Episode recap   Don’t forget Marcel’s special offer to join his Substack community for $8.00/month. Subscribe here: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/subscribe  In this solo episode, Marcel argued that compassion is a core leadership strength, not a soft extra, and that alleviating others’ pain and suffering is a leader’s real work. Through examples like Jeff Weiner and Phil Lynch during 9/11, he showed how leaders who prioritize people, communicate openly, and make space for emotion build stronger, more connected organizations. When leaders show up in hard moments, teams heal faster and perform better. BioMarcel Schwantes is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and advocate for more humane workplaces. He works with organizations that are tired of burnout, disengagement, and hollow cultures — and ready to build something better. Marcel’s work includes: Executive coaching Leadership development programs for managers Keynote speaking and workshops Executive roundtables and culture strategy sessions  Marcel is the author of Humane Leadership: Lead with Radical Love, Be a Kick-Ass Boss. Whether coaching a CEO or training a leadership team, Marcel’s #1 goal is the same: To help leaders become the kind of people others want to follow.  Timestamps [[[[[[[[[[[ Key Quotes “If you want to measure yourself against the highest standard of leadership, you have to measure yourself against what people call the ‘soft stuff’—because it’s actually the hardest to master.”“Compassion is not weakness. Some of the strongest people I know are the most compassionate.”“Compassion is recognizing someone’s suffering—and then doing what you can to help ease it. It’s not hippy-dippy; it’s evidence-based and deeply human.”“In the middle of absolute mayhem, Phil Lynch gathered his team and said: ‘People first, then customers, then the business.’ That’s compassionate leadership in action.”“Leaders who create space for sorrow, confusion, and grief help their organizations heal and reconnect much faster.”   Key Takeaways:  Compassion is an essential leadership skill, not a soft extra. Compassion is often dismissed as “soft,” but it is one of the hardest and most strategic skills to master. It directly impacts engagement, trust, and long-term performance. Compassion is both recognition and action. It’s not enough to notice someone’s pain. Compassion means seeing the suffering and intentionally acting to alleviate it—in conversations, decisions, and policies. Science backs the power of compassion. Research highlighted by Dr. James Doty shows compassion is a powerful antidote to loneliness, depression, anxiety, and addiction, all of which show up at work. People-first leadership is clearest in crisis. During 9/11, Phil Lynch’s mantra—“People first, then customers, then the business”—became a north star for Reuters. Compassion isn’t theoretical; it’s how leaders rank their priorities when it matters most. Emotional transparency but safety and trust. By being open about what he and his team were feeling, Lynch gave others permission to feel and express their own grief and fear, creating