obstacles that perpetuate the gender gap. They are joint guests in this week’s episode of Love In Action, sponsored by Duck Creek Technologies.We’ve made high strides in the fight for gender equality for the last 10-15 years, Marcel says. The gap between the percentage of men and women in the workplace has been the lowest in history as of two years ago. However, women remain underrepresented in positions of authority, despite making up roughly half (and sometimes the majority) of the workforce. [1:32]“It can be easy to be a little cynical and pessimistic when you realize how far we have to go even though we’ve made so much progress,” Colleen comments. “But doing the research for the book made me feel inspired and hopeful, after talking to a lot of people who were committed to being change agents.” [10:02]“[In writing the book], we were trying to do something that would be [both] rigorous and actionable,” Boris shares. “We were determined to write a book that will have practical implications for organizations [and] managers. The other thing that we were trying to do was… see if we could actually get men involved in creating more diverse and more inclusive organizations. If the [specific] group of people is not involved [in that process]... we will only make minimalistic progress, at best.” [11:07]Colleen witnessed first-hand how many women’s self-confidence had been chipped away when they realized their path to success was littered with seemingly impossible hurdles and obstacles. It’s a loss of human potential, she adds. Even women with advantages like an education from Harvard were finding their paths blocked. [15:50]The main difference between men and women is sociological in nature, not biological, Colleen claims. Their behavior looks different, but if you investigate it, you will find that it’s because they are experiencing a different environment, even on the same team or in the same organization. The difficulties women face in moving up the ranks is due to how they are treated, and not caused by gender makeup. [19:26]Women fall through the cracks in moving up the ranks at every level, according to Boris. It happens in hiring, integration, development, promotions, compensations, and across the board. “This cumulative effect is why we have organizations that still aren’t very inclusive,” he remarks. “Additionally, many companies are more focused on the D in D and I. Diversity is about counting the numbers, but inclusiveness is about making the numbers count.” [29:27]ResourcesColleen Ammerman on LinkedIn | TwitterBoris Groysberg on LinkedInGlass Half Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work | |||
| 01 Jul 2021 | [Replay] How I Got There with JT McCormick | 00:53:31 | |
Marcel Schwantes calls this episode “one of the most authentic and real and raw conversations” he has ever had. His guest, JT McCormick, is the CEO of Scribe Media, a multimillion-dollar publishing company that has been ranked the number one Top Company Culture in America by Entrepreneur magazine, and number two Best Place to Work in Texas. JT is the author of I Got There: How a Mixed Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty and Abuse to Arrive at The American Dream. He joins Marcel to chat about his amazing life story - his journey from scrubbing toilets at a restaurant to becoming President of a million-dollar software company, and now CEO of Scribe Media - and to share the lessons he learned along the way.JT says, “If you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the ground, you’ve got to be excellent… Anything that’s not excellent in my life I’m the only one that can change it, so there’s no need to complain about it, just get to work.” [3:45]“My why is to be a phenomenal husband, a phenomenal father, a phenomenal CEO. And then I would say fourth on the list is to give back to the communities which I came from.” [5:07]Marcel asks JT how he overcame all the adversity of his early life. He replies that he refused to be a victim. He decided, at age eight, not to spend his time trying to get everyone to like him, because some people just would not. This early lesson spared him years of grief. Another fundamental lesson he learned was to believe in himself. [8:38]“I just tend to look at things from a positive standpoint… I choose to figure out, How can we make a positive out of a negative situation?” [10:20]JT shares his journey from scrubbing toilets to President of a software company. Two lessons he learned were to be the best at whatever he did, and the magic of compound interest. [12:22]When JT was promoted to President, it struck him that he was only as good as the people he surrounded himself with. As such, his focus shifted to finding the greatest people to surround the company and himself with. [17:03]“If you are in a leadership position, you're only a leader if you serve,” JT argues. He describes how the principle of putting people first is lived out at Scribe Media. [18:05]Marcel asks, “How does a company become number one in the category of culture?” JT responds that it’s a matter of the little actions taken every day to live out your principles. At Scribe Media, they work with each other, not for JT. They bring their whole selves to work: he doesn’t believe in a work self vs a home self. He shares several practices they adopt at the company that build the culture. [22:37]JT and Marcel discuss Scribe Media’s Culture Bible, which is freely accessible to the public. They talk about three