Emotional Intelligence
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
AND THE HEART OF LEADERSHIP
A Growth Program for Managers
8-Module Training
Training and development for professionals who want to lead with more influence, ease, and emotional intelligence.
The next scheduled group is by invitation only.
Email us to learn more or join the waitlist.
Emotional Intelligence and the Heart of Leadership
Strengthening Leaders Through Mindset, Energy, and Emotional Intelligence
"I coach my clients to elevate self-awareness, manage themselves under pressure, read the room with precision, communicate with empathy and accountability, and lead from a renewed sense of purpose."
~ Michelle Volz,, LMFT
As a leader, there are times when the pressure is high, the conversations are hard, and the people you lead are looking to you for clarity, consistency, and genuine connection. How you show up in those situations… what you feel, how you think, and how you respond… has a direct impact on your team and on your own effectiveness. That is exactly what this program is designed to develop.
This eight-module program is designed for managers and leaders who are ready to go deeper than leadership techniques and frameworks, and develop the emotional intelligence that makes great leadership possible. Drawing on the four core tenets of EQ, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, the program begins with you: who you are, how you think, and what drives your behavior. From there, it moves outward into how you relate to, communicate with, and lead the people around you.
Eight Modules
MODULE ONE: The Heart of the Matter: Understanding Emotional Intelligence and Why It Matters for Leaders
MODULE TWO: Know Yourself First: Self-Awareness as the Cornerstone of Effective Leadership
MODULE THREE: The Regulated Leader: Self-Management Under Pressure
MODULE FOUR: Mindset and Meaning: Transforming the Inner Narrative of Leadership
MODULE FIVE: The Empathic Leader: Social Awareness in Practice
MODULE SIX: Building Trust and Psychological Safety: The Foundation of Relationship Management
MODULE SEVEN: Navigating Conflict with Emotional Intelligence: Relationship Management in Action
MODULE EIGHT: The Integrated Leader: Bringing It All Together
This program is available in multiple formats to fit your organization's needs, including half-day, full-day, and two-day sessions. Pre-program assessments, one-on-one coaching, and certificates of completion are available. Contact us to design the right experience for your team.
THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM
Module One: You know the term emotional intelligence. But what does it actually mean for you as a leader, and why does it matter more than most leaders realize? This opening module gives you a clear, practical understanding of EQ and its four core tenets: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. You will see exactly how these capacities show up in your day-to-day leadership, and why developing them changes everything, for you, your team, and the people you serve.
Module Two: Every great leader starts here. Self-awareness is a skill you can develop, and it is the foundation upon which all other EQ competencies are built. In this module, you will learn to identify your emotional patterns, recognize what triggers you, and understand how your inner world shapes your outer impact. When you know yourself more deeply, you lead more effectively, more authentically, and with far greater confidence.
Module Three: Knowing yourself is the first step. Managing yourself is the next — and for most leaders, it is where the real work begins. This module focuses on self-management: the ability to stay grounded, think clearly, and respond with intention rather than react from impulse, especially when the stakes are high and the pressure is on. You will develop practical tools for emotional regulation that you can use in real time, in real situations, starting immediately.
Module Four: How you lead is deeply connected to how you think about yourself as a leader. This module explores the beliefs, assumptions, and inner narratives that either support or quietly undermine your effectiveness. By deepening both your self-awareness and your self-management, you will learn to identify and shift the thinking patterns that hold you back, and reconnect with the sense of purpose and meaning that brought you to leadership in the first place.
Module Five: Social awareness is the ability to genuinely understand what others are experiencing — what they are feeling, needing, and responding to beneath the surface of any interaction. This module develops your capacity for empathy as a leadership skill, helping you become more attuned to your team members, more perceptive in your interactions, and more effective in the moments that matter most. Empathy, when practiced with skill and intention, is one of the most powerful tools a leader can bring to any situation.
Module Six: People do their best work when they feel safe… safe to speak up, share ideas, admit mistakes, and be honest with the people they work with. This module focuses on the relationship management skills that create that kind of environment. You will learn what trust actually requires of a leader, how psychological safety is built and broken, and what you can do starting now to strengthen the foundation of your team's performance and well-being.
