Marcel Schwantes
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Speaker, Author, Executive Coach. @Inc. Contributing Editor. Host of The Marcel Podcast. Author of “Humane Leadership.”
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Articles by Marcel Schwantes
Why Good Employees Quit Comes Down to 5 Leadership Mistakes
Research reveals what drives employees away—and the simple behaviors that make them want to stay. Why do good employees leave companies they once loved working for? For many CEOs and business leaders, the answer seems obvious: better pay, more flexibility, or a more attractive opportunity elsewhere. And while those things certainly matter, research points to something leaders have far more control over: how employees experience their managers and workplace every day.
AI Is Making Employees More Productive. New Research Shows Why That Could Be a Problem
As AI frees up time, leaders face a critical choice: pile on more work or protect the capacity employees need to perform at their best. When AI saves an employee an hour, what happens to that time? In many workplaces, it gets swallowed by another task. AI efficiencies make it easier for organizations to keep asking for more, even when employees are near their limits. New research from O.C. Tanner suggests leaders need to protect that capacity, not keep spending it.
Nvidia Has an Employee Turnover Rate of Just 3.7 Percent. Its Leaders Practice 1 Habit Worth Copying
The AI chipmaker’s approach to employee feedback offers a leadership lesson every CEO should consider. Every CEO wants to keep their best people. But what if a powerful, simple way to keep employees happy and engaged, beyond competitive salaries, perks, and career opportunities, is one not enough leaders are practicing? Listen to your people. That’s it. But here’s where so many leaders miss the mark. You have to then do something about what they tell you.
78 Percent of Managers Are Using AI for Employee Feedback. Here’s What They Risk Losing
New research reveals a surprising disconnect between managers and employees—and why the human side of leadership matters more than ever. Artificial intelligence is changing how managers communicate with employees. But there’s a growing concern that leaders may be outsourcing something they should never give up: the human side of leadership.
New Research Reveals What Separates Workplaces People Love From Those They Leave
Here’s why 61 percent of employees have considered quitting, according to research. Why do good employees leave their jobs? Well, these days it could be for several reasons: Better pay, career opportunities, and flexibility are some of the usual suspects. But new research reveals another factor leaders can’t afford to overlook. Employees want to feel like they belong While it’s nothing earth-shattering, it keeps coming up.
New Research Says Trust in Leaders Is Falling. Here Are 4 Ways to Earn It Back
Employees are losing confidence in their bosses, and new research points to a problem leaders can do something about. Trust in workplace leadership is moving in the wrong direction. According to Edelman’s newly released 2026 Trust at Work study, trust in CEOs dropped from 70 percent to 66 percent, while trust in direct managers fell from 79 percent to 72 percent. Even coworkers aren’t immune, with trust declining from 82 percent to 73 percent.
Warren Buffett says really successful people say no to almost everything. Most leaders miss the point of his famous quote
Saying yes to another priority may seem harmless at the top, but there's a hidden cost most leaders miss. Most leaders are pretty good at adding things. There's always room for another initiative, another “important” meeting , or some new process or tech that's supposed to make everyone's life easier. Before long, the organization is carrying far more than anyone intended, and very little ever gets taken off the table. Sound familiar? Leaders aren't nearly as good at subtraction.
Warren Buffett Says Really Successful People Say No to Almost Everything. Most Leaders Miss the Point of His Famous Quote
4 hours ago Hey, good morning. Thirty years ago today, Rupert Murdoch launched Fox News, leading to a total realignment of the US news media and the election of President Trump. Scroll down for my thoughts about that. But first… The first peep about David Ellison’s plans for Warner Bros. Discovery came 13 months …
Warren Buffett Says Really Successful People Say No to Almost Everything. Most Leaders Miss the Point of His Famous Quote
Saying yes to another priority may seem harmless at the top, but there’s a hidden cost most leaders miss. Most leaders are pretty good at adding things. There’s always room for another initiative, another “important” meeting, or some new process or tech that’s supposed to make everyone’s life easier. Before long, the organization is carrying far more than anyone intended, and very little ever gets taken off the table. Sound familiar? Leaders aren’t nearly as good at subtraction.
Most Companies Train Managers Once. Gallup Says the Best Develop These 3 Habits Every Day
2 hours ago Buc-ee's settled a lawsuit against an Ohio convenience store, according to court records. The travel-stop giant and Coles IP Holdings, LLC, owner of Mickey's, a convenience store with 42 Ohio locations, reached a confidential agreement on the "material terms" on Sept. 15, according to court records. …
Most Companies Train Managers Once. Gallup Says the Best Develop These 3 Habits Every Day
Gallup research points to a surprisingly simple formula for creating more engaged, high-performing teams. Companies spend enormous amounts of time talking about employee engagement, retention, productivity, and culture. But in my experience, executives rarely invest in developing their managers. Gallup’s latest guidance on manager development brings the conversation back to the person who may influence all four more than anyone else: your manager.
Successful at Work but Struggling Everywhere Else? Try This 7-Part Life Audit
Author Ben Meer’s Life Engine Audit shows leaders where to focus before an overlooked problem begins affecting everything else. Running a business can take its toll. Early mornings and late nights spent sending emails, making hiring decisions, and keeping the money coming in can easily bleed into other areas of your life. Finding time to exercise or sit down for family dinner every night can feel impossible to balance, but it’s necessary.
The Best Leaders Notice What People Don’t Say. Here Are 5 Ways to Get Better at It
Listening to the words isn’t enough. A skill called attunement can help leaders pick up the subtle signals that reveal what’s really happening with their people. Most leaders think they listen well. They make eye contact, nod, and ask questions, yet still miss what’s actually happening in the conversation. It’s worse for founders and CEOs. The more responsibility a leader carries, the more information comes at them: emails, AI outputs, Slack messages, meetings.
Want to Know if You’re a Good Leader? Ask Yourself This 1 Question Every Day
The answer may tell you more about your leadership than your title ever will. For years, we’ve heard some version of the same workplace warning: People don’t leave companies. They leave managers. The reality is more complicated than that, of course. People leave jobs for all kinds of reasons—pay, opportunity, flexibility, career growth, and life changes among them. But managers still have an enormous influence over whether people want to stay.
Want to Know if You’re a Good Leader? Ask Yourself This 1 Question Every Day
Trump is sending $500 refund checks to nearly a million Americans. Here’s who gets them The Affordable Care Act $500 refund checks are in the mail to nearly a million Americans, along with a letter from President Donald Trump touting his healthcare accomplishments and casting blame on his predecessor. The Treasury Department began sending the one-time payments on Wednesday to more than …
The Future of Work Will Come Down to 2 Types of Companies That See AI Very Differently
The biggest leadership question about AI isn’t what the technology can do. It’s what companies choose to do with it. The defining question of the AI revolution may not be how intelligent machines become. It may be what the humans running companies decide to do with that intelligence. We are approaching a fork in the road. Down one path is a company that sees AI primarily as a way to produce more with fewer people.
Exceptional Leadership Comes Down to 1 Surprisingly Human Behavior
After decades of studying leadership and coaching leaders, I see one behavior that continues to separate truly human leaders from everyone else. In my research and work over the past two decades as an executive coach, I’ve talked with CEOs, thought leaders, authors, and psychologists in search of an answer to a deceptively simple question: What makes a truly exceptional leader, and what do great leaders do to build great cultures? One answer keeps rising to the surface.
Brené Brown’s 3 Leadership Trades for a Future Nobody Can Predict
The more powerful AI becomes, the more valuable human leadership becomes. AI is changing work fast. Leaders everywhere are asking the same questions. Which jobs will disappear? Which skills will matter? What will AI eventually do better than humans?
4 rare leadership habits that make people want to follow you
The best leaders don't rely on authority to get people to follow. Their everyday actions earn trust, respect, and commitment. There's a lot that's been said about leadership , but the concept is ultimately defined by action. In all my years studying leadership and coaching executives, I've found that leadership isn't about what people say they believe. It's revealed by what they consistently do. That gives us a much better barometer for measuring leadership: behavior. And here's what I've found.
4 Rare Leadership Habits That Make People Want to Follow You
The best leaders don’t rely on authority to get people to follow. Their everyday actions earn trust, respect, and commitment. There’s a lot that’s been said about leadership, but the concept is ultimately defined by action. In all my years studying leadership and coaching executives, I’ve found that leadership isn’t about what people say they believe. It’s revealed by what they consistently do. That gives us a much better barometer for measuring leadership: behavior. And here’s what I’ve found.
