SPEAK LIKE A CEO 304: How to Build an Elite Team that Delivers. Dr. Vanessa Druskat
Nov 20, 2025
Dr. Vanessa Druskat, an organizational psychologist and co-author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team, shares her insights on building elite teams. She emphasizes that individual emotional intelligence alone isn’t enough; it's the norms that shape team dynamics. Discover the three essential norms for high-performing teams: fostering belonging, establishing a shared purpose, and reaching out for diverse input. Vanessa also discusses how structured communication can unlock team potential and transform team culture rapidly, even in challenging environments.
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Team EQ Is Interactional, Not Individual
- Team emotional intelligence is about interactions that create a productive emotional environment with trust and psychological safety.
- Norms and routines shape whether a team’s emotional climate supports collaboration or undermines it.
IQ Underpins EQ Development
- EQ can be developed but it depends on thinking about emotion, so IQ is a prerequisite for EQ work.
- Researchers must control for IQ when measuring EQ because cognitive ability affects emotional skill measures.
Hire For Skill, Build Team Norms
- Hire the best person for the task and then build the environment that draws out their EQ through norms that require listening and turn-taking.
- You cannot hire for teamwork; you must construct team norms that enable collaboration over time.
