2026 Will Expose Every Person Who Refuses to Evolve.

The Cost of Emotional Avoidance in Leadership

You already know what happens when leaders dodge the emotional work. They react. They spiral.They create confusion they never intended.

That avoidance shows up in real ways:

• Decisions made out of urgency instead of clarity

• Relationships strained because no one knows what you’re thinking

• Teams that walk on eggshells instead of performing at their best

Here’s the hard truth:

When you avoid your emotions, you avoid your leadership.

Pause and ask yourself: Where am I pretending I’m “fine” when I’m actually frustrated, overwhelmed, or unsure?

Leaders who face that question head-on build the emotional discipline that separates them from everyone else.

What Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Will Do Differently in 2026

The most successful leaders next year won’t be the loudest.They’ll be the most self-aware.

Here’s what they’ll do differently:

• They’ll pause before reacting, even when pressured

• They’ll communicate with clarity, not confusion

• They’ll decide based on values, not emotional impulse

• They’ll hold boundaries without guilt

• They’ll lead teams who trust them, not tolerate them

This isn’t theory, This isn't fluff— it’s emotional intelligence in action. It’s the EQ Impact® work you’ve heard me teach, live, and model.

When you shift how you manage your emotions, you shift how you influence others.

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything for Me This Past Year

Every season teaches something new.This one forced me to slow down, sit with myself, and stop rushing through the hard moments.

The shift?

I stopped leading from survival mode.

I made space for reflection becasue I felt so triggered lately. I called myself out when I was reacting instead of leading. I practiced what I teach — pausing, processing, persevering, and then moving forward with intention. That shift changed my coaching. It changed my relationships. It changed my leadership.

And you can apply the same lesson today:

When your mindset shifts, your leadership follows.

Season 4 Podcast Recap

Season 4 made one thing very clear: You can’t skip the emotional work and expect maturity in any area of your life.

These are the lessons that rose to the top:

• You can’t skip the emotional work and expect mastery.

• Healing accelerates leadership; hiding slows it down.

• Clarity shows up when you stop avoiding discomfort.

• Confidence grows when you’re honest about who you are.

• Loss and transition are teachers if you’re willing to listen.

• Values drive behavior; people follow what you consistently do.

• Teams can’t be resilient if leaders ignore emotional intelligence.

• Purpose gets louder when you stop chasing titles and start telling the truth.

• DEI and AI require leaders who can navigate nuance without losing themselves.

• Your mindset and EQ shape every decision, every relationship, every outcome.

Season 4 wasn’t about entertainment. It was about elevation — yours and mine.

And that’s exactly why I’m bringing my book to life in a bigger way.

You deserve a framework that helps you pause before you react, communicate with intention, and lead with clarity in every space you walk into.

JOIN US in the ZOOM room!

📅 December 10, 2025

⏰ 12:00 pm eastern | Via Zoom

I created a webinar. It’s built around my book, 20 Golden Leadership Nuggets | Refined by EQ Impact®, but I’m bringing it to life — guiding you through the lessons that change how you lead in real time.

You’ll learn how to:

✅ Identify the emotions driving your leadership decisions

✅ Stay composed and confident when pressure rises

✅ Build trust that fuels connection, not exhaustion

📘 Refined by EQ Impact® Companion Guide

🎁 A signed copy of my book — mailed to you, free

🎥 Replay access if you can’t attend live

Why Now

Because emotional intelligence isn’t a “soft skill” anymore — it’s the competitive edge every effective leader needs.

The next 12 months will belong to leaders who can handle pressure without losing their presence.Those who don’t learn to manage emotions now will keep reacting instead of leading, losing credibility and clarity in the process.

If you’ve felt emotionally stretched, misunderstood, or disconnected in your leadership… this hour is your turning point.

You’ll walk away lighter, clearer, and equipped to lead yourself and others with emotional brilliance.

Join me live. Let’s refine how you lead — before burnout refines it for you.

📅 December 10, 2025

⏰ 12:00 pm eastern | Via Zoom

👉 [Reserve Your Spot + Claim Your Free Signed Book]

Leadership is emotional.

Let’s make it intentional.

With gratitude and impact,

Nicole F. Smith, CEO/Founder, JMS Creative Leadership Solutions

Creator of the EQ Impact® Framework

Check out this video!

🤖 AI + EQ = The Future of Leadership

   ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂ ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂ ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂ ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂

💡 Why I Re-Wrote This Book

Years ago, as an HR Director, I had a breaking point. Frustrated and unheard, I unleashed on a colleague. I call him an A$$. (Well, he was one honestly.) BUT, that moment became the wake-up call: leadership isn’t just strategy or title. Leadership is emotional.

For years, I watched talented leaders burn out or lose influence because no one ever taught them to manage the emotional side of leadership. This book is my answer to that gap.

It was written in just 90 days — not because I rushed, but because I leaned into the pause. The same pause I now teach leaders to use when emotions run high.

That’s why I re-wrote this book — to give leaders the courage to be self-aware, the discipline to master their emotions, and the wisdom to build legacies that last. I took my #1 best seller and tore it up....ripped it apart, and added in my EQ Impact Framework with such clarity and discipline. My focus was very different this time around.

I felt, it was time to put our legacies in MOTION. Do not wait to leave wondering if you made an impact. Walk away KNOWING you left an impact. That's legacy in motion.

꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂ ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂ ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂ ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂

📌 If you do not want to attend the workshop, I get it (kinda) but, push a button...any button!

📘 Grab your copy of 20 Golden Leadership Nuggets | Refined by EQ Impact® 

I do accommodate bulk orders! So get copies for your team and maybe we can gather for a quick Q&A or webinar! And, yes, I am available for book club discussions. There are reflection questions in the back of the book! Help me get to 2000 books by March 31, 2026!

OH! We are on Amazon if that is your jam and want it the next day.

👥 Bring the EQ Impact® Framework to your team through coaching, workshops, or speaking engagement. I will support you and your team through all the chaos and crisis taking place right now and in the future.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. This isn’t just my story — it’s ours.

Together, we’re building leaders, including yourself, to lead with courage, compassion, and emotional brilliance.

Want to set up some time? Let's talk: Click here!

Leaders choose to work with me and my team because we don’t just talk strategy—we build emotionally intelligent leaders who lead with clarity, presence, and purpose.

You're receiving this email because you’re not interested in performing leadership. You’re here to practice it.

You booked a call, joined an event, or signed up because something in you said, it’s time to lead differently. You’re ready to create a life and business rooted in who you are—not in outdated rules or titles that never fit. And we’re here to help you do exactly that—with emotional intelligence at the center.