Leila Entezam on emotional awareness self regulation and leadership performance

Episode 41

In this episode, we’re diving deep into emotional intelligence, leadership, and the science of decision-making with Leila Entezam. Leila brings a compelling lens to the conversation, blending neuroscience, psychology, and real-world leadership insights to break down why the way we feel drives the way we lead.

We begin with Leila’s personal journey—how she stuck with a path that was once seen as unmeasurable and intangible. For years, she advocated for the role of emotions and inner wellbeing in leadership long before it became widely accepted. She shares what it was like being told “this doesn’t belong in business” and how she kept going by trusting her instincts and staying rooted in the neuroscience that supported her perspective.

From there, we unpack how leaders often believe they can compartmentalize personal and professional lives. Leila challenges that assumption by explaining that we all operate from one brain with one internal database. Everything from our childhood experiences to daily stressors affects the way we show up in the workplace. She explains how emotional responses often occur before we’re even conscious of them, making it critical to understand what’s happening beneath the surface.

We also talk about her practical framework called SETUP. It’s a tool leaders can use to quickly assess their somatic signals, emotions, thoughts, broader life context, and physiological state—especially in high-stress moments. Leila walks through how using SETUP helps you hit pause, gain clarity, and act more intentionally. We discuss why high performers often resist addressing their early life experiences, and how ignoring those roots limits growth. Leila shares how she approaches this resistance, the science that supports it, and the transformation leaders experience when they finally allow themselves to explore what’s under the surface.

As the conversation continues, we explore how emotional intelligence impacts everything from daily decisions to broader team dynamics. Leila explains how seemingly small shifts in language or presence can ripple out to major changes in team engagement and organizational culture. She also discusses how the shift to remote work has increased the need for intentional connection, and how we can leverage things like music, casual dialogue, or shared meals to maintain human connection virtually.

We close by exploring the evolving definition of leadership success. Leila emphasizes that new metrics are emerging—ones that measure depth of connection, clarity of self, and emotional health as core indicators of strong leadership.

Learn more about Leila and Emotional Mastery, visit:

Website: https://www.workwithleila.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/workwithleila/

Get Leila's Book: _The Heart of Peak Performance - Emotional Mastery for High Performing Men_ : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DY5BFCHX

0:00 Exploring Emotions in Branding
5:14 "Challenges in Retaining Talent"
6:51 Leadership, Emotions, and ROI Debate
12:22 "System 1 vs. System 2 Thinking"
15:26 "Unexpected Transformation Unveiled"
19:37 "Inner Child's Impact on High Performers"
23:25 Proving Value Through Science
26:08 Decision-Making Under Stress: SET Framework
31:16 Developing Automatic Behavioral Awareness
32:47 Self-Awareness Impact on Performance
38:22 "The Critical Human Element"
41:07 Amplifying Movement in Virtual Meetings
44:34 Returning to Office Dynamics
47:53 Enhancing Employee Engagement Strategies
49:53 Upcoming Episode Preview