Episode Recap:

Urs Koenig joins host Marcel Schwantes to discuss his book, Unlock Leadership’s Secret Weapon: Radical Humility. Urs shares his extraordinary background and how it has shaped his understanding of humility and vulnerability, critical components of humble leadership. Urs is a renowned keynote speaker and expert on humble leadership. Drawing on his experience as a UN and NATO peacekeeper, ultra-endurance champion, professor, and executive coach, Urs delivers a powerful message on Radical Humility in leadership. He combines cutting-edge research, inspiring stories, and practical tools to help organizations like Starbucks and Amazon engage teams, attract top talent, and foster a culture that’s “Tough on Results, Tender on People.” His Radical Humility Framework equips leaders to succeed in today’s complex business world.

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Show Notes

• “This Venn diagram has been the story of my life. How do I achieve really cool, hard stuff and at the same time be the best human I can be?” [11:16] Urs Koenig has a diverse background in endurance sports and intense careers. Whether ultra biking or working as a NATO military peacekeeper, the most impactful part of his life was finding balance in being a good person—this inspired his book, Unlock Leadership’s Secret Weapon: Radical Humility.

• “People often tell me, ‘If I show up with humility, I’m a pushover; I have no spine; I have no confidence.’” [22:28] Dispelling myths about humble leadership and moving away from the “heroic leader” model, Urs explains that humility is actually a prerequisite for confidence and a strong sense of self. It allows leaders to be vulnerable and open to feedback—critical components of humility.

• “The soft stuff—building more self-awareness, showing up with vulnerability—it’s not soft. The soft stuff is tough.” [30:25] Urs shares a powerful story of vulnerability from the CEO of Intuit. Leading with humility requires immense courage, as well as the work involved in developing these “soft skills”: journaling, reflection, accepting feedback, and applying the necessary focus and thought.

• “The Platinum Rule requires me to really know my people on a meaningful level, so I can treat them the way they want to be treated.” [35:04] Urs contrasts the Golden Rule, “treat others the way you want to be treated,” which he calls selfish, with the Platinum Rule. The latter encourages leaders and teams to have conversations about how they want to be treated and receive feedback.

• “Humble leadership sometimes means raising your voice or giving clear, direct orders. Let me be very clear—this is not about name-calling or yelling. It’s about being firm, direct, and inviting feedback, all with the goal of raising performance.” [46:23] Urs shares a story from his time as a NATO Peacekeeper Commander, explaining how strong, safe workplace cultures thrive on openness and feedback. It’s not about agreeing on everything, but about being receptive to criticism.

• “Schedule one ‘deepening the relationship’ meeting with one of your teammates.” [51:22] Marcel and Urs discuss humble leadership throughout the episode. To make the shift to Radical Humility, Urs suggests starting with a first step: strengthen the relationship with one teammate this week.

  Key Takeaway: Urs Koenig closes the episode with this message: “Be tough on results, tender on people. The notion that we either have to be a good human or a tough leader is a false dichotomy. We can all courageously do hard things in a human way.” [53:52]

The Book

Mentioned in this episode:

• Urs Koenig
• Urs Koenig on LinkedIn 
• Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human: Urs Koenig: 9781637554050: Amazon.com: Books
• Marcel Schwantes on LinkedIn
• Marcel Schwantes

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