Why the Best CEOs Lead With Heart, Not Just Numbers | Fred & Stuart

The best business leaders don't just manage the numbers, they lead with heart. In this conversation, Fred and Stuart dig into what business school never taught: how caring about people, authentically and not as an ROI calculation, builds stronger companies. Fred shares the story of how his company, Cascade Engineering, put a social worker on the plant floor, hired people out of poverty and out of prison, and declared itself an anti-racism organization long before any of it was common. Stuart connects it to a bigger idea: business has always been trained to serve the head, but there is enormous untapped potential in leaders who are finally given permission to lead with the heart. This one is for CEOs, founders, and executives who believe company culture, dignity, and employee well-being are not soft topics, they are the whole game. ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 The head vs the heart of business 0:39 How do you really support people at work? 1:01 A walk through the plant that changed everything 1:35 Hiring from the hard side of Grand Rapids 2:18 Learning to understand poverty 3:01 Putting a social worker on the plant floor 3:29 National recognition from the White House 4:17 Giving returning citizens a second chance 5:03 Becoming an anti-racism organization 6:19 Serving the underserved, not just hiring them 9:03 Start with people, not ROI 10:19 Redefining what drives value in business 13:57 Harnessing the heart of business leaders 🔔 This is Episode 2 of A Conversation with Fred and Stuart, a series on the future of business, purpose-driven leadership, and systems change. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. #Internality #PurposeDrivenBusiness #Leadership