of the principles listed in the Culture Bible: Do right by people;Bring your whole self to work;Ask questions. [26:46]“A lot of times you can eliminate questions in transparency,” JT points out. [33:21]JT explains why he disagrees with the remote work trend. [35:37]“What’s your best advice for business owners trying to stay resilient during these crazy stressful times?” Marcel asks. JT advises leaders to put their people first, be transparent, be visible and let people know where they stand. Let people feel safe, he adds, and if you have to pivot or make other tough decisions, make them early and let people know so that you can set their expectations. [39:35]JT teaches through sharing his mistakes. [44:19]“I can't become something that I don't even know exists,” JT says. “...I believe if people just know what's possible they can strive to achieve that.” [46:19]“I live by a formula: Mindset, choices and hard work equals success.” [48:48]ResourcesJT McCormick on LinkedInJT@ScribeMedia.comI Got There: How a Mixed Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty and Abuse to Arrive at The American Dream | |||
| 04 Aug 2022 | Jacqueline Carter: Compassionate Leadership | 00:42:57 | |
Jacqueline Carter is a partner and North American Director for Potential Project, and the co-author of Compassionate Leader: How to do Hard Things in a Human Way.Highlights:“Not only is it possible to do hard things in a human way, but when we do…our people thrive.” [9:50] Jacqueline Carter dives into the data behind her new book Compassionate Leader, delighted to find this human way of doing the hard things that solves the leadership challenge of better well-being and better performance.“How does being rated high on compassion help with our stress and anxiety levels, which are off the charts?” [10:55] Marcel, taking note of the rising stress levels post pandemic, asks Jacqueline how compassionate leadership changes that…interestingly enough, it benefits both the leader and the staff. “There are many leaders that are smart…being smart means you have the answer to the question; being wise is knowing when not to give the answer to the question.” [13:40] Not only is compassion important but Jacqueline drives home the point of the importance of wisdom in that equation. A wise leader can bring together the greatest potential of the team.“Empathy can lead to empathetic burnout; we can care SO much that we can get stuck and then we can’t do anything.” [21:20] Don’t let empathy hijack your brain. Jacqueline encourages leaders to ask the question, how can I be of benefit…to drive and influence their ability to lead with compassion. “Compassionate action can be no action, so long as it is done with wisdom.” [23:31] Leading with compassion can sometimes mean taking a step back. Jacqueline explains the need for space in decisions and actions…at times doing nothing at all. “Before we lead others with compassion, we must first learn to lead ourselves with compassion.” [23:45] Marcel quotes Jacqueline’s principle of ‘Oxygen Mask First’: a critical point for leaders to meet their needs and take care of themselves first so they can then be of service to others. “Busyness does not equal productivity” [25:30] Jacqueline’s tip for leaders is to stop wearing busyness as a badge of honor and instead pause and approach tasks with a calmness and understanding of what is possible and reasonable to do. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if as a culture, we valued our downtime as a restorative opportunity for us to be able to show up as a better version of ourselves.” [28:00] What does it mean to appreciate the "busylessness"? Jacqueline encourages an emphasis on creating space in your life and mind for actual downtime, where you are present as an individual. “It takes an immense amount of courage to see vulnerability as a leadership strength and not as a weakness.” [32:45] Marcel comments on the principle of ‘Courage over Comfort’ in which Jacqueline explains the hard stuff, that requires courage and uncomfortability where leaders should embrace the fear and tame it.“We can both be hard and human. We can focus on results and care. Not only is that better for ourselves, for our people, but also for our business.” [36:55] Rounding out the discussion on the 6 principles, Jacqueline parts with what she hopes listeners and readers will take away from her book, Compassionate Leader.Resources:Potential ProjectJacqueline Carter - Senior Partner & North America Director - Potential Project | LinkedIn Harvard Business School Columbia Business School Berkeley HaasAmsterdam Business School | |||
| 18 Mar 2021 | Culture Renovation with Kevin Oakes | 00:45:09 | |
