In a world where workplace culture can make or break performance, Claude Silver is proving that heart-led leadership drives results. As the first-ever Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia – and a sought-after speaker on modern leadership – Claude has transformed traditional HR into a people-first experience. She’s now channeling her insights into an upcoming book, Be Yourself at Work, to help leaders build more authentic cultures. In this emotionally charged yet practical episode, Claude shares how infusing empathy, emotional intelligence, and genuine human connection into business can ignite engagement and boost the bottom line.

Claude’s Journey & Vision: We explore her unconventional rise to the C-suite and how she partnered with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk to build a vibrant, high-trust culture from the ground up. Claude discusses her philosophy of “bringing humanity to the workplace,” recounting powerful learning moments that shaped her approach. You’ll hear how she turned HR into a strategic People and Experience team, aligning talent development, employee well-being, and business outcomes.

Key Insights for HR Leaders: This conversation dives into the how-to for today’s future of work challenges – from hybrid work dynamics to strengthening engagement and inclusion. Claude breaks down why diversity and inclusion in hiring isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s smart business – and how creating a culture of belonging fuels innovation. We talk about building a coaching culture where continuous feedback and accountability accelerate growth. Claude emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and vulnerability in leadership, illustrating how emotional intelligence bridges cross-cultural gaps and drives employee engagement.

Whether you’re an HR director reimagining your company culture or a manager striving to elevate team performance, Claude’s stories and strategies will resonate. She shows that when leaders show up with empathy, authenticity, and intentional support, employees thrive – and businesses do too.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform and leave a review – your support helps more leaders find these insights.

🎧 Want more human-first leadership like this? Subscribe and listen to the full episode at StepItUpHR.com/Corey-osityUnleashed.

💡 Learn more about Claude’s approach at ClaudeSilver.com

👥 Connect with Claude on LinkedIn for daily leadership wisdom.

🚀 For behind-the-scenes extras, subscribe on [YouTube] and follow @StepItUpHR on LinkedIn.

Discovery Keywords/Hashtags:

#Leadership #FutureOfWork #EmployeeEngagement #CompanyCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #HR

Ready to build a culture that truly kicks ass and learn how not to suck at leadership?

In this bold, no-nonsense episode, former WD-40 Company CEO Garry Ridge – bestselling author of Any Dumbass Can Do It – shares his hard-won leadership lessons and infectious passion for creating an extraordinary workplace. Garry transformed WD-40 from a small business into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse brand over 25 years, cultivating a culture where employees thrived, loved their work, and achieved extraordinary results. Under his people-centric leadership, WD-40’s market cap skyrocketed from $300 million to $3.6 billion, with employee engagement hitting an unheard-of 93% (compare that to a global average of ~31% – a crisis he calls “disgusting”). His secret? Embracing “learning moments” instead of failures and banishing fear from the workplace. This conversation is a masterclass in trust-based culture building, delivered with the humor, heart, and straight-talk you’d expect from the self-proclaimed “Dean of Dumbassery.” 😎

• The Power of Dumbassery: Why Garry proudly runs a “School of Dumbassery” on LinkedIn (and why you never graduate from it – because the learning never stops). Discover how embracing humility and continuous learning can be a leader’s superpower, turning mistakes into “learning moments” that drive growth and innovation.

• Managers ≠ Coaches: How WD-40 replaced managers with coaches to create a high-engagement coaching culture. Garry explains how simply changing that title from “boss” to “coach” (and backing it up with action) boosted trust and respect – 97% of employees said they respected their coach – because coaches focus on helping people win, not bossing them around. Learn how this shift increased psychological safety and performance across the organization.

• Trust, Values, and “Learning Moments”: The inside scoop on building a trust-based workplace culture where psychological safety is paramount. Garry shares how removing the word “failure” and calling them “learning moments” eliminated fear and encouraged people to speak up and take risks. He discusses fostering belonging and tribal mentality (“tribe members,” not employees) and leading with a compelling set of values that “protect people and set them free.”

• Leading with Heart (and a Backbone of Steel): Why servant leadership doesn’t mean being a pushover. Garry and the hosts explore the balance between being tough-minded and tender-hearted – having a “heart of gold and a backbone of steel,” as Garry puts it. He shares how values-based decisions and candid “caring confrontations” build trust over time, and why real leadership is “not a popularity contest, it’s a contact sport.”

• Creating Legend-Level Culture: How Garry’s approach aligns with insights from leadership icons and influencers. Hear references to Ken Blanchard (co-author of Helping People Win at Work), the no-BS wisdom of Marshall Goldsmith, and the research of Harvard’s Amy Edmondson on psychological safety. This episode is packed with real-talk examples and visionary advice to help HR leaders and executives stop sucking at leadership and start building a culture employees can’t stop raving about.

Listen now and join us on the journey to a culture that kicks ass! For more great insights and episodes, visit our podcast homepage:

• Podcast Homepage: https://stepituphr.com/corey-osityunleashed

• Any Dumbass Can Do It (Garry Ridge): https://amzn.to/YourAffiliateLink

• The Right Kind of Wrong (Amy Edmondson): https://amzn.to/RightKindOfWrong

• Helping People Win at Work (Ken Blanchard & Garry Ridge): https://amzn.to/HelpingPeopleWinAtWork

• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (Marshall Goldsmith): https://amzn.to/WhatGotYouHere

• Garry Ridge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/

• School of Dumbassery (LinkedIn Group): https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14633002/

• Power of Dumbassery Quiz (The Learning Moment): https://www.thelearningmoment.net/quiz

In this episode of Corey-osity Unleashed, we journey from the cricket pitch to the boardroom with Roland Butcher – a man who knows how to break boundaries and build winning teams. As England’s first Black cricketer, Roland shattered a major barrier in sports history, and he’s just put his story to paper in his June 2025 autobiography Roland O. Butcher: Breaking Boundaries as England’s First Black Cricketer. Now an author, consultant, and speaker, Roland shares the leadership wisdom behind that trailblazing journey in a conversation brimming with passion and performance-driven insights.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Roland turned adversity (being told “you can’t do it”) into fuel for success – and how you can cultivate that same resilience in your team.

• Why burnout strikes even top performers and why addressing mental health is non-negotiable for sustained performance.

• The “learning moments” behind Roland’s coaching philosophy – from timing feedback for maximum impact to building trust across your team.

• How embracing a coaching culture and empowering individuals ignites employee engagement, loyalty, and high performance.

• Why stable leadership and mentorship are game-changers for long-term team success – in sports and in business alike.

Roland also draws powerful parallels between sports and the corporate world, showing that great leadership fundamentals are universal. He illustrates how the best leaders put people first, foster an inclusive, engaged, and resilient workplace culture, and adapt to change with confidence. This conversation will inspire HR directors, C-suite executives, and frontline managers to rethink their leadership playbook and step up their game.

🔊 Tune in now and let Roland’s story ignite your own leadership journey. If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, follow us on LinkedIn, and visit https://stepituphr.com/corey-osityunleashed to continue the conversation and access exclusive resources!

Keywords

#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement #Empowerment #Coaching #Resilience