Why Fear-Based Workplaces Need to Disappear with Marcel Schwantes

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 Schwantes discussed the impact of fear in the workplace, explaining how it stifles creativity, innovation, and collaboration. He highlighted that fear-based environments lead to disengagement, turnover, and low morale, while human-centered leadership fosters psychological safety and trust. Marcel emphasized the importance of leaders addressing their blind spots and modifying behaviors to create a positive workplace culture. He stressed that hiring and developing leaders based on technical competence alone is insufficient, urging a focus on humanity and human-centered attributes. Marcel encouraged listeners to subscribe to his Substack for further insights on effective human-centered leadership.

 

Bio:

 

Marcel Schwantes is a leadership coach, speaker, author, and advocate for more humane workplaces. He partners with organizations 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. 

 

Episode Timeline:

[00:03] Introduction: Why fear remains a workplace epidemic
[00:19] How fear kills creativity, collaboration, and profitability 
[01:06] Silence in meetings: The hidden cost of fear 
[01:58] Why fear stops innovation and risk-taking 
[02:34] Fear shrinks organizations from the inside out 
[03:51] Psychological safety and team performance (Harvard research) 
[04:26] Why leaders still dismiss “soft skills” 
[05:13] The cost of waiting for marching orders 
[05:49] Burnout, turnover, and quiet disengagement 
[06:03] What human-centered leadership looks like 
[07:10] Surfacing problems early vs. kicking the can down the road 
[08:10] Shared accountability and self-correcting teams 
[09:40] Leadership blind spots and fear-driven management 
[10:29] Burnout as the final warning sign 
[11:30] Why technical skills alone no longer qualify someone to lead 
[12:04] Raising human leadership capacity in the AI era 
[12:31] Closing thoughts and call to action 

 

Quotes:

• “If you want to know why creativity dies, why collaboration stalls, why your most talented people are quietly quitting — look for one thing: fear.” 
• “When fear is prevalent, people protect themselves instead of serving the mission.” 
• “You cannot afford to choose leaders based only on technical competence or individual performance. Those days are over.” 

 

Key Takeaways:

• Fear Is Expensive - Fear doesn’t just hurt feelings — it damages profitability, innovation, and long-term growth.
• Silence Is a Warning Sign - if meetings are full of nodding heads but no pushback, fear may be driving compliance instead of commitment.
• Psychological Safety Drives Performance - When employees feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and challenge ideas, performance and productivity increase.
• Human-Centered Leadership Solves Problems Early - Empowered teams raise concerns quickly, solve issues on the spot, and share accountability across levels.
• Leadership Blind Spots Create Fear - Many fear-based environments stem from leaders who fear losing control or respect. Coaching and self-awareness are critical.
• Technical Skills Aren’t Enough Anymore - In the age of AI and automation, the differentiator is human leadership capacity — the ability to help people flourish. 

 

Conclusion:

Fear quietly shrinks organizations from the inside out. It limits creativity, slows innovation, and pushes good people toward burnout and disengagement.  Marcel’s message is clear: if you care about performance, profitability, and long-term growth, you must care about human-centered leadership. The future of leadership isn’t louder authority or tighter control — it’s building environments where people feel safe enough to contribute their best thinking. 

The question every leader must ask: 

Am I creating safety — or am I creating fear? 

Because that answer determines everything. 

 

Resources: 

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Humane-Leadership-Lead-Radical-Kick-Ass-ebook/dp/B0CWG3PTL4/ 

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

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

X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarcelSchwantes1 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/ 

Dr. James Doty Episode: https://www.marcelschwantes.com/dr-james-doty-the-neuroscience-of-manifestation/