Day one · 8:30 to 9:00Plenary and tables
Welcome and framing
Set a warm, candid tone, and establish that EQ is a learnable discipline, not a verdict on anyone's character.
Best boss, worst boss20 min
Round · 8Tables · 7Harvest · 5
Leader note. Best words are relational: present, calm, fair. Worst words are unmanaged emotion. That contrast is the whole workshop in miniature.
Module 1 · 9:00 to 10:00Teach and groups
The business case
Make the case with current data that EQ is a top-tier business skill, that most leaders overrate their own, and that the cost of low-EQ management is landing now.
The cost ledger25 min
Groups · 10Groups · 5Gallery · 10
Leader note. Do not drown the room in statistics. Pick four or five that land and let the ledger make the rest personal.
Module 2 · 10:15 to 11:15Teach and pairs
What EQ is, and is not
Turn EQ from a slogan into a working model, and orient each person to their own EQ-i 2.0 results for the first time.
First read of your results25 min
Solo · 10Pairs · 12Capture · 3
Leader note. Results are personal. Nobody has to share a score, and EQ-i has no pass or fail.
Module 3 · 11:15 to 12:15Teach and solo
Self-awareness
Close the gap between how people see themselves and how they are experienced. Leadership lives in the gap between identity and reputation.
Identity and reputation30 min
Solo · 8Solo · 15Harvest · 7
Leader note. If people are stuck, offer the question: what is one thing I do consistently that gets in your way?
Module 4 · 1:15 to 2:30Teach and pairs
Self-regulation
Name the situations that hijack good intentions, and practice the two-second gap: name it, breathe, choose.
Trigger map and regulation plan35 min
Solo · 22Pairs · 10Capture · 3
Leader note. Keep this practical, not therapeutic. If something heavy surfaces, keep the room safe and offer to talk at the break.
Module 5 · 2:45 to 3:45Demo and trios
Self-expression and presence
How people show up before they say a word, practiced with the 30-second reset.
The 30-second reset25 min
Demo · 5Trios · 15Capture · 5
Leader note. Model the bad entrance with commitment. The contrast is what people remember.
Day one · 3:45 to 4:25Solo and tables
Integration and bridge
Consolidate the inner work. Each person chooses the two EQ-i subscales they most want to develop, and why.
Name your two40 min
Plenary · 10Solo · 15Tables · 15
Leader note. Overnight, each person recalls one moment where better self-regulation would have changed the outcome. Day two opens with it.
Day two · 8:30 to 9:00Tables
Welcome back
Harvest the overnight reflection, then turn the work outward: we learned to lead ourselves, today we make it visible.
Reconnect30 min
Tables · 15Harvest · 10Frame · 5
Leader note. No fixing, just naming.
Module 6 · 9:00 to 10:00Teach and trios
Empathy
Empathy and active listening as a discipline: attuned to others without being consumed by their emotions.
Active listening lab30 min
Trios · 20Debrief · 10
Leader note. Hold the no-advice rule firmly. The discomfort of not fixing is the lesson.
Module 7 · 10:15 to 11:30Teach and pairs
One-to-ones
The single most effective people-leadership practice, designed and rehearsed by every manager in the room.
Design and rehearse your one-to-one40 min
Solo · 10Pairs · 25Capture · 5
Leader note. This is the highest-leverage module of the two days. If you are running late anywhere, protect this one.
Module 8 · 11:30 to 12:15Teach and pairs
Feedback and SBI
Replace the dread around feedback with a simple, repeatable method: Situation, Behavior, Impact.
Write it, say it35 min
Solo · 10Pairs · 20Harvest · 5
Leader note. Most feedback should be recognition, fast and frequent.
Module 9 · 1:15 to 2:45Teach and tables
Psychological safety
Safety as the precondition for performance, built on a team through four interpersonal work norms.
Gauge and draft your norms45 min
Solo · 10Tables · 25Solo · 10
Leader note. If a participant's own manager lacks interest, coach them to model safety within their own span of control.
Module 10 · 3:00 to 3:45Teach and solo
Leading in the age of AI
As machines do more, human-centered leadership becomes the differentiator, and EQ is its engine.
The human-centered leader manifesto25 min
Solo · 12Harvest · 10Plenary · 3
Leader note. Leave the themes on the wall through module 11. People anchor their plans to them.
Module 11 · 3:45 to 4:30Solo and pairs
Commitments and 30, 60, 90
Convert two days of insight into specific, owned commitments, so the learning leaves the room.
Commit out loud30 min
Solo · 12Pairs · 10Close · 8
Leader note. Run the feedback form in the last three minutes, not by email afterwards.