The 5 EQ Drivers to Master in Leadership and with Teams with Chris Salem
In this episode of the Extraordinary Leadership Podcast, host Dagmara Asbreuk sits down with Christopher Salem—workplace strategist, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and host of Sustainable Success—to unpack the real engine behind high-performing teams: emotional intelligence (EQ).
Chris shares the personal turning point that shaped his mission. Until 31, he lived from anger, anxiety, and addiction—patterns rooted in childhood and a deep need for validation.
His father’s passing sparked a profound realization: we repeat emotional patterns until we take responsibility to change them. From there, Chris committed to what Dagmara calls inner mastery—recovery, Eastern meditation, and disciplined self-work—discovering the name for what transformed his life and leadership: EQ.
Today, Chris helps organizations align EQ with business growth—because EQ isn’t “soft”; it’s strategic infrastructure bridging human connection and measurable performance.
Together, we break down his framework, “The Five Things You Can Control,” a repeatable model any leader can use to build psychological safety, ownership, and sustainable high performance:
In this episode we unpack each of the 5:
1. Communication (Assumptions → Assertiveness): stop guessing, start clarifying.
2. Behavior: align actions with words to build trust.
3. Attitude: shift from “it’s happening to me” to “it’s happening for me.”
4. Emotions: pause and respond, don’t react.
5. Action: prioritize what moves the needle; delegate the rest.
Listen if you’re a CEO, executive, founder, or senior leader ready to elevate your presence, communication, and impact.
Take a moment after the episode to reflect:
- Which of the five drivers you need to elevate?
- What one shift will you implement this week?
Extraordinary Leadership starts the moment you are aware what to shift & intercept the autopilot.
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About Christopher Salem:
Chris Salem is a leading expert in Emotional Intelligence for leadership, communication, sales acceleration, and talent development. He helps organizations build psychologically safe, high-performing cultures that drive engagement and results. A certified workplace strategist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker, Chris also hosts Sustainable Success and Business Influencers, empowering leaders to align EQ with business growth.
Connect with Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophersalem/
About Dagmara Asbreuk:
Dagmara Asbreuk is the Founder & CEO of Extraordinary Leadership™, and a transformational partner to CEOs, executives, and founders pioneering a new paradigm of leadership—aligned from within.
After more than 15 years in senior leadership roles across global Fortune 500 companies, Dagmara experienced her own profound transformation and now dedicates her work to helping leaders unlock limitless potential, embody magnetic presence, and lead organizations toward exponential growth—with less effort, more ease, and deeper fulfillment.
Connect with Dagmara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagmara-asbreuk/