News Spotlight

Employees are silently holding back valuable knowledge. Workers are increasingly choosing to withhold ideas and information from colleagues, a trend that threatens collaboration, innovation, and overall workplace performance.
- Forbes​

Employees embracing new AI-driven workflows. Companies are increasingly using AI to reimagine how work gets done, but without clear guidance and training, this shift risks undermining quality and eroding employee confidence.
- Business Insider​

Scammers post fake job listings to exploit. Fraudsters are increasingly using deceptive job postings on major platforms like ZipRecruiter and LinkedIn—inviting unsuspecting applicants to provide personal information or pay fees, then vanish once they’ve secured access or money.
- NBC News​

Stat of the Week

A new study finds that just 40% of working Americans hold “quality jobs”—roles that offer fair pay, stability, respect, opportunities for growth, and a voice in how the job is done.

HR leaders should treat this finding as a wake-up call to redefine what “good work” truly means inside their organizations. With only 40% of employees in quality jobs, it’s clear that fair pay and stability are no longer sufficient workers also expect respect, growth opportunities, and a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. HR should conduct internal audits to assess job quality, engage employees directly to understand where gaps exist, and collaborate with leadership to design roles and policies that enhance equity, career mobility, and psychological safety. Investing in quality jobs isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic one that drives retention, innovation, and long-term performance.

Deep Dive Article

Leading with Humanity in the Age of AI

In this week’s feature, we sit down with Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and one of today’s most authentic voices on human-centered leadership. At a time when workplaces are being redefined by technology and AI, Claude is leading a global conversation about the one thing machines can’t replicate — genuine human connection. Since taking on her role, she’s helped VaynerX grow from 400 to more than 2,000 employees across 11 countries, and has guided VaynerMedia to be named Adweek’s Breakthrough Media Agency of the Year.

Claude’s new book, Be Yourself at Work, is both a manifesto and a manual for building cultures rooted in authenticity, bravery, and care. In our interview, she explains why authenticity is the antidote to burnout, how emotional bravery can transform leadership, and what it really takes for people to feel seen and valued at work. Her insights are a powerful reminder that belonging isn’t built through perks or performance metrics — it’s built through presence, recognition, and trust.

As organizations race to adopt AI and automate efficiency, Claude makes the case that humanity is still the ultimate competitive advantage. In her words, “Efficiency is speed. Humanity is staying power.” Her philosophy offers HR leaders and executives a roadmap for creating workplaces that not only perform — but thrive — because people can show up as their full selves.

Your book emphasizes that authenticity is the antidote to burnout. Why do you think so many workplaces still push people to “perform” rather than “be,” and what’s the first step leaders can take to change that dynamic?

Burnout doesn’t come from the work itself — it comes from the act of hiding who we are. Too many workplaces still push people to perform instead of be, and the cost is staggering.

When employees wear a mask, they burn out not from tasks, but from the constant calculation: Am I saying the right thing? Do I belong here? Should I tone this down? Carrying a version of ourselves that isn’t whole is heavier than any deadline.

It’s the burnout of fitting in instead of belonging — the endless energy spent adjusting, shrinking, code-switching, or polishing every edge so you don’t stand out. It’s the burnout of imposter syndrome — that quiet, relentless voice whispering, You don’t deserve this. They’ll find out you’re not enough. No achievement feels like solid ground; success doesn’t restore, it depletes.

And it’s the burnout of perfectionism — believing every email, presentation, or sentence must be flawless or risk judgment. Perfectionism masquerades as ambition, but it’s really fear dressed up as skill and fear is the fastest path to burnout.

That’s why authenticity isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the antidote to burnout. When people are free to show up fully, the work becomes sustainable, creativity flows, and connection multiplies.

You introduce three pillars—Emotional Optimism, Emotional Bravery, and Emotional Efficiency. Which of these do you find leaders struggle with most, and why?

In my book, Be Yourself At Work, I introduce three pillars of leadership: Emotional Optimism, Emotional Bravery, and Emotional Efficiency. Each stretches leaders in different ways, but the one most often neglected is Emotional Bravery.

Optimism is accessible — most leaders can rally energy, belief and possibility. Efficiency is measurable; it’s speed. But bravery is murky, uncomfortable, and impossible to score on a spreadsheet. It means confronting conflict instead of smoothing it over, giving feedback with candor and care, admitting mistakes, and making values-based calls when they’re unpopular.

The irony is that avoiding bravery erodes the very trust leaders are trying to preserve. Teams sense when silence replaces truth or when feedback is softened to the point of uselessness. Over time, optimism feels hollow and efficiency grinds to a halt.

True leadership means choosing courage over comfort. Even imperfect acts of bravery send a powerful message: you matter more than my image. That’s when loyalty deepens, innovation expands, and culture strengthens.

You’ve spent years as Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, listening to employees and coaching leaders. What’s the most surprising insight you’ve gained about what people really need at work to feel valued and like they belong?

The most surprising and revealing insight from my years as Chief Heart Officer is this: people don’t need grand gestures. They need to feel seen.

