Allowing Humans to be Human with Mark LeBusque
Higher Purpose Podcast
Joining us for another session on what it means to live, love, work, and lead in a humans first kind of way is Mark LeBusque. He describes his work as allowing humans to be human, whether that’s in the workplace, outside of the workplace, or in their communities. We talk about the magic that happens when you allow humans to get back to connecting, and why we need to be human beings before we can become human doings.
info_outline
Everybody Matters with Bob Chapman
Higher Purpose Podcast
Adding to this series of conversations we’re having about what it means to approach business from a people first focus is today’s episode with Bob Chapman. Bob is the author of Everybody Matters, and today we’re talking about creating work cultures where people flourish, how that impacts our lives outside of work, and what it means to care about and be a steward for your organization.
info_outline
The 7 Laws of Employee Loyalty with Heather Younger
Higher Purpose Podcast
With more and more people switching jobs every few years, how can you as a leader cultivate loyalty in a humans first kind of way? Join us on this episode with Heather Younger, the host of the podcast Leadership with Heart, the author of The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty, and, in her words, an employee advocate.
info_outline
Being a Brave Leader with Kimberly Davis
Higher Purpose Podcast
What does it mean to be a brave leader? This is our 10th installment in our HumansFirst series of heart-to-heart discussions on what it means to live, love, lead, and work in a humans first way. Today we’re joined by Kimberly Davis, the author of Brave Leadership and the Founder and Director of OnStage Leadership, and on this episode she talks about showing up as our best selves, making our impact, and leading from the heart.
info_outline
How Leadership is Evolving with Sesil Pir
Higher Purpose Podcast
Is there a magic pill to make your team and organization work? Welcome to another installment in what it means to live, love, lead, and work in a humans first way. Today we have Sesil Pir, an organizational psychologist and a leading researcher on workplaces and workplace culture. She’s here to share her keen insights on the future of work and human resources, and why we need to challenge the status quo of work to suit the way we’re built as human beings.
info_outline
Finding Real Happiness at Work with Brooke Erol
Higher Purpose Podcast
There’s job satisfaction, and then there’s the real happiness that comes from working at a company whose purpose aligns with yours AND where your job has meaning. We continue our HumansFirst series with Brooke Erol, the founder of Purposeful Business, and she shares how we can become more engaged at work, so we can become more engaged in life.
info_outline
The 7 Simple Superpowers of the HumansFirst Heroes
Higher Purpose Podcast
Today, we’re talking superpowers. We’re midstream in a series of conversations on what it means to live, love, and lead in a HumansFirst kind of way, and for this special solo episode, I want to talk to you about some important simple skills. Now, don’t confuse simple for easy. These skills require us to put someone else ahead of ourselves, which is difficult and doesn’t come naturally to many of us. I call them: The 7 Simple Superpowers of the HumansFirst Heroes.
info_outline
Being a Chief Heart Officer with Claude Silver
Higher Purpose Podcast
What is it like to mentor almost 800 people? Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, a global digital advertising agency. She was previously the company’s Senior Vice President, and was handpicked for the role three years ago by the CEO himself, Gary Vaynerchuk. Today on the show she’s talking about the immense ability we have to touch people’s lives, even in the smallest of ways.
info_outline
The Future of Work with Dr. Heather Hanson Wickman
Higher Purpose Podcast
What does the future of work look like? According to our guest, the future of work is ‘Love in Action.’ Heather Hanson Wickman is the co-founder of Untethered Consulting and the author of “The Evolved Executive,” and today we’re talking about what it means to lead with love, not fear. Heather shares that her purpose is to awaken the souls of leaders to create soulful organizations. So how can we do that?
info_outline
Making Work More Human with Renée Smith
Higher Purpose Podcast
What does it look like when we make work more human? Renée Smith serves as the Director of Workplace Transformation for Washington State as part of the Governor’s Results Washington Office. She leads the ‘Make Work More Human’ project, and she’s here to answer the question: “What’s love got to do with it?”
info_outlineWhat is it like to mentor almost 800 people? Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, a global digital advertising agency. She was previously the company’s Senior Vice President, and was handpicked for the role three years ago by the CEO himself, Gary Vaynerchuk. Today on the show she’s talking about the immense ability we have to touch people’s lives, even in the smallest of ways.
Our power as human beings
The way we see a person is how we treat that person. And how we treat that person is what they will become. We have so much power as human beings to change lives, whether that’s helping someone get out of the gutter or, on the flip side, do harm.
Blind spots
Self-awareness is important. The more you’re aware of yourself, what you’ve gone through in life and what holds you back, the more you are able to see that in another human being — whether that’s the customer at Starbucks or the CEO. That’s empathy. And when we empathize, we can choose to relate to someone with softness and tenderness, telling them to come closer instead of pushing them away.
A day in the life of...
Claude is always on the offense: her job is to spot where there might be a fire and extinguish it before it gets out of hand. In her line of work, that means people problems like a lack of communication, or team members feeling inadequate. Every day is different because she deals with humans — and humans have different issues. From time to time, she’s able to FaceTime with Gary V, which is fuel for her to give more of herself.
The magic of intentional micro-interactions
Looking someone in the eye is intentional. Giving someone a high five is intentional. At work for Claude, these micro-interactions might look like saying hi in the bathroom as they’re washing hands, or in her 15-minute sessions that she holds with people.
Small moments like these light people up. Bringing the magic into the mundane starts by giving someone attention: when you’re able to make them feel like they’re the only person in the room and that is the only conversation you want to be having.
We all want to be seen. Because of that, seeing people is powerful. This is a revolution of tenderness and of bringing humanity back into this life.
A message for you right now
I hear you. I hear that you have these beliefs that you are less than, that you don’t belong, that you aren’t connected to this world and that no one will understand you. But I want you to know something. You’re not alone. I got you. Kevin’s got you.
Do something right now for me: I want you to think of three things that you’re grateful for. Just three things. It could be the blue sky, or the song you heard on the radio, or the high five someone gave you on the basketball court. It doesn’t matter.
Get yourself to a place where you can think outside of yourself for a second. Think of something that makes you happy, that inspires you. Go to that place just for that moment, and remember how you feel in those moments.
That’s magic. You DO belong to this planet because you had that experience. Because you’re able to have gratitude for that person in your life or the person who gave you a high five, that means you belong. You’re connected to that person.
You’re not alone, my friends.
The beginnings of the HumansFirst Club
It began in her office when Mike Vacanti came in and they decided they wanted to work together. Mark LeBusque was someone she found on LinkedIn, and it was like finding a brother across the world. She connected the two, and eventually connected with Jill Katz, and they all began jamming.
The first HumansFirst Club session was in New York, and it was an exciting moment, because nothing was planned. It was just: “What can I say and share about myself to encourage people to take a bigger step in their life?”
Ditching the deck
Some people prepare what they’re going to say, and fail to prepare to show up. She shares the story of Dubai — where, ready to give a talk to a room of 60 to 65 people, she made a split-second decision to ditch her deck, have everyone sit on the floor, and jam together. It’s about asking: “What’s going to be best for this group of people? What’s going to bring them together?”
Final thoughts
Go and call or text someone who isn’t expecting a call or text from you. Let them know that they’re loved and appreciated, and that you’re thinking of them.
Resources for Claude
Higher Purpose Podcast Episode 77: Putting Humans First with Mike Vacanti
Higher Purpose Podcast Episode 78: Creating a ‘Humans First’ Workplace with Marcel Schwantes
HumansFirst Club: New York City, Reflection of the Kick-Off Experience