Why True Collaboration Starts with Team Culture with Dr. Vanessa Druskat

In this episode of the CivilTalk Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Vanessa Druskat—award-winning researcher, professor, and the pioneering mind behind the Team Emotional Intelligence (Team EI) model. With over three decades of research into what makes teams succeed, Vanessa shares how emotionally intelligent team cultures—not just individual talent—are the key to collaboration, performance, and long-term success.

We explore the core components of the Team EI model, why leaders should stop trying to "fix" people, and how to instead build systems that support emotional connection, trust, and high performance. Vanessa also discusses insights from her new book, The Emotionally Intelligent Team, and what the future holds for leadership and organizational culture.

Topics include:

• What emotionally intelligent teams a ...