Love in Action

“A toxic work culture was found to be 10.4 times greater than compensation in predicting a company's attrition rate relative to its industry average.” [1:23] Marcel explains the not so shocking reason why workers left jobs in droves in the 2021 Great Resignation.  “When leaders lack empathy, fail to communicate clearly, or prioritize their own interests over the well-being of their employees, it c...

Marshall Goldsmith is a renowned executive coach recognized as the #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. His latest book is The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment. Quotes: “So if you’ve ever been caught in a cycle of regret—and I think that’s most of us—Marshall is here to tell us how to remove the obstacles that prevent us from creating our own fulfilling lives. And who better to help us...

Sally Helgesen is the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership and the author of Rising Together.  She became the first person to write about inclusion in the workplace in 1995 with her book, The Web of Inclusion. In this episode of Love in Action, Sally and Marcel discuss the nuances of triggers and inclusive behaviors.  Quotes: “A trigger is a situation, or person, or a comment that stirs an...

Enjoy this sneak peek for Marcel Schwantes’s Fall 2024 upcoming book. Marcel shares something too many managers are missing, 3 attributes that make up the best leaders. Show Notes:  “In transparent work cultures, you can count on the guardians of the culture, trusted team members and associates, to watch out for politics or favoritism behind the scenes and squash such behaviors as soon as it happe...

In a preview for his upcoming book in Fall 2024, Marcel Schwantes shares a personal story of the physical manifestation of stress and the adverse effects of a fear driven work relationship. Show notes: “After checking myself into the emergency department, the ER physician called my condition stress and anxiety related. He explained that people may experience psychological distress as physical pain...

A look back at the stand out quotes from this special episode replay on Mark Crowley’s Lead From The Heart:  “I have science that proves that the heart actually plays an enormous role in influencing human behavior.” [8:23] Mark explains the sentiment behind his original book and new revision Lead From The Heart. “The strength of a heart based leader is to see the potential in others and have the b...

Kathi Balasek is a grief literacy communication coach and widow advocate.  Through her podcast, Well Widow, and being on the advisory board at Modern Widows Club, she stands up and fights for the rights of widows, their livelihood, and their financial future. Along with her mission driven business, Grief Smart Professional, she is a university professor, and currently she teaches at California Sta...

Mark Miller currently serves as Chick-fil-A’s Vice President of High Performance Leadership. He is the author of Culture Rules: The Leader's Guide to Creating the Ultimate Competitive Advantage. He shares his interesting and inspiring employment journey with Chick-fil-A and his thought provoking process for researching and impacting leaders in their organization and organizations all over the worl...

Joshua Freedman is the co-founder and CEO of Six Seconds, a global non-profit dedicated to teaching people how to use emotional intelligence (EQ). He is a master certified coach, an instructor for Columbia Teachers College Summer Principals Academy, and for Antioch University. He is also the author of 5 emotional intelligence books, including the best-selling At the Heart of Leadership: How to Get...

Show Notes: “People want to feel loved.” [1:38] As Marcel begins to dive into this sneak peek of his upcoming book, he explains exactly why he focuses on love. Every employee is someone's sister, brother, son, daughter, mother, or father, and they need and deserve to be cared for. That caring is love, and it’s a founding principle in the work and research Marcel is working toward. “Love begins as...

Show Notes: “I see purpose as being the engine that drives meaning”. [15:48] There is no transcendent singular purpose in life, there are many levels, for example, transformative and transactional, like in our work and relationships. Stephen Van Valin, author of  The Search for Meaning at Work, explains how as we make progress toward these purposes, a sense of meaning kicks in, furthering motivati...

Show-Notes: “We’ve gotten to a state that I see as toxic… it’s an environment where half of Americans have become estranged from someone in their own family over politics… That trickles into the workplace, neighborhoods, buildings and communities.” [12:50] Dr. Peter T. Coleman, author of The Way Out, explains what Political Polarization is. A little polarization, choice, and differing views are he...

Show Notes: “Really what I focus my work on is helping people and helping companies figure out, in the very crowded marketplace, how they can get their best ideas heard.” [8:08] Dorie Clark introduces the inspiration behind her work and her book, The Long Game. “During COVID, it’s almost like forget the long term game, everybody’s all of a sudden in reactionary mode. How do we pivot!?” [10:50] Mar...

Show Notes: “In You, Me, We, what we’re doing is empowering all of us to go first. Instead of asking, “Do I have a best friend at work?" ask the question, "Am I a friend at work?” [14:55] Morag talks about her reframing of the Gallup question, "Do you have a best friend at work?” and puts the emphasis on the individual to ensure friendship at work by BEING a friend.  “Being a friend at work does n...

Show Notes: “The business world wrongly assumes love to be an emotion rather than a behavior or an action that leads to tangible results.” [00:53] Love is not just a fuzzy emotion; when used as a business strategy, it is a powerful agent of change and growth. This is the force behind Love in Action and Marcel’s work to promote leadership practices founded in love.  “As the workplace becomes steepe...

Show Notes: “Harvard Business Review found that half of millennials and 75% of Gen Z’s have quit their job for mental health reasons”. [2:50] Regardless of generation, the mental health epidemic is a huge problem. Robb Holman quotes this study and discusses the impact leaders must have to not only keep these groups from quitting their jobs but also help them thrive and succeed in the workplace.  “...

Show Notes: “In a deep moment of introspection, I realized [the business failure] wasn’t the market conditions, this wasn’t our customers, this wasn’t our team; this was actually MY fault.” [07:21] When his company, Softway, was just about to go bankrupt, Mohammad sought advice in an unexpected place, football. It is via an interview with Houston’s coach that he discovered the impact of love in a...

Robb Holman is back to co-host alongside Marcel Schwantes as they go through the rarely discussed business topic of grief. Grief has a big effect on employees at work, and Robb gives helpful tips on how organizations can be more helpful during this time. "The true cost of grief in the workplace is often underestimated." [4:55] Robb walks through what The Recovery Village has to say about grieving...

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Show Notes: “You don’t just wake up one day and say hey I’m gonna go rob a bank; there are things that kind of ultimately ease you up to that space.” [18:42] As Fox and Rob tell the story of how they met, their future seemed so bright. When did robbing a bank become a considerable option and what happens to take your mind to go to such an extreme place? Rob explains all of the circumstances and ex...

Show notes: “Beyond the definition, Psychological Safety is a deeply human feeling.” [11:21] Psychological safety is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. Minnette Norman explains what psychological safety is and the immense benefit this environment brings to an organization. “Psychological Safety is not what happens by...

Show-Notes: “When I think of leadership, I think of a very effective shepherd. A really good shepherd is there to guide, protect, and correct.” [3:00] What does it mean to be a good leader? Robb Holman helps Marcel kick off the episode by discussing the elements of good leadership. "Whatever you can do to remain committed in a place and foster a culture within your team dynamics of getting to know...

Show Notes: “There is a natural tension between serving people and doing everything needed to get them engaged and the reality of the results and mission of the organization.” [8:19] What does the subtitle ‘Beyond Servant Leadership’ from Bob DeKoch and Phil Clampitt’s book mean? Bob describes “beyond” as bringing that tension together, where motivating and serving meet.  “We propose the side of c...

Show Notes: “Valuing your people…what exactly does it mean?” [7:16] Valuing your people is more than just a raise or promotion, or mutual respect. Marcel asks Rob what it really means, sparking a discussion that goes deeper than the value of our title but is built on our humanity, relationships, and trust. “How would you rate your self-worth (your value), if you were stripped of everything you kno...

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