Culture is Strategy - S3E45 - Wrapping Up Claude Silver - "Be Yourself At Work"

Wrapping Up "Am I Literate" by Kate Arthur - S3E48 - What does it mean to lead schools in an era of AI

ABOUT THIS EPISODE We have been circling this topic for a while. AI is everywhere in our schools right now, and the loudest conversations tend to be about policy and tools, about what students should or should not be allowed to do. But in this episode, Garth and Jason slow down and ask a different set of questions: What is this moment actually asking of us as leaders? What does it mean to be literate when a machine can write? And how do we build the kind of trust in our communities that makes navigating all of this possible? This is not a how-to episode. It is more of a thinking-together episode. And we think that is exactly what this moment calls for. WHAT WE GET INTO 00:00 - Setting the table: why this conversation, why now 05:55 - What does literacy actually mean when AI can tell your story for you? 08:20 - Revisiting mission, vision, and values through an AI lens 11:28 - Coherency and clarity: the leadership work only humans can do 14:17 - Why imperfection might be the most important thing we can model right now 16:22 - Finding the balance: technology in service of connection, not instead of it 18:34 - Where we go from here, and what we are still figuring out A FEW LINES THAT STUCK WITH US "What does it mean to tell your own story?" "Trust is becoming more important in our society, not less. And schools are one of the few places that can actually build it." "How are we going to build trust through imperfection? Because that might be the whole game right now." KEY TAKEAWAYS The question of AI in schools is not primarily a technology question. It is a values question. When we sat with that, it shifted the whole conversation. Literacy has always been about more than decoding words. It is about authorship: the ability to find your voice, to make meaning, and to put something of yourself into the world. AI makes that question urgent in a new way. If a student can generate a polished essay in 30 seconds, what are we actually teaching them to do, and why? What we kept coming back to was trust. Not just the institutional kind, but the deeper kind: the trust a student has that their teachers see them, that imperfection is safe, that taking a risk will not cost them everything. Schools that can build that kind of trust will be the ones that find their footing in this moment. And the leaders who model curiosity over certainty will be the ones worth following.

Kate Arthur: Literacy in the Age of AI - S3E47 - Am I Literate? A Memoire

Summary Garth and Jason have been asking a lot of questions this season on Beard's Book Club. Questions about what it means to lead well, to show up with intention, and to stay human in a world that keeps moving faster than most of us feel ready for. This conversation with Kate Arthur might be the one that reframes all of those questions. We have been thinking a lot lately about what it actually means to be literate. Not just able to read. Not just able to decode text on a page. But truly literate in a world where the machines generating that text are getting smarter by the day. Kate brought some of the most grounded thinking on this that we have encountered in Season 3. Her journey with literacy is personal before it is professional, and that is exactly what makes her perspective so compelling. She is not coming at AI with alarm or with uncritical enthusiasm. She is coming at it the way a thoughtful educator should: with open curiosity and a deep commitment to the humans in the room. What stayed with us from this conversation is her reminder that trust is built slowly and lost in a second. In a world flooded with AI-generated content, that is not just a philosophical observation. It is a design challenge for every school leader trying to build culture right now. If you are wrestling with how to approach AI in your school, or how to help your students and staff develop the discernment they need, this conversation is a good place to start. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to literacy and AI06:08 Kate's journey and what literacy really means09:10 The kipu knots: a story about communication across cultures12:11 Foundational skills and the literacy gap15:09 AI literacy and understanding how machines think18:00 Trust, authenticity, and AI-generated content21:04 Mental health and the societal impact of AI24:16 Advice for school leaders navigating AI and literacy27:04 Closing thoughts and where this is all going30:07 Beard's Book Club outro Key Takeaways Literacy has always evolved. Kate traces this beautifully, from the kipu knots of the Inca to the printing press to the screen in your pocket. What counts as literacy has never been fixed, and leaders who understand that history are better equipped to navigate what is coming next. Foundational skills are not optional. Before students can think critically about AI-generated content, they need the foundational literacy tools to engage with any content. The gap between students who have those tools and those who do not is widening, and the arrival of AI is making it more urgent, not less. Open curiosity is a leadership stance. Kate frames this not as naive optimism but as a deliberate choice to engage with the unknown rather than retreat from it. That applies to how we lead our staffs, how we talk to students, and how we show up in our own professional development. Mental health is part of this conversation. The pressure that AI is placing on young people's sense of identity, authenticity, and belonging is real. School leaders need to be thinking about AI policy and student well-being in the same breath. Quotes "Trust is built slowly and lost in a second." — Kate Arthur "We need to protect mental health in the age of AI." — Kate Arthur "Open curiosity helps us navigate the unknown." — Kate Arthur Connect with Kate Website: https://katewebsite.com [https://katewebsite.com]Substack: https://substack.com/@kate [https://substack.com/@kate]