Kevin Oakes is an author, the CEO and co-founder of The Institute for Corporate Productivity, and is on the Board of Directors at Performativ. He has been a pioneer in the human capital field for the past 25 years and is an international keynote speaker on culture, leadership and talent management. His most recent book, Culture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company, is a practical guide to forging organizational cultures that re-humanize work. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss how to successfully facilitate culture change.According to Kevin, 85% of organizations that attempt to improve their organizational culture fail. A common misstep is that they do not acquire the cooperation of the whole organization, nor create the mentality needed to bring about a culture change. [4:54]Marcel asks Kevin how the pandemic has affected organizational cultures. “There's no escaping the reality that cultures have changed during the pandemic, and that change wasn't necessarily [started by the leaders],” he replies. “Many organizations are recognizing that we need to be a little more proactive about the culture that we want going forward.” [8:25]In every organization, there is a certain person (or people) along the chain of command that everyone goes to for information, answers and assistance. “[They are] internal rock stars that everything seems to pass through,” Kevin says. “While those people are usually invaluable to a company, they also are possibly suffering from collaborative overload.” He explains the effects of collaborative overload on the victims as well as the organization. [12:56]“For the sake of the employees’ psyches, [leaders] should settle on the communication channels that they are going to use internally,” Kevin comments. Oftentimes different departments will use different communications channels, and employees get stretched thin across many platforms because they are never sure who is going to want to communicate with them. [16:35] Organizations with the most successful culture changes and initiatives are those who train their leaders in all five types of leadership behaviors, research shows. [21:10]Marcel asks Kevin to share tips for leaders on communicating change during times of uncertainty. Leaders need to speak up during periods of societal unrest, Kevin responds. “Internally, your workforce is going to reflect the external environment. Reinforce your values and purpose, and affirm that differences in opinions is okay as long as there is mutual respect. A team wins when it’s united.” [23:37]“[On an individual and organizational level], we listen merely to reply, not to understand,” Kevin remarks. “The first step in all of the 18 action steps [from my book] is to develop and deploy a comprehensive listening strategy.” Many executives assume they understand the culture of their organization before they attempt to change it and often make mistakes, he adds. [30:01]A lot of things try to divide us, but when we take the time to listen to each other, the divisiveness goes away, Kevin advises. He urges listeners to focus on listening to understand and not just to reply. [39:17]ResourcesKevin Oakes on LinkedIn | Twitteri4cp.comCulture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company | |||
| 28 May 2020 | Becoming a Mindful Leader with Marc Lesser | 00:50:02 | |
Marc Lesser is a speaker, executive coach, and the founder and CEO of ZBA Associates, a consulting company specializing in executive development and leadership. He joins Marcel to discuss his recent book, Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen, which offers readers a practical framework that they can apply to leadership regardless of their level. The book provides the tools to eliminate fear and self-doubt, shift one’s awareness, and cut out workplace drama. Mindful leadership involves practicing self-awareness of your feelings and proclivities, as well as becoming comfortable in your own skin, while engaging compassionately with others. “All of business and leadership is essentially helping others,” Marc says. [5:46]The seven practices of a mindful leader are: love the work; do the work; don’t be an expert; connect to your pain; connect to the pain of others; depend on others; and keep making it simpler. [9:25] Marc argues that we should not avoid difficult things or challenging circumstances, but rather acknowledge them. By connecting with our pain, we find the real jewels within ourselves and gain freedom. It also allows us to better empathize with the pain of others. Marcel shares an experience in which connecting with his pain enabled him to let go of his frustrations. [11:31]Marcel and Marc discuss the individualism of American society and the value of depending on others in the workplace. He notes that cultivating trust and depending on others are related. If trust is not being cultivated, then cynicism is. “Under the veneer of strength and independence, we smell a lack of authenticity,” Marc says, “we can smell when someone’s words and actions are not aligned.” [15:57]A silver lining of the global pandemic is that it has forced people to slow down, accept uncertainty, and go back to what really matters. According to Marc, there is simplicity in accepting what we can’t control. He discusses the value and benefits of meditation. [21:26]Levels of stress accentuates trust in workplaces: in environments where there was little trust, there will be less when people go back out to work, and vice versa. Two important things to consider when building trust are the body and skill. Your words, actions, and body language must align as people will be less likely to trust you if they perceive that you are not genuine. In addition, good communications skills, as well as skills for managing your own emotions, help you to relate better to those in your care. [32:16]Marcel asks Marc why he thinks some leaders still lead through fear. Marc suggests that natural selection allowed for the more cautious apes to evolve into humans, resulting in deep-rooted internalized fear. Mindfulness evolved as a way to cultivate freedom from being driven by fear and desires. Switching from a fear-driven leadership approach to mindful leadership requires highlighting your intentions, noticing how well they align with your actions, and being aware of how others perceive you. [36:00]ResourcesMarc Lesser on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | InstagramMarcLesser.netSeven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen | |||