Module Seven: How we handle conflict reveals the depth of our emotional intelligence more than almost anything else in leadership. This module puts relationship management to work in one of leadership's most challenging arenas: difficult conversations, interpersonal tension, and disagreement. Using the tools of emotional intelligence, you will learn to approach conflict as an opportunity to deepen understanding, restore connection, and move forward together. These skills will change how you communicate at every level.
Module Eight: This final module is where everything comes together. You will revisit and integrate the full arc of the program… self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, and translate what you have learned into a personal leadership practice that is uniquely yours. You will leave with a clear, concrete plan for continuing your growth as an emotionally intelligent leader, long after the program ends. This is a beginning.
What Participants Are Saying
Stories from leaders who’ve experienced meaningful growth through coaching.
Michelle has a way of getting to the root of what’s really going on underneath, and then helping you do something about it. The tools around emotional intelligence and team dynamics were game-changers. I handle conflict differently now, and there’s a lot more trust on my team.
~ Gail W., Division Lead
I honestly didn’t think I needed coaching, but looking back, I was carrying a lot and just pushing through. This gave me the space to pause, get real with myself, and show up differently. It wasn’t just about being more productive. It helped me lead in a way that actually feels good and sustainable. If you’re in a leadership role, I’d definitely recommend working with Michelle.
~ James L., Project Lead
Before this program, I didn’t realize how often I was falling into old patterns of communication that just weren’t working. I’d leave meetings frustrated, feeling like I had explained myself, but somehow the message still didn’t land. Through Michelle’s coaching, I started to recognize what I was doing (and not doing), and it completely shifted how I show up in conversations. I’m clearer, more intentional, and I’ve seen a big difference in how my team responds. We spend less time backtracking and more time moving forward.
~ Elena F., Team Lead
I didn’t realize how much my own habits were draining me. I’d show up to work feeling off and couldn’t figure out why. This program helped me connect the dots and shift how I think, how I speak up, and how I carry myself. I’m not second-guessing everything now. I’m leading meetings with more confidence, and it actually feels like me.
~ Derek C., Senior Analyst
That session on leadership identity really hit home for me - in a good way. I realized I’d been trying to fit into someone else’s idea of what a strong leader should be. Michelle helped me stop all that and actually lead in a way that feels true to who I am. I found my voice, and I’m finally owning my strengths.
~ Amara D., Operations Manager
COACH BIO
Michelle Volz is an Executive Coach, Certified Master Life Coach, and licensed psychotherapist with over 25 years supporting individual and organizational growth. She helps leaders strengthen mindset, communication, and confidence, especially in the high-pressure realities of today’s changing workplace.
Her coaching blends psychological insight with real-life leadership development, using frameworks and strategies that address the mental and emotional dynamics behind leadership success. Drawing on her clinical training, Michelle brings a thoughtful sensitivity to building trust, listening for what’s unsaid, and creating the kind of relationship that helps clients feel seen, supported, and motivated.
Michelle is especially skilled at getting to the root of what’s holding leaders back and helping them move forward with insight they can use and grow with. She believes in the principle of “self as instrument,” attuning herself to each client’s energy and needs, and coaching leaders to do the same: cultivating emotional intelligence, strengthening emotional self-regulation, and leading from a place of grounded self-awareness. Her clients often walk away with a clearer perspective, stronger communication, and a renewed sense of purpose in how they lead and connect with others.
She has experience working with a range of leadership and personality assessments, including MBTI, DiSC, and EQ-i 2.0, and brings a working knowledge of multiple 360 feedback tools into her engagements. She also integrates principles from the iPEC Energy Leadership framework and holds a certificate in Applied Neuroscience for Coaching. Michelle earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. She received additional training through The College of Executive Coaching, and is an active member of the International Coach Federation.
Michelle has supported leaders in small business, mission-driven, and nonprofit settings, including managers, directors, and executive teams. She is now expanding her work through collaborations with prime contractors serving the public sector.