4 Rare Leadership Habits That Make People Want to Follow You
After the AI boom took off about four years ago, Microsoft poured resources into winning both the consumer and enterprise sides of AI. With the …
Warren Buffett’s Advice About Choosing the Right Life Partner Still Resonates Today
Your spouse or life partner won’t build your company for you, but the right one can influence the person who does. Entrepreneurs can spend months choosing a co-founder, years building the right executive team, and countless hours deciding whom to hire, fire, trust, or take money from. Yet there is another choice that may have more influence over the trajectory of your life than any of them: the person you marry. Warren Buffett has been saying this for years.
52 Percent of Employees Are Thinking About a New Job. Leaders Still Have 4 Ways to Make Them Stay
Employees don’t just quit managers. New data shows what they’re really leaving If you lead people, there’s a good chance more than half of your workforce is at least thinking about leaving. Gallup reported in May 2026 that 52 percent of U.S. employees were either actively looking for another job or watching for opportunities. Yet only 28 percent believed it was a good time to find a quality job. This would indicate that many employees aren’t staying because they’re deeply committed.
The 2 Questions That Can Stop Good Employees From Walking Out the Door
Retention often comes down to whether people feel good about their work today and can see a future for themselves tomorrow. One harsh truth has held for nearly three decades: roughly 70 percent of U.S. employees are disengaged at work. It shouldn’t surprise you that many of your workers are actively looking for a different job or watching for openings. And not just in the abstract, but right now. If you’re a CFO focused on numbers and your company experiences high turnover, you’re likely worried.
Lyft’s CEO Practices 1 Leadership Habit More Executives Should Try. Here’s What It Taught Him
Lyft CEO David Risher still gets behind the wheel to understand customers and drivers. His habit offers a powerful lesson for leaders about staying close to the work. Most CEOs experience their companies through things like dashboards, board meetings, and financial reports. Lyft CEO David Risher still experiences his from the driver’s seat. About every six weeks, he gets behind the wheel and drives for Lyft himself.
12 Warren Buffett Quotes Worth Remembering as He Steps Down From Berkshire Hathaway
As Warren Buffett closes a remarkable chapter at Berkshire Hathaway, 12 quotes capture some of his best lessons for business owners. Earlier today, reports confirmed that Warren Buffett, 96, had stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman, becoming chairman emeritus while remaining on the board. Howard Buffett became chairman, while Greg Abel continues as CEO. Buffett’s investment record is legendary, but so is his clarity about business, judgment, character, and success.
There Are 3 Workplace Metrics CEOs and CHROs Can’t Afford to Ignore, Research Finds
What new research says about manager effectiveness, burnout, AI trust, and the leadership gaps CEOs can no longer ignore. Executives are spending enormous amounts of time on AI, growth, cost pressures, and workplace redesign. Well, they should be. But there is another risk sitting much closer to home: whether the organization has the leadership capacity to carry the strategy.
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol Says the Company Is Back. His Turnaround Comes Down to 1 Leadership Principle
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround strategy offers a simple leadership lesson: Get back to the fundamentals. There’s an interesting leadership lesson unfolding at Starbucks that has very little to do with coffee. When Brian Niccol took over as CEO, he inherited a company that had drifted from some of what made Starbucks distinctive. Service had become inconsistent. Stores felt less inviting. Employees needed more support. And customers had fewer reasons to stick around.
Gartner Says Companies May Rehire 30 Percent of Workers Replaced by AI. Here’s the Leadership Lesson
Companies racing to replace people with AI may eventually discover they moved too fast. Research and advisory firm Gartner has a striking prediction: By 2029, 30 percent of employees laid off because they were replaced by AI will need to be rehired—often at a significantly higher cost. There’s a leadership lesson here for every CEO looking at AI primarily through the lens of headcount reduction.
Meta Spent Years Flattening Management. Now It’s Asking Some Managers to Come Back
Meta wanted flatter, AI-driven teams. Its latest move reveals management still matters. Three years ago, Mark Zuckerberg made the case for a leaner Meta in three words: “Flatter is faster.” During Meta’s 2023 “Year of Efficiency,” Zuckerberg argued that too many management layers could slow information flow and decision-making. The company removed layers and shifted some managers into individual-contributor roles. There was logic behind it, of course.
