The EQ Movement - Webinar Series

Join The EQ Movement, our live webinar series, to learn valuable EQ skills and insights, discuss current workplace trends, and share best practices with industry experts, thought leaders and experienced learning and development trainers.

Friction Unfiltered

Friction Unfiltered: A Live Conversation with the Authors

9:00 am PDT/12:00 pm EDT
September 23, 2026

Friction is everywhere in leadership. It’s the conversation you’d rather avoid, the tension you can’t quite resolve, the change people are resisting, and the system that makes everything harder than it needs to be.

We often treat these moments as problems to eliminate. But what if they’re actually where some of our most important leadership happens?

To celebrate the release of Friction, join TalentSmartEQ CEO Howard Farfel for a candid live conversation with authors Maggie Sass, PhD, and Ross Blankenship, PhD.

Instead of another presentation about leadership, we’re taking the conversation behind the book. Maggie and Ross will share what surprised them most while writing Friction, the leadership assumptions they’ve reconsidered, where friction still challenges them personally, and what they hope leaders will do differently after reading the book.

We’ll also put their thinking to work on real friction. Bring the challenges you’re navigating and hear Maggie and Ross respond to situations submitted live by the audience.

Join us to:

  • Discover what Maggie and Ross learned, and unlearned about leadership, while writing Friction
  • Explore how to recognize what a moment of friction is asking of you
  • Hear practical perspectives on real leadership challenges submitted by attendees
  • Walk away with one thing you can do differently the next time leadership gets hard

Come for the conversation. Bring your leadership challenge. And help us celebrate the launch of Friction.

Difficult People, Team Drama, and Workplace Friction

Difficult People, Team Drama, and Workplace Friction: What Great Leaders Do Differently

9:00 am PDT/12:00 pm EDT
October 22, 2026

Every workplace has friction. People disagree. Personalities clash. Tensions rise. But when does normal workplace friction cross the line into destructive or toxic behavior, and what can leaders do to keep it from undermining their teams and results?

Join Maggie Sass, co-author of Friction: How Tension, Emotion and Change Reveal Better Leaders, and workplace culture expert Catherine Mattice, founder and CEO of Civility Partners and author of Navigating a Toxic Workplace For Dummies, for a candid conversation about one of the toughest challenges leaders face: navigating difficult people, unhealthy behaviors, and the everyday friction that can erode trust and performance.

Workplace friction can lead to better ideas, stronger decisions, and meaningful change. Or it can spiral into dysfunction, damaged relationships, and toxic behavior. The difference often comes down to how leaders recognize and respond to it.

In this session, we’ll explore:

  • How to distinguish productive friction from destructive or toxic behavior
  • The warning signs that everyday tension is becoming a bigger team or culture problem
  • Why leaders sometimes tolerate or avoid difficult behavior
  • How emotional intelligence helps leaders manage their own reactions and respond more effectively to challenging people and situations
  • Practical ways leaders can address unhealthy behavior, establish accountability, and turn friction into an opportunity for stronger teams

Whether you’re dealing with one difficult personality, recurring team drama, or broader culture challenges, you’ll leave with practical strategies for addressing friction earlier and creating a healthier, more productive workplace.

On Demand EQ Webinars

Emotional Intelligence: The Unsung Hero in Healthcare Excellence

In this live discussion, we discuss how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is revolutionizing healthcare, enhancing team effectiveness, and improving patient care.

The EQ Edge: How to Motivate Employees in the New Year

Join TalentSmartEQ as we cover the latest research and offer some emotional intelligence strategies to help you make the most of your hybrid work setting.

EQ Behind the Badge: Transforming Law Enforcement with Emotional Intelligence

Learn about the impact of EQ on police work from communication to crisis management, and strategies for implementing EQ in law enforcement settings.

Succeeding in the Ever-Evolving New Normal: Navigating New Work Environments

Join TalentSmartEQ as we cover the latest research and offer emotional intelligence strategies to help you make the most of a hybrid workplace.

Succeeding in the Ever-Evolving New Normal: Jumpstarting Social Skills for Reopening

Join TalentSmartEQ as we share key social awareness strategies to jumpstart your social skills in preparation for the return to office.

Succeeding in the Ever-Evolving New Normal: Adaptability in a World of Uncertainty

Join TalentSmartEQ as we cover EQ strategies that will help match your uncertainty with a healthy dose of adaptability.

Emotional Intelligence & Empathy: EQ Strategies to Help You Support and Connect With Others

Learn how emotional intelligence skills can help us empathize with others, even when our emotions are getting the best of us.

Emotional Intelligence & Others: How to Improve Your Social EQ

Learn what you can begin doing today to increase your EQ skills on a social level.

Emotional Intelligence & You: Part 1:How to Increase Your EQ

Learn what you can begin doing today to increase your EQ skills on a personal level.

Emotional Intelligence & Service/Retail Roles: How EQ Can Make or Break a Customer’s Experience & Your Success in Service

Learn the connection between emotional intelligence and success in service/retail jobs to improve customer service.

Subscribe Today

Subscribe to our EQ Insights newsletter for the latest research, trends and insights on the impact of emotional intelligence.

By completing this form, you consent to receive marketing communications. See our privacy policy.