MJ Michaud

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THE HUMAN DYNAMICS BEHIND PERFORMANCE

What happens beneath the surface shapes results. This is where Applied Emotional Intelligence makes a difference.

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People can interpret the same situation very differently. These differences can cloud judgment, undermine trust, fuel conflict, and make collaboration difficult.

Applied Emotional Intelligence helps leaders recognize these dynamics, question their interpretations, and respond more effectively.

Leaders must understand human dynamics.

What Shapes Our Decisions.

Even experienced leaders can misinterpret situations when emotions, past experiences, assumptions, or concerns about credibility influence what they notice and how they interpret it.

With applied emotional intelligence, leaders learn to recognize these influences, question their interpretations, and act with both discernment and assertiveness.

How
EI helps.

In real situations.

Decision-making.
Emotional intelligence helps leaders recognize how emotions shape their interpretations and judgment, including when the need to protect their ego or credibility begins to outweigh what is best for the organization.
Speaking up.
EI helps leaders recognize how their reactions influence whether others feel comfortable raising concerns, admitting mistakes, and asking for help.
Conflict and
difficult conversations.
EI enables leaders to look beyond immediate reactions, identify underlying concerns, and support constructive dialogue and resolution.
Trust and collaboration.
EI helps leaders recognize and address behaviors that undermine trust, collaboration, and respect, both in their own actions and within their teams.
Navigating change.
EI helps leaders recognize their own judgments about how others experience change, better understand individual concerns, and respond with greater empathy.

What Research Shows.

Research has linked emotional intelligence to workplace outcomes and safety-related performance in high-stakes environments.

Workplace Performance​

A meta-analysis found relationships between EI and several workplace outcomes, including job performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job stress.

Explore the research ↗

Safety-Critical Environments

A study of 133 commercial pilots examined the relationships between emotional intelligence, situational awareness, and safety performance.

Explore the research ↗

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Applied emotional intelligence for
LEADERS

Executives, Managers and
Project Managers

Explore how emotions, perceptions, and behavioral patterns influence your leadership, decisions, and responses to workplace challenges.

How the program works

1. Understand what shapes your reactions

Learn how emotions, perceptions, past experiences, and behavioral patterns influence the way you interpret situations, make decisions, and respond to others.

2. Apply what you learn

Use real workplace situations to examine your responses, challenge assumptions, explore alternative perspectives, and identify what you can do differently.

3. Integrate new ways of working

Through coaching and mentorship informed by my leadership experience, translate insights into practical actions you can apply to your decisions, relationships, difficult conversations, and everyday leadership challenges.

The focus isn't simply on understanding yourself. It's on using that understanding to lead and work more effectively.

Note: This is the evolution of the Enlightened Leadership Program, originally developed in 2011.

Duration & continued support

The program typically unfolds over three months, with three-hour sessions every two weeks.

Developing emotional intelligence takes time, practice, and reflection. An optional 10-hour bank of individual support is available between sessions or after the program to help leaders apply what they learn to real workplace situations, work through challenges, and progressively strengthen their skills.

Applied emotional intelligence for
TEAMS

Navigating Change, Tensions &
Complex Workplace Dynamics

As a team, explore how emotions, perceptions, and behavioral patterns influence communication, relationships, and the way people work together.

How the program works

1. Understand What Shapes Team Dynamics

Participants explore how emotions, perceptions, past experiences, and behavioral patterns influence how people interpret situations, communicate, make decisions, and respond to one another.

2. Apply What You Learn 

Using real workplace situations, participants examine misunderstandings, communication challenges, conflict, and differences in perspective. They explore how individual responses affect others and the way the team functions.

3. Integrate New Ways of Working

Through facilitated discussions, practical exercises, and application to current workplace challenges, participants identify more effective ways to communicate, address tensions, make decisions, and collaborate.

The focus is on applying individual insights to improve team dynamics and work more effectively together.

Duration & continued support

The program typically consists of five to six two-hour sessions, scheduled every two weeks or monthly, depending on the team's needs and availability.

Developing emotional intelligence takes time, practice, and reflection. An optional 10-hour bank of confidential individual follow-up sessions is available to help participants apply what they learn to real workplace situations, work through challenges, and progressively strengthen their skills.

What Clients Say After the Program.

Having spent several years in a high-performance environment, where we often believe we must set our emotions aside to perform, the Enlightened Leadership Program for Leaders with MJ showed me something quite different. I discovered that my next level of growth and competence depended on deeply understanding my emotions and what they reveal. It’s a real pleasure to apply what I’ve learned both at work and at home.
NAV CANADA - Jérôme GagnonAssistance Vice President - Strategic Execution
The program and support provided by MJ helped me see my environment and the people around me from a new perspective. It was an eye-opening experience and an investment truly worth making to foster a healthy, sustainable work environment built on genuine relationships. Although my primary goal was work-related, the tools and guidance also proved invaluable in my personal life. A wonderful opportunity to grow both as a leader and as a person. Thank you, MJ!
NAV CANADA - Lyne MoreauFormer Vice President – Corporate Planning and Performance
I took part in MJ’s Enlightened Leadership Program to sharpen my leadership skills and gain tools to better navigate organizational politics within my company. By developing a deeper understanding of how people react, I learned emotional intelligence concepts that I now regularly apply when managing my teams. These proved especially valuable during the global crisis we experienced. Overall, the program helped me grow both professionally and personally.
CGI - Annie SimardFormer Vice President

Ready to understand the human dynamics
behind performance?

Understand how thinking and interaction patterns influence performance, and develop more effective ways of working together.

Let’s discuss the program