Ask These 5 Questions to Find Out What Employees Really Think of Their Manager
Employee engagement starts with understanding how people actually experience their manager and workplace. In my line of work coaching managers, one question I still hear is: How do I get my people more engaged and motivated at work? It’s a fair question. Managers want people who care about the work, contribute ideas, solve problems, and produce results. But the question can send managers in the wrong direction. You can’t make another person engaged.
3 Uncommon Traits of Strong Leaders People Never Forget
What seems soft on the surface can become a serious advantage for leaders who want stronger teams. Got a memorable boss story? Mine takes me back to my corporate days over 20 years ago. I once reported to an exec who’s still my favorite boss ever. Here’s why: He didn’t let his title go to his head; he made me feel like an equal and was easy to approach despite his rank; he gave me the freedom to make key decisions; and he provided the resources and mentoring I needed to grow as a leader.
Warren Buffett Says Successful People Get These 3 Life Decisions Right
These choices may seem simple, but Buffett argues they have an outsize impact on your future. Warren Buffett is incredibly wise—much wiser than I am. But beyond his impressive expertise in investments over the decades, the down-to-earth wisdom he shares publicly is not really that earth-shattering. The reason is that Warren Buffett is saying it.
Managers Are Too Busy to Do One of Their Most Important Jobs. 5 Ways CEOs Can Fix It
Companies keep asking managers to drive performance while burying them in priorities that prevent them from actually leading their people. Employees want to be recognized and rewarded for their work. That part is simple. What’s less settled is whether CEOs see recognition as something that actually improves business performance. New research from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by Achievers, makes a strong case that it does.
7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life in 7 Short Days
Health 13 hours ago New Study Suggests 'Micro-Awakenings' At Night May Be A Sign Of Increased Alzheimer's Risk HuffPost - Jillian Wilson • 13h Researchers looked at sleep patterns in older adults to find the connection. More than 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating condition that causes memory loss, trouble finding the right words, difficulty solving problems and other cognitive issues.
7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life in 7 Short Days
The habits that make life richer usually have less to do with achievement and more to do with how intentionally you live it. What if improving your life has less to do with the volume of your accomplishments and more to do with paying better attention to how you are actually living? That question becomes more important the more successful you become.
5 Weak Leadership Habits That Teach Good Employees to Stay Quiet, Wait, and Give Less
Want more influence as a leader? Stop the behaviors that make good people lose trust and eventually leave. How can you tell when a manager is weakening a team? Do not start with the engagement survey. Watch the people. Better yet, reflect on the following questions: Are they reluctant to speak up? Do they wait for permission before making simple decisions? Have the best people stopped bringing new ideas to the table? Do employees seem to be managing around the boss rather than working with them?
Toxic Leaders Can Infiltrate Any Company. The Warning Signs Often Appear During Hiring
Technical brilliance can mask serious leadership risk unless you know what to look for. What if the candidate who impresses you most in the interview is the person you should be watching most carefully? Leaders with destructive interpersonal behaviors can make excellent first impressions. They may be charismatic, articulate, confident, and technically accomplished, all qualities that can seduce an interview panel. That is an unsettling prospect, if you’re identifying your future leaders.
Steve Jobs Said Half of What Separates Successful Entrepreneurs From Everyone Else Comes Down to 1 Trait
5 hours ago Five Ford models with EcoBoost turbocharged engines are at risk of piston failure. Ford has recalled just over 10,000 vehicles spanning five nameplates, all equipped with some version of its EcoBoost turbocharged engine. Due to improperly manufactured pistons, these vehicles could experience an …
Steve Jobs Said Half of What Separates Successful Entrepreneurs From Everyone Else Comes Down to 1 Trait
Jobs said it over 30 years ago. For leaders today, the hard part is understanding what perseverance really means. There’s a point in almost every worthwhile pursuit when motivation stops carrying you. The excitement wears off after a launch and results take longer than expected. Customers say no more often than you expected, and now your best employees are leaving. That’s usually when success becomes less about talent, intelligence, or expertise and more about what you do next.