Intro to "Am I Literate?" - Redefining Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence - S3E46

Summary There is a question we keep coming back to. Not as a thought experiment. As a genuine, uncomfortable, sit-with-it question: where does the authority lie now? That is what Kate Arthur put on the table when Garth and I sat down with her for this episode of Season 3. Kate is a thinker at the crossroads of literacy, generative AI, and what it means to know something in a world where the answer is always a prompt away. Her book, Am I Literate?, is the kind of read that does not give you easy answers. It gives you better questions. What struck us most was not the AI conversation, honestly. It was the mental health thread running underneath it. Because if we are honest with ourselves as school leaders, the tools our students are using are changing faster than our understanding of what those tools are doing to them. Kate brought that tension into the open in a way we found clarifying. We talked about the role of storytelling in a generated world, what critical thinking actually demands now, and why you cannot shortcut your way to wellness. Not with a product. Not with an app. Not with AI. This one stayed with us. We think it will stay with you too. Chapters 00:00 introduction to Beard's Book Club and a bit about where this conversation came from 04:53 pulling on the mental health thread in education and why school leaders can't afford to look away 09:40 the intersection of AI and literacy, and the question of where authority lives in a generated world 16:03 how educators and leaders can navigate change without losing what matters most 21:39 preparing students and systems for what learning actually looks like going forward 24:06 Beard's Book Club outro Key Takeaways Gratitude is not a gesture. Kate's reminder that it needs to be specific, timely, and personal landed for us as a leadership reminder more than a wellness tip. We do a lot of general acknowledgment in schools. The specific stuff takes more intention, but it is the only kind that actually lands. You cannot generative AI your way to wellness. Full stop. This line came out of a conversation about mental health in education, and it is one we will be repeating. There is no tool, platform, or productivity hack that replaces genuine human connection. The shortcut does not exist. The authority question is real and it is unresolved. When Kate asked "where does the authority lie now?" in the context of AI-generated knowledge, we felt the room shift a little. As educators, we have built entire systems around the idea that we curate, evaluate, and deliver reliable information. Generative AI has complicated that arrangement in ways we are still working through. Literacy is not a fixed destination. What it means to be literate has always evolved, and Kate makes a compelling case that we are in one of those inflection moments right now. The question for school leaders is not whether to respond. It is how to build the critical thinking and self-regulation muscles that will outlast whatever the current tools are. Storytelling still matters. Maybe more than ever. In a world where content is generated at scale, narrative grounded in genuine human experience carries a different kind of weight. Kate made that case quietly and convincingly. Quotes "Make gratitude specific, timely, and personal." — Kate Arthur "You can't generative AI to wellness." — Kate Arthur "Where does the authority lie now?" — Kate Arthur Resources Am I Literate? by Kate Arthur: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Am+I+Literate+Kate+Arthur Kate Arthur on LinkedIn (G7 and government influence): https://www.linkedin.com/in/katearthur CIS Ontario Impact Report: https://cisontario.org/impact-report Connect with Kate Arthur LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katearthur Twitter: https://twitter.com/katearthur

