May 12, 2025

Leading with Love: What Business Can Learn from Ancient Spiritual Traditions

8 minutes

Episode recap:

Marcel discussed his new book, Humane Leadership and the spiritual/religious background of his principles of love and action, which he developed after experiencing poor management at a hospital. He emphasized the importance of leaders caring for their employees and shared research on how principles and practices from ancient religious traditions principles can be applied in leadership contexts. Marcel encouraged leaders to implement his five radical principles of love in action to maximize human potential and achieve business success.

For bonus content of the book not available anywhere else, visit Marcel’s Substack platform and subscribe at Marcelschwantes.substack.com.

Bio:

Marcel Schwantes is a speaker, author, and acclaimed executive coach with a global following. Marcel delivers presentations, workshops, courses, and coaching programs about the human side of business and how cultures of care, connection, and belonging power companies to thrive and outperform the competition.

Quotes:

"If engagement is high, you're going to have high performance, which is very good for business. Everything goes back to leading with love and care."

"Leadership is patient, kind, humble, advocates for people, and is trustworthy."

"Those at the top are the ones who care enough for people's well-being, mental health, and commitment to the job."

Takeaways:

Listeners to get curious about leadership practices in their organizations if they notice low employee motivation, high turnover, or decreased engagement.

Leaders and managers to assess how they are leading and caring for their people, especially if experiencing issues with retention or quiet quitting.

Organizations to consider implementing the 5 radical principles of love in action (patience, kindness, humility, advocacy, and trustworthiness) to improve leadership and employee experience.

Leaders to explore ways to create more actionable, practical love and care in their current situations to maximize human potential and improve business outcomes.

Timestamps:

[00:03] Why Toxic Leadership Nearly Broke Me at Work

[02:30] What Top-Down Workplaces Do to Your Body

[04:00] Why Love and Care Actually Boost Performance

[05:30] What Ancient Wisdom Teaches About Good Leaders

[06:45] Five Traits Every Great Leader Has in Common

[07:30] What Most Leaders Miss About Team Motivation

[08:30] How to Help People Do Their Best Work Every Day

Conclusion:

Leadership becomes more effective when it's rooted in care, respect, and a focus on people rather than control. Strong teams don't grow from rigid structures, but from spaces where people feel safe, heard, and trusted. When leaders prioritize connection and support, it encourages openness and better performance. The most productive workplaces are built on shared trust, not fear. It's through this kind of leadership that real progress happens.

Links/Resources:

The book:

Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss

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

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

Send Marcel a text message!

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By Marcel Schwantes

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