A Bold, Human-Centered Guide to Leading Change, with Frank Danna and Chris Pitre

A Bold, Human-Centered Guide to Leading Change, with Frank Danna and Chris Pitre

From Love in Action by Marcel Schwantes

February 13, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 257

About this episode

Marcel interviews Frank Danna and Chris Pitre about their book 'Love as a Change Strategy' and the transformation of Softway into a human-centered organization.

Episode recap Don’t forget to subscribe to my Substack for exclusive access to tools, action plans, long-form articles, book content, and coaching resources to level up your leadership! Subscribe here. In this episode, Marcel interviewed Frank Danna and Chris Pitre, co-authors of "Love as a Change Strategy," discussing their book's themes and their experience at Softway, a technology company that transformed from a toxic culture to a human-centered organization. The conversation explored how embracing discomfort, prioritizing relationships, and practicing empathetic curiosity can lead to successful organizational change. Frank and Chris shared personal stories about their own transformation journeys and how they apply these principles at Softway. They discussed the importance of leaders modeling change behavior and the role of AI in enhancing human connection at work. The authors emphasized that change should be led, not managed, and highlighted the need for leaders to be intentional with their words and actions. Guest Bio Chris Pitre is Vice President at both Culture+ and Softway. Chris has spent his career helping companies reimagine how they work, focusing on how they treat…

People in this episode

Guests: Frank Danna, Chris Pitre

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • organizational change
  • human-centered culture
  • empathy
  • technology

Keywords

  • toxic culture
  • empathetic curiosity
  • modeling change behavior
  • AI in workplace
  • intentional leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Love as a Change Strategy

Books & works: A Bold, Human-Centered Guide to Leading Change, with, Love as a Change Strategy

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