Maggie Sass, PhD

Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessments: How to Measure and Boost EQ

Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Empathy & Trust, TalentSmartEQ / Maggie Sass, PhD

Emotional intelligence has emerged as a vital workplace skill, and testing and improving EQ skills has become a popular development tool for individuals and organizations. You can find online quizzes for just about anything these days, and EQ is no exception. But not all emotional intelligence self-assessments are made equal, and the online landscape can…

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Shifting the Narrative: Why AI Needs Humans More Than Humans Need AI

Artificial Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Featured Article, Leadership / Maggie Sass, PhD

As AI proliferates, humans become more necessary, not less AI is getting better at work that used to define expertise: performing research, analyzing data, drafting content, summarizing insights. Tasks that once took hours now take minutes. In many organizations, that shift is already reshaping roles, workflows, and employee expectations. Everywhere you turn, someone has an…

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The EQ Effect: How Human Skills (Still) Drive Measurable Results

Artificial Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Employee Engagement, Human-Centric Approach, Leadership, Popular Article, Productivity & Performance, Team Collaboration / Maggie Sass, PhD

Organizations today have more technology at their fingertips than at any point in history. We can automate workflows, analyze massive datasets in seconds, and roll out new tools with a few clicks of the mouse. But for all the technological advancements we continue to see, tools are only as effective as the humans who use…

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3 Ways to Embrace & Lead Change

Change Management, Human-Centric Approach, Leadership, Popular Article / Maggie Sass, PhD

Tips for navigating organizational change as we head into 2026 As we look back at 2025, one thing we can all agree on is that it was a year filled with change. Between the economy, geopolitical shifts, market uncertainty, and the proliferation of AI, it’s safe to say that every organization felt the effects of…

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Top 5 EQ Lessons of 2025

Emotional Conversations, Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Popular Article, Resilience / Maggie Sass, PhD

Key takeaways from this year that we should carry into 2026 When we look back at 2025, a few key terms will stand out as descriptors: economy, tariffs, AI, shifting workforce landscape, uncertainty, change. It was a year of innovation and risk-taking, but it was also a year of hesitancy and fear. Some companies won…

Why Recognition Is the Retention Strategy You’re Overlooking

Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Employee Engagement, Employee Hiring & Retention / Maggie Sass, PhD

Half of employees in the US are currently on the lookout for a new job, according to recent Gallup surveys. As organizations face continued uncertainty due to economic instability, an evolving AI landscape, rising costs, and cultural shifts, employee retention may seem like a low-priority issue. But the reality is that in times of uncertainty,…

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The Leadership Disconnect: What Followers Need vs. What Leaders Believe They’re Giving

Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Leadership / Maggie Sass, PhD

When Gallup studied leaders and followers across 52 countries, they uncovered something timeless: no matter the culture or context, people everywhere want the same four things from their leaders: hope, trust, compassion, and stability. These aren’t trends, they’re distinctly human needs. Fast-forward to today’s workplaces, transformed by hybrid models, relentless change, and the rise of…

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How to Test for EQ: A Complete Guide

Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Leadership, Productivity & Performance, TalentSmartEQ / Maggie Sass, PhD

Think about the best leader you’ve ever worked with. Chances are, what made them stand out wasn’t just their technical skills. It was likely their ability to stay calm under pressure, really listen to others, manage conflict well, and bring out the best in everyone around them. That’s emotional intelligence, or EQ. Emotional intelligence is…

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Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Leadership Skill That Matters Most Now

Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Leadership / Maggie Sass, PhD

Isabel sat in her office staring at the performance reviews spread across her desk. Budget season at her firm meant layoffs, and even her best teams wouldn’t be spared. When Kelvin, her top-performing manager, came in for his review, she expected to breeze through praise and then move to the hard reality. But instead of…

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7 Ways Leaders Can Elevate Team Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence Strategies & Solutions, Leadership, Team Collaboration / Maggie Sass, PhD

In today’s fast-moving workplace, technical expertise and strategic vision aren’t enough for leaders to sustain high performance. Teams that thrive over the long term do so because they’ve mastered a deeper set of capabilities: emotional intelligence (EQ). Research consistently shows that when teams build high EQ, they don’t just get along better, they make sharper…

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