And when I say people, I mean everyone. Junior employees crave recognition, yes, but so do senior leaders, seasoned executives, even founders and CEOs. No one outgrows the need to know their contribution matters. I’ve watched the most experienced leaders light up when someone thanked them for guidance, acknowledged a tough call they made, or simply noticed the weight they were carrying. Recognition isn’t a “beginner’s need” — it’s a human need.

In thousands of conversations, the same pattern emerges. Employees don’t talk about the cold brew and the free lunch when they describe moments they’ve felt valued. They talk about when a manager remembered their story, when a colleague checked in after a family loss, or when someone noticed the effort they poured into a tough project. Belonging isn’t built on perks — it’s built on presence.

Too often, recognition is treated as episodic, tied to performance reviews, quarterly bonuses, or employee-of-the-month programs. But belonging is forged in the everyday. It lives in the quick Slack message of gratitude, the unhurried two minutes at the end of a meeting to say “thank you,” the leader who stops to ask you in the hallway, How are you really?

When leaders practice this kind of care consistently, trust takes root. And once trust is built, everything else follows. Collaboration accelerates because people stop guarding themselves. Innovation flourishes because people feel safe taking risks. Efficiency improves because teams don’t waste energy second-guessing intentions. In other words, trust is not just the “soft stuff.” It’s the infrastructure that allows the hard stuff to happen faster and better.

The ROI of care is exponential. A leader who builds trust through recognition and presence unlocks not just retention but also resilience. Teams recover from setbacks more quickly. People are more willing to stretch beyond their roles. Creativity compounds because psychological safety frees people to experiment without fear of judgment.

The truth is this: people don’t leave jobs; they leave places where they feel invisible. The most enduring cultures are the ones where no one, regardless of title or tenure, is unseen. When recognition is universal and trust is foundational, belonging becomes more than a buzzword — it becomes the engine of performance.

In a world where AI and technology are advancing rapidly, you argue that humanity is our greatest asset. How can organizations practically balance efficiency with the deeper human need for connection?

Technology will only keep getting faster. AI can draft strategies, write code, analyze data — but it can’t replicate meaning. Efficiency reduces friction. Belonging drives performance over the long haul.

Organizations often frame efficiency and humanity as trade-offs, but they’re actually multipliers. When people feel safe, trusted, and cared for, they move faster. They collaborate more seamlessly, recover from setbacks more quickly, and innovate with less hesitation. Humanity isn’t the soft side of business; it’s what fuels all innovation, creativity and retention.

Three practical moves can help organizations stand out:

1. Automate the drain, not the dignity.

Use AI to eliminate repetitive tasks — expense reports, scheduling, compliance tracking — so humans can focus on what only they can do: create, connect, and care.

2. Design for connection, not just transaction.

If every interaction is transactional, burnout follows. Build rituals that bring people back into their humanity: check-ins to open meetings, celebrating weekly wins, or simple appreciation circles. These micro-moments build the relational tissue no tech stack can provide.

3. Lead with radical transparency.

AI can create distance if decisions feel like a black box. Transparency is the antidote. Share the “why,” invite input, and reduce fear. Uncertainty is often more stressful than bad news itself; context creates calm.

Efficiency is speed. Humanity is staying power. The future isn’t human versus machine — it’s human with machine. The companies that thrive will be the ones that harness both: technology to scale output, and humanity to scale trust, creativity, and culture.

People don’t want to work for the fastest company. They want to work for the company that sees them, values them, and helps them grow. AI may win on efficiency. Humanity wins on loyalty — and loyalty keeps talent, clients, and culture from walking out the door.

For employees who may feel trapped in cultures that reward perfectionism or “fitting in,” what advice would you give them to begin showing up as their true selves—without fear of repercussions?

For employees in environments that reward perfectionism or “fitting in,” the fear of showing up authentically is real. That’s why my advice isn’t “just be yourself.” That’s too simplistic. The real strategy is: start small, start safe, start consistent.

Authenticity is incremental. Share a story in a meeting. Name an emotion in real time. Offer a differing perspective. These micro-moments of truth build confidence and signal that realness has a place.

And find allies. Even in rigid cultures, there are pockets of belonging. Anchor to them. Collective courage creates resilience.

Perfectionism isn’t protecting you. It’s silent burnout. The mask doesn’t keep you safe; it keeps you hidden. Authenticity isn’t about blurting out everything you think — it’s about aligning who you are with how you lead. When you do, you plant the seeds of change. Every act of authenticity is a crack in the armor of perfectionism. And over time, those cracks let the light in.

The organizations that will thrive in this next era aren’t the ones that ask people to perform at all costs. They’re the ones that create environments where people can bring their selves to the table — where authenticity, bravery, and care are not “extras” but strategic advantages.

Thanks for reading — be sure to join the conversation on LinkedIn and let me know your thoughts on this topic!

Quote of the Week

“Don’t take yourself too seriously. Know when to laugh at yourself, and find a way to laugh at obstacles that inevitably present themselves."
​Halle Bailey