
Love in Action
Marcel Schwantes
Discover the keys to unlocking your leadership potential with the Love In Action Podcast. Join host and global leadership expert Marcel Schwantes and the world's top business thought leaders, authors, executives, and luminary movers & shakers who share insights, research, and best practices to help you and your business/organization flourish. Whether you’re looking to cultivate better leadership habits, develop a high-performing culture, or grow your business through a more human-centered approach, the Love In Action Podcast offers practical and instructional steps and wisdom to help you reach your full potential. Join the movement!
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Top 10 Love in Action Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Love in Action episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Love in Action for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Love in Action episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

04/11/24 • 59 min
Robb Holman is an internationally recognized leadership expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, podcast host, and best-selling author who has a heart for authentic relationships and a true talent for equipping people with the skills and the knowledge necessary for their success.
Quotes:
- “The book Lessons from Abdul, has everything to do with bringing a needed and timely balance to the receiving and the giving. But I highlight in the book the hidden power of receiving from anyone, anytime.” [15:59] Marcel Schwantes is interviewing friend, colleague, and esteemed leadership expert Robb Holman on his new book, Lessons from Abdul. Robb shares who exactly Abdul is, how he met him, and the inspiration for this important message.
- “Receiving falls into three buckets: one is help or support, another could be opinions or perspectives, and the third would be praises or compliments”. [22:04] Robb and Marcel discuss what receiving looks like and some of the struggles that come with receiving. Marcel opens up about pride getting in the way of receiving affirming words. Later in the episode, Robb elaborates on the barriers to receiving and steps to work through them.
- “There is study upon study that just shows that when you share stories, not just professional stories, when you share personal stories and you're committed to doing so on an ongoing basis with your team members, so much magic comes in and out of that place. [32:00] As Robb shares a story from his childhood working with his coach and namesake of the book, Abdul, he breaks into an important thing he learned about storytelling and building bonds. When you share stories with your team, an unwavering trust is built that is anchored in values. And when you have a true understanding or your own unique values, you are opening your mind to learn from others.
- “This exchange of receiving leads to more selfless service, not selfish service...we receive deeply so we can give more greatly.”[43:20] Bringing home the interview, Robb shares a moving story about his wife ringing the bell for her last chemotherapy treatment. He explains how they have opened their hearts to receiving and have been able to receive in so many ways during this time. He explains that it is not selfish, even the opposite of that—that on the other side, he and his wife will be able to give like they have before, and that is the hidden power of receiving.
Mentioned in this episode:
Amazon.com: Lessons from Abdul: The Hidden Power of Receiving from Anyone, Anytime eBook : Holman, Robb: Kindle Store
Lessons from Abdul
Research Says Learning How to Receive, Not Just Give, Can Make You Happier | Inc.com
Robb Holman
Marcel Schwantes on LinkedIn
Marcel Schwantes

Cynthia Covey Haller: Live Life in Crescendo
Love in Action
10/06/22 • 51 min
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.
Highlights:
Live Life in CRESCENDO
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)
Cynthia Covey Haller on LinkedIn
Cynthia Covey Haller on Instagram

Workplace Psychology with Jennifer Musselman
Love in Action
12/16/21 • 56 min

12/09/21 • 36 min

Everybody Matters with Matthew Emerzian
Love in Action
04/16/20 • 48 min

06/20/19 • 47 min
![Love in Action - [Replay] Transformative Influence with Walt Rakowich](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/est43xfdlog63uw1c4qobmi6vz0e?.avif)
[Replay] Transformative Influence with Walt Rakowich
Love in Action
06/17/21 • 52 min

At the Heart of Business with Hubert Joly
Love in Action
05/27/21 • 54 min

Cultivating Compassionate Conversations with Kim Loh
Love in Action
05/20/21 • 26 min

04/17/25 • 7 min
Pre-order Marcel’s new book: Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-ass Boss
Episode recap:
Humane Leadership: 5 Key Principles
Marcel discussed his new book, Humane Leadership, which explores the connection between agape and effective leadership. He shared excerpts from the book, focusing on the 5 principles of humane leadership: patience, kindness, humility, advocacy, and trustworthiness. Marcel emphasized that these principles, rooted in science and best practices, can lead to a more productive and profitable workplace. He also highlighted the importance of understanding human needs and mastering people skills for effective leadership. The book is available for purchase.
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.
Key Quotes:
- "Effective leadership is love practically demonstrated to achieve business success."
- "Humans are biologically wired to connect relationally and to feel they matter."
- "Leadership effectiveness comes from demonstrating love through action."
Takeaways:
- Implement patience, kindness, humility, advocacy, and trustworthiness in your leadership style.
- Embrace the human side of leadership to foster better engagement and productivity.
- Leadership must evolve to meet the emotional and relational needs of today’s workforce.
Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction to Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss
[01:15] Marcel’s journey in writing the book
[02:30] The five principles of humane leadership
[03:45] Applying these principles to modern leadership
[04:50] Embracing emotional connection in remote work
[06:00] Final thoughts on leading with love
Conclusion:
Humane leadership focuses on understanding and meeting human needs, which can drive better business outcomes. Marcel Schwantes’ insights help leaders create environments where employees feel valued, leading to higher engagement, loyalty, and success.
Links/Resources:
Substack: marcelschwantes.substack.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/
Twitter/X: x.com/MarcelSchwantes
YouTube: youtube.com/@MarcelSchwantes1
Instagram: instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/
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FAQ
How many episodes does Love in Action have?
Love in Action currently has 254 episodes available.
What topics does Love in Action cover?
The podcast is about Management, Podcasts and Business.
What is the most popular episode on Love in Action?
The episode title 'Brad Deutser: The Five Rules of Belonging' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Love in Action?
The average episode length on Love in Action is 44 minutes.
How often are episodes of Love in Action released?
Episodes of Love in Action are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Love in Action?
The first episode of Love in Action was released on Mar 11, 2019.
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