| 12 Aug 2021 | How Are You Really? Breaking Down the Data about Love in the Workplace with Helena Clayton | 00:40:15 | |
On this episode of the Love in Action Podcast, Marcel Schwantes is talking to Helena Clayton, a researcher who focuses on the practical application of love in the workplace. Helena has been working as a coach and facilitator for 25 years, helping organizations through struggles and challenges from a foundation of love. They talk about what is possible in organizations when you lead with love – and what it looks like when you do.· Helena has found that as a coach, you get access and information about difficulties and pain that people usually keep to themselves – and when you approach them with love, and bring them to the group, healing can happen. She eventually asked: “How can the love in practice that happens individually find its way into organizations?” Marcel notes that this is critical because fear, pain and toxicity at work can lead to poor health outcomes for workers [03:25]· Marcel asks Helena what made her decide that her research was really needed now, and she shares that when she told her colleagues she was going to be focused on love, people were skeptical. Although the idea has gained more traction, there is still resistance to the concept. “The word love comes with connotations of religion, romance, inappropriate sexual conduct, or sentiment.” Different definitions are needed, and she has uncovered several high-level strands of how people think about love in the workplace: care, listening, holding strong boundaries, and acceptance. [06:00]· One of the questions Helene explored in her research was “What would it be like if love were present in the workplace?” She and Marcel discuss the responses to that question, noting that people believe they would benefit hugely if it was the case – bringing their best selves to work, being less fearful, being more able to collaborate, and ultimately be more creative and innovative. [12:10]· Getting down to brass tacks, Marcel points out that there are still many people who say: “This will never work for my company,” and asks Helena what she would say to those people about the difference that love can make. She says it’s a question of leadership philosophy, what are the assumptions we make about what work is? [18:40]· Helena and Marcel talk about masculine vs. feminine traits in leadership, and how they don’t really align with gender – all people have the capacity for all traits, even if they display some more than others. Helena reminds us that “Love is a core human need,” and Marcel adds that we have the capacity to love people at work – it’s only that modern workplace culture dictates we suppress it. [25:20]· If we talk about love, we might end up developing practices that are about empathy, compassion and nurturing. If we start with a big word like love, we end up with that, but if we start with a smaller word like compassion we get something watered down. This is why intentionally talking about love is so important. Helena recommends just start the conversations: “what we think about, we bring about.” [31:20]Resources:Twitter: @HelenaClaytonHelenaClayton.co.uk | |||
| 06 Feb 2020 | The Power of Empathy with Michael Ventura | 00:41:12 | |
Michael Ventura is the founder and CEO of award-winning strategy and design practice Sub Rosa. He has worked with some of the world's largest and most important brands such as GE, TED and the White House; and has served as a board member and advisor to a variety of organizations. He is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University and West Point, where he teaches design thinking and how to integrate empathy into the creative process. He joins Marcel Schwantes on this week’s show to discuss his book, Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership; in particular, how empathy can spark innovation and solve tough challenges that we face as leaders.Sub Rosa is a multi-disciplinary team that provides upstream strategic consulting for its clients, and also helps them bring the recommended strategies to life. [3:50]Michael realized that when they were exercising empathy, their work was always more successful and more effective. They decided to make empathy their differentiator. [5:00]Empathy is the act of perspective taking. Michael describes several subsets of empathy:Affective empathy - you treat others how you would want to be treated. Somatic empathy - physically embodying the feelings of others.Cognitive empathy - applied empathy or perspective taking. It is doing unto others as they would have you do unto them. [6:50]Marcel wants to know why empathy is such a valuable skill for leaders to have. Michael answers that the only way to build resilient and collaborative teams is by practicing empathy. [9:20]Michael shares how putting empathy into practice transformed GE’s health care business. [11:45]We all have the capacity to operate across all seven empathetic archetypes. Good empaths shift from one archetype to another depending on which is best suited to the context. [19:00]Michael says that you can use their diagnostic tool to assess your strengths across the seven empathetic archetypes. He points out that the