What if the real measure of leadership isn’t your title, revenue, or followers—but how safe people feel to be fully themselves around you? Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and Gary Vaynerchuk's right hand on all things people and culture, isn’t interested in performative “culture” or polished buzzwords; she’s interested in the messy, human reality of work—belonging, psychological safety, emotional optimism, and what actually happens when leaders care more about people’s hearts than their job titles.

Spending time with Claude feels like getting permission to stop performing and start leading from who you really are—whether you’re a CEO, founder, HR leader, manager, or just someone who refuses to numb out at work. If this hits something in you and you’re ready to bring more heart, honesty, and humanity into your leadership, go deeper with Claude’s book Be Yourself at Work here: ⁠https://www.claudesilver.com/book⁠

00:00 Lead with heart or don’t lead

00:29 Why people matter more than anything

02:10 Survival Camp, discomfort, and waking up to yourself

04:50 Walking away from advertising and choosing people

06:20 Becoming Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia with Gary Vaynerchuk

08:05 Be Yourself (Be a zebra)

10:05 Hiding at work, fear, and judgment

12:15 Psychological safety and speaking your mind

14:20 Belonging, being known, and feeling seen

16:25 Emotional intelligence and emotional fluency

18:30 Leaders as light‑switches, not heroes

20:40 Protecting your people and choosing health over accounts

22:45 Kindness, chance encounters, and the quiet ROI of empathy

25:00 Knowing your own strengths and owning your story

27:10 Legacy, kids, and bringing heart home too

31:00 A simple challenge: reach out, be human today

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