Description

Emotional intelligence has always been a critical leadership skill. But when your team isn't sitting together in the same office, it becomes even more important, and often more difficult.

In this small group discussion, Doug Ward will explore how emotional intelligence shapes the way leaders communicate, build trust, coach employees, and respond to challenges in remote and hybrid workplaces. Without the benefit of hallway conversations and in-person interactions, leaders must become more intentional about recognizing emotions, interpreting signals, and fostering meaningful connections across distributed teams.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies for strengthening self-awareness, improving relationships with their teams, and leading with greater empathy and effectiveness regardless of where work happens.

We’ll be joined by Doug Ward. Doug believes people are the heartbeat of every organization. For over 25 years, he's been helping teams deliver exceptional customer and employee experiences by leading with empathy, clarity, and results.

At Smartaira, he leads customer experience initiatives that improve support operations and strengthen relationships with customers and employees alike. His career has spanned enterprise environments, such as Comcast, where he led teams of thousands, to smaller, fast-paced organizations where he's built teams and processes from the ground up.