CEOs Are Training Workers on AI. This Fortune 500 Company Says That’s Only Half the Job
The more AI does, the more human skills matter. CEOs are racing to make their workforces AI-ready. That makes sense. But one Fortune 500 company is asking an equally important question: Are our people becoming human-ready for the age of AI? According to Forbes, Principal Financial Group has trained more than 90 percent of its roughly 19,000 employees in AI fluency and data literacy. That alone is impressive. But CHRO Lisa Coulson sees AI skills as only half the equation.
EY Is Giving Employees $100 Million in Bonuses. The Reasoning Says a Lot About the Future of Leadership
The professional services giant is putting real money behind human skills leaders will need as AI transforms work. Want to know what a company really values? Look at what it rewards. Ernst & Young is doing exactly that. The professional services giant announced that EY US will invest $100 million in employee rewards and bonuses aimed at recognizing people who develop ‘human’ skills.
Warren Buffett Said This Everyday Skill Separates Smart Leaders From Everyone Else
Practicing one skill effectively means turning ideas into clarity and setting the right expectations for action. Some leaders are brilliant in a conference room and nearly impossible to understand everywhere else. They know the business and can spot problems three moves ahead. But ask them to explain where the company is going, why a decision was made, or what employees should do differently, and suddenly everyone needs a decoder ring.
7 traços tóxicos de lideranças. E como melhorá-los
Gestores raramente acordam com a intenção de afastar funcionários talentosos. Ainda assim, toda semana, profissionais decidem que já basta – não por causa de uma reunião terrível ou de um dia ruim, mas porque vivenciaram os mesmos comportamentos e atitudes vezes sem conta. A Gallup apontou diversas vezes que os gestores respondem pela maior parte da variação no engajamento dos funcionários.
New CEOs Don’t Need All the Answers. They Need to Ask the Questions Everyone Else Avoids in the First 100 Days
It’s about knowing what to ask, and having the humility to truly listen. What is one of the easiest mistakes to make when you become CEO? Walking into the job believing everyone expects you to immediately have the answers. Well, they don’t. What people really want to know is whether you understand the problems worth solving. That distinction sits at the heart of Paul Griggs and Paul Leinwand’s excellent Harvard Business Review article, “What New CEOs Should Ask Themselves in Their First 100 Days”.
AI Transformation Experts Say Companies Are Really Facing a Talent Management Problem
The companies getting the most from AI aren’t treating it as a technology rollout. They’re redesigning work around the partnership between people and intelligent machines. If you ask employees what makes the biggest difference in their careers, they rarely mention software, strategy, or technology. They talk about a leader who believes in them, challenges them, coaches them, or gives them an opportunity they didn’t think they were ready for.
Dolly Parton Understood What Too Many Leaders Get Wrong About Legacy
A personal brand is what people know you for. A leadership legacy is what keeps helping people after you’re gone. Dolly Parton died today at age 80, ending a remarkable career that stretched across music, movies, business, and philanthropy. According to Reuters, Parton died peacefully in Nashville. She sold more than 100 million records, won 11 Grammys, and became one of the rare public figures whose appeal crossed generations and political divides.
I’ve Coached Hundreds of Leaders. The Ones Who Grow Do This 1 Uncomfortable Thing Repeatedly
Howard Lutnick 4 hours ago Sell Thy Neighbor: Trump Official Howard Lutnick and the Clandestine Deal to Sell NYC’s Glamorous Pierre Hotel Vanity Fair - Noah Shachtman • 4h Everyone from Michael Eisner to Tory Burch to Larry Ellison owns an apartment—maybe two—at the landmark hotel overlooking Central Park South.
I’ve Coached Hundreds of Leaders. The Ones Who Grow Do This 1 Uncomfortable Thing Repeatedly
New research suggests leadership skills are built through productive struggle and exposure to real-world pressure. I’ve coached hundreds of leaders and managers. So when a new client signs up for coaching with me, I often hear things like these: “I want to communicate better.” “I want to handle conflict more skillfully.” “I want to know how to get the best out of people.” I’ve heard these a million times.
Why Leaders Need to Retire the Phrase “Soft Skills” Permanently
What if one of the biggest gaps in leadership development is hiding behind a misleading label? We still call communication, listening, empathy, conflict resolution, teamwork, and relationship-building “soft skills.” But there is nothing soft about trying to deliver hard results through human beings. Soft is the new hard Coaches, consultants, and thought leaders may call it "essential skills" or "human skills." I prefer another term: interpersonal skills. This term is tangible and measurable.
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