What is a Good Life? #161 - The Potential For Compassion with Rasmus Hougaard

Feb 10, 2026

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What does it take to be happy? And why does happiness so often slip away?

In this episode of What Is a Good Life?, Mark McCartney is joined by Rasmus Hougaard for a conversation that moves from childhood questions about happiness, to monasteries in Nepal, to the boardrooms where he now works to transform leadership. Rasmus is the Founder and Chairman of Potential Project and was nominated by Thinkers 50 as one of the eight most important leadership thinkers in the world today. He's the author of The Mind of the Leader, Compassionate Leadership, and More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead.

Together, they explore:

Why an eight-year-old's question about happiness became a life's work
The cultural wisdom Rasmus found in Nepal that the West is missing
How his brother's death inspired his life's purpose
A profound encounter with an unknown monk that transmitted unconditional love
The difficulty of being human, even with deep practice and good intentions
The innate goodness we all carry (and why many of us have forgotten it)
What changes when leaders ask "how are you?" before "what do we need to do?"

This conversation sits with both the challenge of being human and the incredible capacity we have for loving kindness. It's about the practice of returning to what matters again and again.

This episode is for anyone wondering if there's more to leadership, happiness, and being human than what we've been taught.

For more of Rasmus' work:
Potential Project: https://www.potentialproject.com/
Books: https://www.potentialproject.com/resources#01-books
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasmushougaard/

For more from Mark McCartney:
Newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
Website: https://www.mmcleadership.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markcmccartney

00:00 Why Aren't We Happy?
05:30 Finding a Practice at Seventeen
11:45 Wisdom in Himalayan Culture
17:20 Life's Purpose from Tragedy
24:30 Meeting Bodhisattva Charles
31:15 Our Innate Human Goodness
37:40 The Difficulty of Being Human
43:10 Forced Surrender and Self-Compassion
48:25 Transformation in Corporate Spaces
52:15 Multiple Lives, Less Pressure
54:30 What is a Good Life for Rasmus?