Let’s be honest — teamwork is hard. Especially when people have different communication styles, priorities, and let’s just say it... egos. But emotionally intelligent teams don’t just magically fall into place — they’re intentionally built, brick by sweaty brick.

Dr. Vanessa Druskat joins us to break it all down. She’s a globally recognized expert on team performance and emotional intelligence, and her new book, The Emotionally Intelligent Team, is basically the manual we all should’ve been handed before our first group project… or leadership role.

Vanessa explains why individual emotional intelligence isn’t enough — and why it’s the team’s collective practices that matter most. We talk about what high-performing, collaborative teams actually do differently, how to create group norms that drive trust and accountability, and why "getting along" is way less important than knowing how to navigate conflict.

No more crossing fingers and hoping for chemistry. Want a team that performs and actually likes working together? This one’s for you.

Connect with Vanessa:

Website: Vanessadruskat.com

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-druskat-aa7822/

Book: https://www.vanessadruskat.com/books-1

Related Podcast Episodes:

How To Build Emotionally Mature Leaders with Dr. Christie Smith | 272
The Sixth Level Of Leadership with Dr. Stacy Feiner | 236
196 / Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy with Erin Diehl

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