test is important individually, but more so across the organization to see where your company’s strengths and deficits are. [20:00]Marcel asks how top-down organizations can apply empathy. Michael shares two strategies these types of organizations can implement. [22:25]Marcel says, “...empathy is a muscle that you train and anybody can learn, but it takes practice and dedication.” [24:35]Michael gives listeners some practical tips on how to apply empathy in their daily interactions. Be generous and selfless, he advises; be curious and open-minded; and stick with it even when it’s hard. [24:50]Ruinous empathy is when empathy takes over how you operate and homogenizes too much of your decision making and leadership. Empathy should be done in a measured way when running a business. [26:30]While you can’t measure empathy, you can measure its effects: high-functioning teams emerge, they work well together and produce better, faster work. Companies are more resilient and responsive in the market. Decision making becomes more collaborative. [27:30]When you operate with positivity and encouragement and you build on one another’s strengths, you build resilience and profitability and long term value into your organization. [33:15]Start by asking questions and being a good listener, Michael advises. That’s the gateway to deeper empathy. [38:05]ResourcesAppliedEmpathy.comMichael Ventura on LinkedIn | |||
| 10 Mar 2022 | Moving the Needle with Robb Holman | 00:58:23 | |
Robb Holman is a thought-provoking global keynote speaker, and the founder and CEO of Holman International, a global leadership consultancy. In 2022, he was named as one of the Top 30 World’s Leadership Gurus. He is also the founder of Meeting House Ministries, and a best-selling author whose work has been featured in Inc, Forbes, and Fast Company. Robb’s most recent book, Move the Needle: How Inside Out Leaders Influence Organizational Culture, takes a deep dive into why we must prioritize people over procedures to get better results. He is Marcel Schwantes’ guest this week on Love In Action.Though many of us have lived through some kind of trauma, many of us don’t have the mindset or awareness to work on healing the hurt that came from these traumatic events, Robb claims. “The trauma manifests itself in things like fear, shame, guilt, or grief that we haven't dealt with, and we carry that through our lives, [which] impacts how we lead people and our relationships with others.” [8:35]“The greatest dreams, accomplishments, and goals come out of [a] place of genuine community; we have to get past the [notion] that asking for help is weak,” Robb advises. “Asking for help is an act of vulnerability that some people can’t [bring themselves to do],” Marcel adds. “[In a previous episode], Ken Blanchard said that people aren’t willing to be vulnerable leaders because of ego; if it’s not your true self, you are leading through arrogance and not authenticity.” [11:09]“We’ve been given our gifts, our skill sets, our personality, and our life experience as a gift to be used to benefit other people,” Robb says. “We [need] to get out of our own way and channel our significance and uniqueness to serve other people.” [15:02]There are many ways to serve, but whichever path you choose, make sure that you serve your team members personally and professionally. Are you spending time on a consistent and intentional basis with your team members? Do you know what makes them come alive? Do you know their hobbies, interests, and life milestones? You must commit to the process of learning these things, Robb shares. [19:01]Leaders often make decisions based on their gut, Robb claims. Undoubtedly, having the facts and the truth is important, but how do you make the right choice when the facts are pointing in one direction and your gut is leading you to the other? “The accuracy of going with your gut goes up drastically when your team members [focus] on their areas of expertise,” he comments. He explains why. [24:54]“Servant leadership is about getting under a team member only to elevate them above you… In my estimation, the greatest and most effective leaders are ones that get out of the way [of recognition]; they’re looking to serve faithfully through guidance, encouragement, correction, and love,” Robb remarks. [35:46]Marcel asks Robb why leaders prioritize processes, procedures, and policies over people. “We want quick fixes,” Robb replies. “We want to reach the goals yesterday ... But I believe that slow is the new fast. With anything [that’s] great and long-lasting, we need to slow down in order to learn what speeding up is all about.” [39:13]Robb talks about leaving a legacy. “When we start with the end in mind and re-engineer this thing, we could be much more intentional about the people we spend time with, and the reasons behind that. In the first place, I think we give too much attention to things that don’t matter.” [46:50]The more we practice servant leadership in and out of the home, the smoother we will lead in service within our sphere of influence in the workplace, our culture, and society, Robb affirms. [52:01]ResourcesRobb Holman on LinkedIn | TwitterRobbHolman.comMove the Needle: How Inside Out Leaders Influence Organizational Culture | |||
| 30 Jul 2020 | How I Got There with JT McCormick | 00:53:31 | |
Marcel Schwantes calls this episode “one of the most authentic and real and raw conversations” he has ever had. His guest, JT McCormick, is the CEO of Scribe Media, a multimillion dollar publishing company which has been ranked the number one Top Company Culture in America by Entrepreneur magazine, and number two Best Place to Work in Texas. JT is the author of I Got There: How a Mixed Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty and Abuse to Arrive at The American Dream. He joins Marcel to chat about his amazing life story - his journey from scrubbing toilets at a restaurant to becoming President of a million dollar software company, and now CEO of Scribe Media - and to share the lessons he learned along the way.JT says, “If you wake up in the morning and your feet hit the ground, you’ve got to be excellent… Anything that’s not excellent in my life I’m the only one that can change it, so there’s no need to complain about it, just get to work.” [3:45]“My why is to be a phenomenal husband, a phenomenal father, a phenomenal CEO. And then I would say fourth on the list is to give back to the communities which I came from.” [5:07]Marcel asks JT how he overcame all the adversity of his early life. He replies that he refused to be a victim. He decided, at age eight, not to spend his time trying to get everyone to like him, because some people just would not. This early lesson spared him years of grief. Another fundamental lesson he learned was to believe in himself. [8:38]“I just tend to look at things from a positive standpoint… I choose to figure out, How can we make a positive out of a negative situation?” [10:20]JT shares his journey from scrubbing toilets to President of a software company. Two lessons he learned were to be the best at whatever he did, and the magic of compound interest. [12:22]When JT was promoted to President, it struck him that he was only as good as the people he surrounded himself with. As such, his focus shifted to finding the greatest people to surround the company and himself with. [17:03]“If you are in a leadership position, you're only a leader if you serve,” JT argues. He describes how the principle of putting people first is lived out at Scribe Media. [18:05]Marcel asks, “How does a company become number one in the category of culture?” JT responds that it’s a matter of the little actions taken every day to live out your principles. At Scribe Media, they work with each other, not for JT. They bring their whole selves to work: he doesn’t believe in a work self vs a home self. He shares several practices they adopt at the company that build the culture. [22:37]JT and Marcel discuss Scribe Media’s Culture Bible, which is freely accessible to the public. They talk about three of the principles listed in the Culture Bible: Do right by people;Bring your whole self to work;Ask questions. [26:46]“A lot of times you can eliminate questions in transparency,” JT points out. [33:21]JT explains why he disagrees with the remote work trend. [35:37]“What’s your best advice for business owners trying to stay resilient during these crazy stressful times?” Marcel asks. JT advises leaders to put their people first, be transparent, be visible and let people know where they stand. Let people feel safe, he adds, and if you have to pivot or make other tough decisions, make them early and let people know so that you can set their expectations. [39:35]JT teaches through sharing his mistakes. [44:19]“I can't become something that I don't even know exists,” JT says. “...I believe if people just know what's possible they can strive to achieve that.” [46:19]“I live by a formula: Mindset, choices and hard work equals success.” [48:48]ResourcesJT McCormick on LinkedInJT@ScribeMedia.comI Got There: How a Mixed Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty and Abuse to Arrive at The American Dream | |||
| 12 Aug 2021 | Make It, Don’t Fake It: The Road to Authenticity and Integrity with Sabrina Horn | 00:42:05 | |
Marcel Schwantes’ guest on this episode of Love In Action is Sabrina Horn, an award-winning CEO, communications expert, and author. Sabrina is an advisory board member to several organizations and founded Horn Group, becoming one of the few female CEOs in Silicon Valley in the early 90’s. Her most recent book, Make It, Don't Fake It: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success, aims to help executives make the right decisions as they start and grow their businesses for long term success.The phrase ‘fake it til you make it’ has bred and normalized dishonesty to get ahead, Marcel says. It encourages people to lie or twist the truth for personal gain, which sabotages your success and destroys your reputation. [3:04]“Technology is often misunderstood or not understood,” Sabrina claims. “I made a living out of helping people who would otherwise never meet, connect with each other; and making complex things simple to move things forward. That’s essentially an act of love to me because you're making the world a better place that way.” [7:28]Running a business with integrity and authenticity is difficult because taking the shortcuts to avoid that is easier, Sabrina says. By definition, integrity means truth, but the reality is that sometimes truth hurts. “If your product has a flaw and you have to do a recall or if the market's turning sour and you have to do a layoff, that’s hard to face,” she remarks. [12:26]Marcel asks Sabrina to discuss why core values and transforming your workplace and brand are important. “My advice to every entrepreneur is to determine what you stand for and what your company has to offer before you