The Digital Project Manager
The Digital Project Manager
Galen Low
What NATO Taught Me About EQ in High-Stakes Transformation
52 minutes Posted Mar 3, 2026 at 11:00 am.
Opening, Premise, And Big Question
Guest Intro And NATO Background
Does EQ Still Matter With AI
Discomfort As Trust-Building Mechanism
NATO’s Digital Transformation And Culture
Stakeholder Power And Real Influence
Burnout, Mission Shift, And Thrive With EQ
Influence Vs Manipulation In Social Engineering
Emotional Firewalls Explained
Training Self-Regulation Under Pressure
Office Politics, Cyber Risk, And EQ
Telling The Truth Without Getting Fired
Gamification, AI, And Safer Behaviors
Tailored Communication And AI Diffusion
Creativity, Discomfort, And Authenticity
Vision, Identity, And EQ As Bridge
Resources, Links, And Closing
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Show notes
Emotional intelligence has always mattered in project work—but in the age of AI, it’s becoming a differentiator. In this episode, Galen sits down with Nadja El Fertasi, founder of Thrive with EQ and former NATO leader, to unpack how EQ shows up in high-stakes digital transformation—and why it may be the most overlooked risk mitigation strategy in your toolkit. Drawing from nearly two decades inside NATO’s cyber and digital transformation initiatives, Nadja shares how stakeholder engagement, i...