Emotional Intelligence for Founders

What if the biggest bottleneck in your business isn’t sales or strategy—it’s your emotional intelligence? In this episode I sit down with my long-time friend and collaborator Chris Salem—Fortune 500 advisor, bestselling author, and one of the clearest thinkers on EQ for leaders. We go beyond theory into what founders with 5–25 employees can actually do this week to reduce conflict, create psychological safety, delegate without drama, and sell with more trust. Here are my five key points The 5 controllables every founder must master: communication, behaviour, attitude, emotions, and action. A post-snap reset for when you’ve just lost your cool—and how to rebuild trust quickly. A practical delegation system that helps perfectionist founders stop micromanaging. How to run psychologically safe huddles that cut assumptions and lift KPIs. The 2-minute daily EQ check that keeps you focused on what you can control. Want to exit your business but unsure where to start? Take the ‘Exit readiness assessment’ and find out the gaps of what you need to do to plan your exit strategy confidently. Click on the link here: https://readytoexit.scoreapp.com Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Business 02:54 Leadership Styles and Generational Differences 05:33 Common Struggles in Organisations 08:38 Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace 11:33 The Role of Self-Awareness in Emotional Intelligence 14:21 Communication Styles and Their Impact 17:17 Mastering Communication for Better Outcomes 25:47 The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Adaptation 27:45 Delegation and Trust in Leadership 30:31 Psychological Shifts for Growth 35:04 Building Self-Discipline and Predictability 38:40 Using EQ in Presentations and Client Meetings 41:51 Daily EQ Habits for Founders 43:18 Future Aspirations and the Importance of Adaptation 🙏 How To Support The Business Strategist 🎙️ If this is the first time you’re listening congrats, if you like today’s episode please subscribe, listen and leave a review on 👉 Apple, Spotify ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Helping you take the complexity out of exiting your business. Go to https://www.adambenedict.co.uk ABOUT THE GUEST Website: Facebook Page Instagram Twitter Linkedin YouTube ABOUT THE HOST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamistrong YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/adamstrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices