When change hits hard and the path ahead is uncertain, the one thing your team needs isn’t a perfect plan—it’s your steady presence. In this post, I share a behind-the-scenes moment from one of the most chaotic transitions of my career as a senior advisor, and how calm leadership—not control—created clarity in the storm. Because when the map disappears, your presence becomes the compass.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is more than a leadership buzzword—it’s the secret sauce for effective management and team success. By cultivating self-awareness, empathy, and strong communication, leaders can foster innovation, resilience, and engagement within their teams. In leadership, it’s not just about what’s said but understanding what isn’t.