Deep Dives: Emotional Intelligence for CTOs
14th October 2025 | Online - 3pm (BST)
CTO Craft: Deep Dives – Where Real Leadership Challenges Get Real Answers
Deep Dives are targeted, high-impact virtual events crafted specifically for senior technology leaders. Each session addresses the most pressing and complex challenges you face, combining expert insights with actionable strategies you can put to use right away.
Our next session tackles one of the most overlooked but essential leadership skills: Emotional Intelligence — the foundation for building influence with your CEO, executive peers, and teams across the business. Leadership isn’t just about technical expertise; it’s about relationships. Trust, strategic alignment, and your ability to navigate complexity all start with Emotional Intelligence.
You’ll walk away with:
- Practical tools to strengthen trust and influence across the senior leadership team
- Techniques to handle high-pressure situations with greater emotional awareness and resilience
- Strategies to lead with empathy, adapt your communication style, and foster stronger cross-functional relationships
This isn’t just theory – it’s a focused, actionable session designed to help you lead with confidence, influence, and emotional clarity at the executive level.
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Agenda
Part I: The Self-Awareness Phase (The Inner Game)
This section is all about turning the lens inward. Before you can lead others effectively, technology leaders must understand their own emotional landscape, biases, and triggers.
15:00
Why Smart CTOs Fail Interviews — And How EI Changes the Game
Are you a tech leader looking for your next role?
Here’s the truth: being brilliant at tech doesn’t automatically make job seeking easy. In fact, I see seasoned leaders making the same mistakes over and over — mistakes that cost them opportunities.
You’ll learn:
- Why your CV and LinkedIn aren’t telling the right story
- How to position yourself as a strategic leader (not just a tech expert)
- The small shifts that instantly make you stand out in applications and interviews
If you’re in the middle of a job search — or just want to be prepared for your next move — this session is for you.
Carol Palombini, Coach & Consultant
15:30
Leading with EI: Thriving in the Age of AI
Michelle McDaid explores why EI is becoming even more critical in an AI-driven world, and how it equips leaders to build trust, strengthen collaboration, and sustain performance through constant change.
You’ll walk away with practical insights on how to cultivate your emotional intelligence so you can lead effectively in a world where human connection is the ultimate competitive edge.
Michelle McDaid, Founder, The Leading Place
Part II: The Social Awareness Phase (The Team Game)
Now, armed with a better understanding of yourself, the focus shifts to empathy and social awareness—how to read and understand the emotional landscape of your team.
16:00
Emotionally Intelligent Teams: Mental Health as a Catalyst for Performance
In this session, we’ll explore how Emotional Intelligence in technology teams directly impacts mental health, performance, and collaboration. By examining practical strategies rooted in psychological safety and empathy, attendees will learn how to foster team environments where members feel valued, supported, and empowered to bring their best selves to work. With real-world examples and actionable tools, this session bridges the gap between leadership theory and the lived realities of high-pressure technical contexts, offering CTOs and leaders the confidence to champion both emotional intelligence and mental wellbeing across their teams.
Session Objectives
Identify core components of Emotional Intelligence relevant to tech team environments, and recognise their intersection with team mental health
Equip leaders with practical methods for creating psychologically safe spaces that reduce anxiety and risk of burnout among team members.
Demonstrate empathetic communication techniques that enrich trust, collaboration, and wellbeing across technical teams.
Enable the deployment of simple, evidence-based interventions that support team mental health while sustaining high productivity.
Claire Russell, Founder, Mental Health in Business
16:30
Decision-Making, Unmuted: How to Get Everyone to Speak Up
It used to be about psychological safety, now it’s about job safety. Robbie Clutton builds on the team dynamic by delving into how we can bring more people into a decision making process without the cloud of any potential role impact.
In this session we’ll explore some techniques you can start using this very day to help everyone have a voice, to overcome biases and groupthink, and ultimately – to make better decisions.
Robbie Clutton, CTO, Advisor, Coach
Part III: The Relationship Management & Strategic Application Phase (The Organisational Game)
Our final section is about putting everything together. It’s about using self and social awareness to influence, mentor, and strategically shape the engineering culture and its relationship with the broader business.
17:00
The Missing Piece in Your Mentoring Approach
Tom Sturge opens up on how to transform mentoring impact by moving from advice-giving to active advocacy and opportunity creation for career advancement.
Tom Sturge, Founder, Mohtas Media
Confirmed Speakers
Carol Palombini
Coach & Consultant, Palombini Consulting
Michelle McDaid
Founder, The Leading Place
Tom Sturge
Founder, Mohtas Media
Robbie Clutton
CTO, Advisor, Coach
Claire Russell
Founder, Mental Health in Business
Themes we’ll explore…
Mapping team relationships
Navigate and strengthen relationships with executive peers to build alignment and trust.
Handling crises
Lead decisively through uncertainty and high-stakes situations.
Executive presence
Develop the presence, communication, and influence needed to lead with authority.
Strategy
Engage in strategic thinking and contribute effectively to business direction.
Building visibility
Ensure your work and leadership are recognised by stakeholders at every level.
Boardroom impact
Communicate with confidence in the boardroom and contribute to governance and vision.
Want more like this?
CTO Craft: Deep Dives are just the beginning.
With Campus, you’re not just attending events – you’re joining a year-round support system built exclusively for senior technology leaders. Your membership gives you:
- Unlimited access to 500+ on-demand leadership videos
- A growing library of self-paced leadership courses
- Over 5,000 curated articles, frameworks, and real-world playbooks
- A private Slack community of experienced tech leaders
- Exclusive discounts, early access, and other member-only perks
Whether you’re building your first leadership team or stepping into the C-suite, Campus gives you the tools, insights, and network to grow faster and lead smarter.
Ready to make the most of what CTO Craft has to offer? Campus is where it all comes together.