start,” she replies. “Think about every business process you’ll have in your company and how your values will integrate into them.” [20:43]In recreating and revamping your company culture, you should first elaborate on how your values manifest through the culture and what you will and will not tolerate. You must also lead by example. “I also suggest that leaders overcommunicate with their teams, especially coming out of the pandemic,” she adds. “In the midst of all this uncertainty and doubt, you need to know what is unknown. You need to acquire a bias for information and overcommunicate with your people to remove that uncertainty and doubt.” [25:33]Marcel asks Sabrina how leaders can show love at work. “A leader loves well by creating an environment where values and culture matter, where people feel like they can stay and grow and build their careers, where they feel like they can be themselves… when you give that kind of care [to your people], that ultimately translates into better financial performance, more employee retention, and a stronger brand; all of it pointing to a more successful business,” she responds. [33:22]ResourcesSabrina Horn on LinkedInSabrinaHorn.comMake It, Don't Fake It: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success | |||
| 09 Jan 2020 | Creating Value By Putting Humans First with Mike Vacanti | 01:11:06 | |
Mike Vacanti returns to the Love In Action podcast this week after the successful launch of his new book Believership: The Superpower Beyond Leadership. In his previous executive roles, Mike has managed mergers and acquisitions and integrated companies with hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue and thousands of people on global teams. Today he is an in-demand speaker and consultant, and the founder of the Humans First Club, the worldwide movement to make humans first in the workplace and in our communities. Mike chats with Marcel Schwantes about his book as well as the work the Humans First Club is doing around the world.Marcel calls love the new competitive advantage. He defines love as action that is packed with positive energy, intent, purpose and connection. This love empowers people to be and do their very best so that businesses thrive and profit. [1:08]We succeed even in the tough times because we believe in each other. [6:43]Mike defines ‘believership’ as a belief in everyone moving together in the best direction. It’s when you can attach yourself to the vision by choice rather than command, and do your best work. [7:31]“Believership is the superpower beyond leadership,” Mike says, because when we get past the traditional thinking of what makes a leader, we find that all human beings have their own innate superpowers. When we combine them it becomes something much more powerful than one person’s talent. [9:35]Marcel quotes Mike: “We need to shift from extracting value to creating value.” Creating value is helping people understand how they continually progress to be their best selves. Extracting value is when leaders take what they need from workers and demand more without giving more in return. The transaction becomes one-sided. [11:17]Marcel and Mike discuss what needs to be fixed in HR, and why. [19:15]70% of people are disengaged at work. The first step towards employee engagement, according to Believership, is for leaders to listen to and address the experience people are actually having at work. [29:37]Companies who succeed over the next decade will be those who focus on human relationships. Mike argues that we need to fix how we select leaders. Change, like a river, will flow more rapidly than ever before so leaders need to be navigators rather than commanders. “We need to learn how to have people find self-leadership, to willfully attach themselves and commit and navigate those waters together,” Mike says. “Leadership is actually what people will believe in and attach themselves and commit to, rather than how well they'll follow the command that's given them.” [35:14]True transformation is a consecutive series of tweaks that add up to new habits over time. [38:44]“Sometimes best practice gets in the way of best possibility.” [43:47]Marcel asks about the Humans First Club. Mike shares how the club began and how it has spread around the world. It’s now in its second year and expanding so fast that he is rethinking how to multiply it so more people can take part. [49:00]Participants testify that the Humans First Club events have been life-changing for them. Mike loves seeing people re-imagine the possibilities of what work could be like if we bring our real selves. [52:46]There will be Humans First Club events every month in cities around the world, including a 2-day leadership retreat in England. Mike is listening to the demand and letting the club expand and go in the direction that it’s supposed to go naturally. [57:36]Mike’s theme for 2020 is to live inside out. Marcel invites listeners to comment on Mike’s LinkedIn post about this idea. [1:01:26]Mike advises you to invest in relationships that fill your tank because you deserve it. [1:06:15] | |||
| 18 Aug 2022 | Marcel Schwantes: Vulnerability, an Important Virtue in Leadership | 00:06:21 | |
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| 25 Aug 2022 | Bill George: True North | 00:58:59 | |
Bill George is former CEO of Medtronic and currently a professor at Harvard Business School. He’s written two leadership classics of all time: Authentic Leadership and True North.
