FUTUREPROOF. The ROI of Not Being a Robot (ft. author & VaynerX exec Claude Silver)
What if the most undervalued leadership skill in the AI era isn’t technical fluency—but emotional presence?
This episode of FUTUREPROOF. features Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer and the No. 2 executive at VaynerX, joining the show to unpack why authenticity, empathy, and belonging are no longer “nice-to-haves,” but strategic advantages.
Claude’s 2025 book, Be Yourself at Work, challenges the long-standing belief that professionalism requires emotional distance. Instead, she argues that in a world defined by AI, automation, and burnout, the leaders who win are the ones who lead with heart—intentionally, skillfully, and without performative fluff.
We explore:
- Why “authenticity” has been misunderstood—and how to practice it without oversharing or losing authority
- What leading with heart actually looks like inside a 2,000-person global organization
- How emotional skills become power skills as AI absorbs more technical work
- The difference between fitting in and true belonging—and why that gap is costing companies talent and trust
- How leaders can balance emotional bravery with emotional efficiency in an always-on, high-pressure world
This is a conversation about leadership after the old playbook breaks—and what replaces it when humanity becomes the edge.