MEET CLAUDE SILVER My name is Claude Silver ; I ’ m the “ chief heart officer ” at VaynerMedia . The way I got into the world of advertising is : I was in the right place at the right time ! I have always been a player / coach / cheerleader . I ’ ve always been rooting for people , I clap for people , I cheer for people . I believe in the potential of people . I was in San Francisco during the dotcom boom ; I started my career in the world of digital in 1998 at a startup . After the dotcom bust , I started an outdoor adventure company — surfing and rock climbing and tennis and mountainteering — called Girls Adventure Out . In 2005 , I sold the company and went back into the advertising world .

Almost everything I ’ ve learned has come from hospitality : leaving people better than you ’ ve found them ; bringing positive “ optimist ” energy to every experience ; perfecting white glove service ; anticipating a customer ’ s needs before they do . I have worked in the back office and I know what it takes to run a company , to staff a company , to downsize a company . I know what it takes for a visionary to run a company so they can bring their authentic self to the table .

Pulse : As a Knowledge Builder presenter at the 2024 ISPA Conference , you will address the ISPA membership about “ the ROI of Leading with Heart .” Share a little about what “ leading with heart ” means . Claude Silver : Leading with heart is a transformative leadership approach with a far-reaching positive impact . Promoting others ’ growth contributes to overall prosperity for your organization . Empowering employees through heart not only fosters a thriving team spirit , but also drives business success .

Leading with heart is a massive paradigm shift from where we ’ ve been with top-down leadership and strong hierarchical structures — I ’ m right , you ’ re wrong — and we ’ re going to a place where not only is intelligence needed , but emotional intelligence is needed . That ’ s a big shift , where vulnerability is seen as a strength , where gratitude and generosity of spirit are superpowers to share with your team . Such a huge shift from where we ’ ve been . To trust your employees rather than requiring them to continue proving themselves .

Another big shift : How do I leave people better than I found them ? How do I light people up every day ? These are massively big statements of purpose . Three terms I use that are pillars in my faith in how we can show up every day as leaders of ourselves ( our own CEOs ) as well as of companies are : l Emotional optimism l Emotional bravery l Emotional efficiency

Pulse : What are a few takeaway messages from your presentation ? CS : 1 The first is my favorite truism from Maya Angelou : “ I ’ ve learned that people will forget what you said , people will forget what you did , but people will never forget how you made them feel .” The red thread of everything I talk about is How do you make people feel ?

2 Be someone who other people want in the room . How do you choose to show up every day ? We need to put

24 PULSE n JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024