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| 01 Sep 2022 | [REPLAY] Sabrina Horn: Make It, Don’t Fake It | 00:37:22 | |
Sabrina Horn is an award-winning CEO, communications expert, and author. Sabrina is an advisory board member to several organizations and founded Horn Group, becoming one of the few female CEOs in Silicon Valley in the early 90’s. Her book, Make It, Don’t Fake It: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success, aims to help executives make the right decisions as they start and grow their businesses for long-term success.
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| 08 Sep 2022 | Marcel Schwantes: Vulnerability is Reality | 00:05:44 | |
Closing the loop on the recent discussion of vulnerability on the Love in Action podcast, Marcel Schwantes reflects on past interviews. Marcel quotes past guests and business leaders to prove why Vulnerability is not a weakness but instead a strength and a realistic approach to the reality of life and business.
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| 15 Sep 2022 | Marcel Schwantes: Emotional Intelligence - 9 Questions You Need to Ask | 00:07:13 | |
Emotional Intelligence is an integral part of leadership and navigating business. Marcel Schwantes shares 9 Questions from Daniel Goleman, for a self-assessment on Emotional intelligence. Highlights:
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| 22 Sep 2022 | Marcel Schwantes: Authenticity and Leadership | 00:09:09 | |
Authenticity may be a big buzzword in the leadership space, but what does it mean? Marcel Schwantes breaks down what it means and why it’s important to be an authentic leader in 8 simple points.
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| 29 Sep 2022 | Mark C. Crowley: Lead From The Heart | 01:03:35 | |
Mark C. Crowley is a renowned global thought leader, speaker, and the author of the leadership classic, “Lead From The Heart.”
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| 06 Oct 2022 | Cynthia Covey Haller: Live Life in Crescendo | 00:51:42 | |
Cynthia Covey Haller is an author, teacher, speaker, and active community member. She has contributed to the writing of several books and articles, most recently she co-authored her late father, Stephen Covey’s final book, “Live Life in Crescendo”. Cynthia has held leadership positions in women’s organizations, served as a PTSA president, was an organizer for refugee aid and food pantry volunteer, and she is currently working as a service volunteer helping with employment needs. She graduated from BYU and lives with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah. This musical symbol builds with energy and passion and keeps getting louder and stronger. The physical symbol starts at a small point and spreads out. This idea represents The Crescendo Mentality, we should always be growing and striving to do more, as Cynthia quotes her late father, “Don’t look in the rearview mirror at what you’ve accomplished, look ahead”. [11:38] The Midlife At this point in life are you where you want to be? The Midlife is defined in the book in two perspectives: Being successful in your most important roles beyond monetary gain and Using resourcefulness and initiative to take control of your life. These perspectives as a part of the crescendo mentality is to not accept your life for what it is, you have the power to change it and make it what you want. Marcel summarizes this point as “The Crescendo Mentality is really a mindset shift to see your life differently”. [20:59] The Paradigm At every age and stage in your life, you handle what comes with a paradigm shift. Cynthia shares a story from the book about a horrible crime and false conviction, and the person convicted begins to live in diminuendo but breaks his three years in silence, to comfort a convict in the neighboring cell. And he shifted and chose to live in crescendo, with this power and beacon of life he was able to eventually prove his innocence and be released after 30 years in prison. Stephen Covey originally said, “If you wanna make small changes in your life, change your attitude. If you wanna make large and primary changes, work on your paradigm”. [23:00] The Pinnacle of Success You think you’ve done it all, are you going to rest on your laurels and go enjoy the warm sunny retirement community in Florida? Most people that are successful, if they don’t continue to serve people all along, they don’t feel much meaning in their lives. At the pinnacle of success, there is so much to continue to contribute, even as a regular person without the resources of past presidents. Every person no matter the means has what it takes to meet someone's need, one kindness and act of service at a time. Cynthia explains, “My father taught that life is about contribution, not accumulation”. [32:42] The Ultimate Hope Your most important work and contributions can still be ahead of you. If you do decide to retire, continue to look forward and make contributions around you. Look down deep, what is your mission? Stephen Covey taught as relayed by his daughter Cynthia, “Life is a mission, not a career”. [39:10] Mentioned in this episode: Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You (The Covey Habits Series) | |||
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