The Rise of Emotional Intelligence in Competitive Environments: How NFL Teams (and Corporate Leaders) Are Rewriting the Leadership Playbook
Aug 27, 2025
What does it take to create a winning environment...on the field and in the workplace?
In this episode of Enneagram at Work, former Philadelphia Eagles Player, PhD, and leadership consultant Dr. Dereck Faulkner joins us for a deep dive into the evolution of leadership inside the NFL, and the powerful lessons it holds for business leaders today.
From building trust and mentoring under pressure to using emotional intelligence in high-performance environments, Dr. Faulkner shares insights from his 170+ page dissertation, interviews with NFL executives, and firsthand experience as a wide receiver turned executive.
Whether you're leading a sales team, a corporate department, or a sports team, you'll walk away with a clearer picture of how great leaders lead, and how to shape a culture people want to be a part of.
In this episode:
- What the NFL can teach us about modern leadership
- The shift from command-and-control to servant leadership
- Why your leadership style should evolve over time
- Mentorship vs. advice (and why peer support matters)
- Building trust and harmony in diverse teams
- Why “everyone doing their 1/11th” is the secret to success
- Dr. Faulkner's take on being the CEO of yourself
- Using your "Swiss Army Knife of Leadership"
>>> Connect with Dr. Faulkner at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dereck-faulkner-ph-d-mba-0548b926/
>>> Learn more about giving to and getting involved with Athletes for Vets: https://www.athletesforvets.org/
Find your next suit: https://www.lewisdeanbespoke.com/
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Learn more about developing the team behind the team at your sports organization: https://www.enneagrammba.com/sports-organizations
Looking to strengthen your team’s dynamics and boost collaboration? Book a team-building Enneagram workshop with Enneagram MBA and discover how understanding personality types can transform your workplace relationships and elevate your team’s performance!