Building Emotionally Intelligent Teams with Dr. Vanessa Druskat
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Release Date: 11/19/2025
Building Emotionally Intelligent Teams with Dr. Vanessa Druskat
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
What does it take to build a team that consistently performs at a high level? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Dr. Vanessa Druskat to explore what emotionally intelligent teams look like and how leaders can foster them. Vanessa introduces the concept of "team emotional intelligence" and explains why team culture, not just individual skills or personalities, is often the key differentiator between average and high-performing teams. She shares her practical three-part model, based on nine team norms, that top teams use to create environments of trust, psychological safety, and...
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Three Steps to Better 1-on-1 Meetings - Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
1-on-1 meetings are one of the most powerful tools leaders have—yet many leaders struggle to make them consistent, productive, or mutually valuable. In this episode, I’m sharing three practical steps to help you create better, more effective 1-on-1s with your team members. You’ll learn: • Why having a consistent rhythm matters more than you think • How to transform your 1-on-1s from reporting sessions into working meetings • Why letting your team member go first changes the quality of the conversation • The key mindset shift that makes these meetings valuable for both people...
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Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups with Colin Fisher
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
What if understanding group dynamics is the secret to building high-performing teams? In this episode, Kevin speaks with Dr. Colin Fisher about what makes successful teams work. They debunk the myth of the lone genius and explore why collaboration, not individual brilliance, drives real innovation. Dr. Fisher explains when team synergy happens and why so many teams underperform without realizing it. He also shares practical insights on optimal meeting sizes, how remote and hybrid work affects collaboration, and how to harness healthy competition without damaging team performance. Listen For...
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Five Minutes to Greater Influence - Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
How can you become more influential—in just five minutes? In this episode, Kevin Eikenberry shares five simple actions that can strengthen your influence as a leader, teammate, or friend. These are small, intentional steps that take only minutes but can create lasting impact. Leadership isn’t about control—it’s about connection. Influence grows when we focus on others first, and Kevin walks through how to do exactly that. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why asking good questions is more powerful than giving good answers How small investments in relationships lead to greater trust ...
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The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
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Are You Focused on the Clock or Your Contribution? | Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Too often, we measure our days by how much we get done—instead of by how much we contribute. In this episode, I’m sharing an idea that’s stuck with me since a conversation years ago with Lisa O’Dell. She asked a simple but powerful question: Are you thinking about the clock or your contribution? That question changed how I think about productivity, focus, and leadership. It’s not about racing the clock or checking off boxes—it’s about doing the few things that truly move the needle. Join me as I explore how to: Shift from busyness to meaningful accomplishment Focus on what...
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Leading for Wellness with Katina Sawyer and Patricia Grabarek
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What if everything you believe about workplace wellness is only part of the story? In this episode, Kevin welcomes Dr. Katina Sawyer and Dr. Patricia Grabarek to discuss the real drivers of well-being at work and the critical role leaders play in shaping thriving environments. Drawing on their research, Katina and Patricia challenge the overreliance on surface-level wellness programs and demonstrate how authentic leadership, trust, and team connection have far greater impact. They introduce the concept of "generators", leaders who energize and empower their teams and contrast them with...
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One Key to Goal Achievement
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
What’s the most important thing you need to achieve your goals? It isn’t the target—it’s your why. In this episode, I share a story about The Biggest Loser (yes, the reality show!) and how I could often predict who would win before the competition even began. The secret? It all came down to their reasons—their why. Whether your goals are personal or professional, the same truth applies: the clearer and stronger your why, the greater your chance of success. If you’ve ever felt stuck, unmotivated, or unsure how to reach your goals, this episode will help you reconnect with your...
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Coaching Power with Luciana Núñez
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we’d be thrilled if you’d let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. for posting a review. Review on Apple: What if, instead of giving your team answers, you asked the right questions and listened? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Luciana Núñez to discuss how coaching can be more than just a skill; it can be a leadership philosophy that transforms individuals, teams, and entire organizations. Luciana shares why the command-and-control leadership model no longer works in today’s world, and how...
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What is the Biggest Secret to Giving Feedback?
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Over the years, I’ve learned that feedback conversations often fail before they even begin — and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes too. But in this episode, I’m sharing what I believe is the biggest secret to giving feedback that actually works. Whether you’re a leader, a coach, or just want to help someone grow — the key is not in what you say first, but in what you ask. In this video, I’ll walk you through: - The powerful shift that makes feedback more effective - A few simple, open-ended questions I use to start these conversations - How to respond when someone says too...
info_outlineWhat does it take to build a team that consistently performs at a high level? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Dr. Vanessa Druskat to explore what emotionally intelligent teams look like and how leaders can foster them. Vanessa introduces the concept of "team emotional intelligence" and explains why team culture, not just individual skills or personalities, is often the key differentiator between average and high-performing teams. She shares her practical three-part model, based on nine team norms, that top teams use to create environments of trust, psychological safety, and accountability. Vanessa also discusses why emotionally intelligent teams are fundamentally about how people interact, not just how they feel. She reveals what leaders should do in the first meeting of a new team to set the tone for long-term performance, and why nonverbal behaviors and small habits matter more than you think.
Listen For
00:00 Introduction to emotional intelligence and teams
00:29 Welcome and how to join future live sessions
01:02 How to connect with the community
01:25 About the book Flexible Leadership
02:11 Introducing guest Vanessa Druskat
03:09 Vanessa’s early experiences with teams
04:09 Workplace realities that shaped her research
05:08 Growing up across cultures and learning to adapt
06:17 Discovering team cultures in organizations
07:20 What sets high performing teams apart
08:07 Exploring the model of team emotional intelligence
09:11 Understanding local team culture
10:04 The role leaders play in shaping micro culture
11:05 How teams can build their own culture
11:56 Why belonging and social needs matter
12:18 Teams as emotional systems
13:14 How emotions influence interactions
14:08 Creating cultures where disagreement is productive
15:17 The three clusters of team emotional intelligence
16:02 Helping individuals succeed
17:13 How great teams interact and improve
18:02 Reaching outside the team for ideas and resources
18:10 Where leaders should start with new teams
19:05 Setting norms intentionally
20:07 Why posted norms fail
21:00 Ownership and mutual understanding
21:21 Ensuring everyone has a voice
22:12 Assessing current norms
23:22 Impact of unintentional nonverbal signals
24:54 How small behaviors change team dynamics
25:53 Example of a team transformation
27:31 Importance of nonverbal cues and inclusion
28:07 Reaching outside the team and avoiding blinders
30:10 Leading in hybrid and remote environments
31:05 Belonging and psychological distance
32:03 Increasing intentional connection
32:50 Using check ins to strengthen relationships
34:04 Applying this in one-on-one conversations
34:27 What Vanessa does for fun
35:33 What Vanessa is reading
37:43 Where to find Vanessa and her resources
38:54 Closing challenge: What action will you take
40:05 Wrap up and invitation to subscribe
Vanessa's Story: Dr. Vanessa Druskat is the author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team: Building Collaborative Groups that Outperform the Rest. She is an award-winning researcher and leading expert on team leadership, advising leaders in some of the world’s top organizations. Her three decades of field research examining team cultures that inspire high-performing collaboration produced the Team Emotional Intelligence (Team EI) model. She and her colleagues have used the model globally to teach leaders how to build higher-performing teams. Vanessa is passionate about convincing leaders that under the right conditions, people are wired for collaborative teamwork. So, stop trying to fix people and start building emotionally intelligent team cultures that inspire teamwork. Also, an award-winning teacher, she serves on the faculty of the University of New Hampshire’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.
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Flexible Leadership is every leader’s guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos.