Live from CultureCon: Change the Song in Your Head with Claude Silver

Sometimes the most important leadership shift starts with changing the song in your own head. Live from CultureCon 2026, Dr. Rod Berger sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, USA Today bestselling author of “Be Yourself at Work”, and a pioneer of people-first leadership. Claude shares how a 93-day Outward Bound experience helped her find her voice, challenge the limiting beliefs she carried for years, and ultimately recognize the kind of leader she was meant to become. From building a culture rooted in empathy to taking accountability for how we show up, Claude explores why great leadership requires both heart and ownership. She also opens up about the trust that changed her career, the importance of knowing when you are not at your best, and why people should never have to shrink themselves to succeed at work. Additional Resources: Connect with Claude on LinkedIn Get Claude’s book “Be Yourself at Work” Learn more about Claude’s work Connect with Rod on LinkedIn Connect with Zach on LinkedIn Connect with Nick on LinkedIn Subscribe to CultureCon’s YouTube channel! Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Learn more about CultureCon Key Takeaways: Change the story playing inside your own head. Empathy and accountability can exist at the same time. Great leaders coach people instead of rescuing them. Stop shrinking yourself to fit the workplace. Trust gives people permission to stand in their strengths. Dr. Rod Berger is a keynote speaker, moderator, producer, author, and expert in strategic storytelling. Berger’s book, The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets The Moment (Wiley), hits bookstores in late 2025. He draws on more than 4,000 interviews conducted worldwide for Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fair Observer, including a cover story about former Virgin Entertainment co-founder Jason Felts, for Los Angeles Magazine, as well as various podcasts. He has captured the narratives of investors, CEOs, renowned entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, scholars, and cultural icons such as NBA legends Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, as well as United Nations officials and Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar, while also exploring the behind-the-scenes world of Formula 1.Berger has met with the Crown Princess of Sweden, Pope Francis, United Nations officials, and NGO leaders, covering stories of water insecurity with WaterAid, the intergenerational refugee crisis faced by displaced Sudanese in Uganda, and the impacts of child marriage in Western Africa with the Le Korsa Foundation.Berger served as a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management for nearly two decades, focusing on the power of storytelling in business.He has partnered with The Jim Henson Company to create a television show, The Ultimate GOAT, that combines his passion for distant lands and storytelling with culture, sports, and puppetry for family programming.Berger conducts moderated keynote events that blend storytelling with live, on-stage narratives featuring cultural icons such as Opal Lee, the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and recognized as the “Grandmother” of Juneteenth. In 2023, Berger received the inaugural Pangea International Literacy Prize and delivered his TEDx Talk, “Story is Our Currency.” He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.