The Empathy Edge Claude Silver: Be Yourself at Work for the Ultimate Leadership Advantage
Too many leaders are still trying to succeed by becoming someone they think they’re supposed to be—quieter, tougher, more polished, less human. And in the process, they’re leaving their greatest strengths at the door.
My guest believes that’s exactly backward. Today, we welcome back Claude Silver to discuss her latest book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.
We explore what authentic presence really looks like at work, and why pretending to be a different kind of leader rarely gets better results. Claude and I unpack why many leaders have accountability backwards, why the more power you gain, the less truth you often hear, and how being open and emotionally present doesn’t weaken communication but rather prevents under-communicating with your team. Finally, Claude offers us a simple, actionable practice you can use right away to take a small step and rebuild trust and connection where it matters most.
This is a conversation with one of my favorite humans on the planet about stopping the performance of leadership—and starting to lead from the strengths that made you worth hiring in the first place.
To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.
Listen in for…
- The importance of bringing your unique perspective, talents, and humanity to your team.
- What authentic presence looks like at work.
- Protecting healthy boundaries with courage and kindness while still connecting with others.
- Signs your culture is thriving and how to get there.
- Why is the room with everyone in it smarter than any one person in that room?
- The reason actions say more than words ever will.
- The dangerous byproduct of silence.
"When a person is real, they are not carrying the burden or the weight of any other facade." — Claude Silver
About Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer, VaynerX, and Author of Be Yourself at Work:
Claude Silver is on a mission to revolutionize leadership, talent, and workplace culture. She is the world's first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, partnering with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk to drive their success. Silver has earned Campaign US's Female Frontier Award and AdWeek's Changing the Game Award, and she electrifies audiences at national and international conferences, as well as at organizations including Meta, Google, US Government agencies, and the US Armed Forces. She has been interviewed on dozens of podcasts and featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. Silver lives in New Jersey with her wife and two young children. She is the author of Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.
Connect with Claude:
Website: claudesilver.com
VaynerX: beyourselfbook.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/casilver
Instagram: instagram.com/claudesilver
Connect with Maria:
Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/books
Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross
Take the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader
LinkedIn: Maria Ross
Instagram: @redslicemaria
Facebook: Red Slice
Get your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com