Culture is Strategy - S3E45 - Wrapping Up Claude Silver - "Be Yourself At Work"

Summary Some leaders manage from a distance. Claude Silver leads from the inside out. As Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, Claude has built a career around a simple but demanding premise: that how people feel at work is not a soft concern sitting alongside strategy. It is the strategy. In this conversation, Garth and I dig into what that actually looks like in practice, and what it demands of the person at the front of the room. What stayed with me was her clarity about self-awareness. Not as a personality trait you either have or do not have, but as something you build intentionally, day by day, through the way you start your morning and the way you show up when things get hard. This is a conversation for leaders who want to go deeper. Not just into their organizations, but into themselves. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to leading with heart07:05 Claude Silver's journey and what authentic leadership actually means09:54 Knowing yourself and reading your context13:05 How to prepare for leadership before you are ready15:54 Juggling the demands that come with the role18:57 Setting intentions and building emotional intelligence as a practice22:03 Closing thoughts and a gentle challenge24:09 Beard's Book Club outro Key Takeaways Culture is not a byproduct of strategy. Claude makes the case that culture is the strategy, and that leaders who treat it as a downstream concern are building on sand. Getting intentional about the environment you are creating is not a nice-to-have. It is the job. Self-awareness is a daily practice. Knowing your triggers, your tendencies, and your defaults under pressure does not happen through reflection alone. It happens through small, consistent rituals, including the way you choose to start your morning before the day starts managing you. Authenticity at work is not oversharing. Claude draws a helpful distinction between being real and being unguarded. Bringing your full self to work means leading with your values, not leading with your nervous system. Quotes "Culture is a strategy." "Start your day with a mantra of gratitude." "Lead with kindness and compassion." Connect with Claude Silver on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudesilver] or find her book Be Yourself at Work wherever books are sold.

"Be Yourself At Work" - S3E44 - Claude Silver - Chief Heart Officer

Episode Summary In this episode of Lassoing Leadership, Jason and Garth sit down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and author of Be Yourself at Work. Claude has built her career around a simple but powerful belief: workplaces perform better when leaders focus on the humans first. Throughout the conversation, Claude shares what it means to lead with vulnerability, why emotional intelligence is becoming a core leadership skill, and how leaders can create cultures where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to do their best work. The discussion also explores neurodiversity in the workplace, practical ways leaders can listen more intentionally, and why creating psychological safety isn’t just compassionate — it’s a competitive advantage. If leadership is about influence, Claude reminds us that the most powerful influence often comes from authenticity, empathy, and courage. Key Take Aways: * * Why vulnerability is a leadership strength, not a weakness * * How to infuse empathy into workplace culture * * Supporting neurodiversity and different ways of thinking at work * * Creating authentic, human-centered leadership environments * Practical strategies for listening, connecting, and leading people well * * Vulnerability builds trust. * The best leaders are willing to be human. When leaders show vulnerability, they create space for others to do the same. * Empathy drives performance. * A culture of care and emotional awareness leads to stronger engagement, retention, and results. * Listen for patterns, not just problems. Great leaders listen deeply and notice recurring themes in what their teams are saying. * Neurodiversity requires intention. * Supporting different ways of thinking means creating systems, tools, and spaces where everyone can thrive. * Leaders shape the emotional tone of their organizations. * Leadership is not just about strategy — it’s about setting the emotional framework that allows people to succeed. Soundbites: “Vulnerability is the foundation of true leadership.” “Emotional fluency is the key to effective leadership.” “Keep leading the Lasso way.” Chapters: 00:00 – Opening: Leadership lessons from Ted Lasso 08:49 – Why vulnerability matters in leadership 14:54 – Career transitions and finding meaningful work 20:52 – Responding to real vs. manufactured crises 26:44 – Final reflections on great leadership 36:17 – Beard’s Book Club Outro Claude Silver is the Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia and the author of Be Yourself at Work. She is widely known for championing human-centered leadership, emotional intelligence, and workplace cultures where people feel valued, heard, and supported.