How Emotional Intelligence Helps Employees Speak Up at Work - Yolonda Tonette Sanders

Send Fan Mail by Text!Full transcript and show notes: https://www.sharnafabiano.com/2026/07/29/how-emotional-intelligence-helps-employees-speak-up-at-work-yolonda-tonette-sanders/ Many organizations say they want honest feedback and better ideas — but creating teams where people feel confident enough to question, challenge, and contribute requires more than asking for input. Dr. Yolonda Tonette Sanders explores how emotional intelligence influences the way people participate on teams and why leaders benefit from understanding the behaviors that help others speak up.Dr. Yolonda Tonette Sanders is co-founder of Traction, an organizational change consulting company, and holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. Her research examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and patterns of team contribution, building on her experience as a CEO, board member, program director, author, and educator.In this episode, you’ll learn:How emotional intelligence affects the way people contribute within teamsWhy employees with strong judgment still need environments where they can speak upHow leaders can encourage constructive challenge instead of passive agreementWhy the best ideas often come from people without the final decision-making authorityWhat emotionally intelligent teams do differently when solving problemsEpisode References Robert Kelley, Power of Followership Ira Chaleff, The Courageous FollowerDaniel Goleman, Emotional IntelligenceBarbara Kellerman, FollowershipConnect with Dr. Yolonda Tonette SandersTraction, an organizational change consulting companyResearch Gate Scholarship PageAmazon author pageFaith and Fellowship Book Festival Support the show*Sharna Fabiano is the author of Lead & Follow: The Dance of Inspired Teamwork and host of the Lead & Follow Podcast. She helps founders, solopreneurs, and new leaders build strong collaborative relationships and successful teams. Get a discounted coach session with Sharna with promo code PODCAST https://www.sharnafabiano.com/coaching/Order the book: Lead & Followhttps://www.amazon.com/Lead-Follow-Dance-Inspired-Teamwork/dp/1646632796/Support the Show!https://www.buzzsprout.com/1735834/support