Episode

1620: Emotional Intelligence Leadership with Dr. Julie Donley

Podcast
Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank: Business Growth & Entrepreneur Stories
Published
Jul 24, 2026
Duration seconds
2147
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https://www.robertplank.com/1620-resilient-leadership-change-julie-donley/
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Markdown
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Summary

Stress, burnout, and emotional overload silently derail even the most talented leaders. Today’s guest, Dr. Julie Donley, a psychiatric nurse, leadership coach, and author, has transformed decades of personal hardship and frontline experience into practical tools that help leaders become more resilient, emotionally intelligent, and effective with their teams. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Dr. Julie shares how surviving 17–18 surgeries, serious illness, divorce, single parenting, and financial hardship forged her perspective on change and leadership. Out of that journey came her book, Does Change Have to Be So Hard?, in which she breaks down why change is H.A.R.D. (Habits, Attachment, Resistance, Discouragement) and how to make it E.A.S.Y. using neuroscience, mindset shifts, and simple, repeatable strategies. Instead of getting stuck in “Why me?”, she shows leaders how to ask, “What can I learn from this?” and use adversity as curriculum for growth. Dr. Julie dives into the human side of leadership, how to protect your attention, avoid “shiny object syndrome,” and use clear goals and vision to stay focused in a noisy, fast-paced world. Drawing on her decades in psychiatric nursing and leadership, she explains why emotional intelligence, boundaries, and self-awareness are now competitive advantages, especially as AI and technology accelerate. Her Leading at the Speed of People framework and C.A.R.E. model (Communicate, Appreciate, Respect, Empathize) help leaders create environments where people feel seen, supported, and inspired instead of burned out and checked out. You’ll also hear why mentors, coaches, and community are non-negotiable if you want to grow faster and avoid avoidable mistakes. Dr. Julie talks about the danger of negativity, whether from family,…