The Mindset of an EQ Specialist with M.Azeem Saheer

EQ specialist M. Azeem Saheer on emotional intelligence you can use: turning feelings into better leadership, culture and collaboration—with tools like the Emotional Culture Deck, coaching habits and LEGO® Serious Play.

In this episode, Paul Corke is joined by Mohamed Azeem Saheer—a Human Capital specialist with 15+ years of global experience across Sri Lanka, Qatar and the UAE. Azeem designs and delivers initiatives in leadership development, culture building, collaboration, creativity and innovation. He’s among the first in his country to become Genos-certified in Emotional Intelligence and a Riders&Elephants Emotional Culture Deck practitioner, an ICF PCC-level coach, and he integrates LEGO® Serious Play to turn serious topics into immersive learning. Azeem is a Lead Facilitator at Luminary Learning Solutions and hosts the podcast Ei Café with Azeem.

We unpack the mindset of an EQ specialist: how emotions drive behaviour, decision quality and team performance—and how leaders can make EQ practical (not fluffy) in day-to-day conversations, meetings and rituals.

You’ll hear:

• The EQ → behaviour → results chain—and where to intervene fast

• Core EI skills in action: self-awareness, self-management, awareness of others, positive influence

• Using the Emotional Culture Deck to codify how your team wants to feel (and not feel) at work

• Coaching micro-habits for managers: ask > tell, reflective listening, and clean commitments

• LEGO® Serious Play & metaphor to surface assumptions, align strategy and spark creativity

Try this (10-minute EQ reset for your team):

1. 60-sec breath + label: In 4 / out 6; name your state in one word (e.g., “tense/flat/curious”).

2. Emotional Culture quick pass (3 min): “For this project, we want to feel ___ more and ___ less.” Capture 3/3 as a team.

3. Impact check (3 min): For each “feel more,” ask: What behaviour proves it this week? (one example per person).

4. Clean close (3 min): Each person states one action, by when, and how you’ll know it’s done.

A practical conversation on using emotional intelligence to lead better, collaborate deeper and create cultures people want to be part of.