Business Growth Architect Show

Ep #143: Andrea Johnson: How to Use Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) at Work

• Beate Chelette • Episode 143

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Andrea Johnson shows how using emotional intelligence (EQ) empowers your leadership and elevates your influence. Tune in to discover how to lead with empathy and inspire success!


In this episode of the Business Growth Architect Show, we’re joined by Andrea Johnson, The Intentional Optimist, who helps leaders unlock their potential through self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and by leaning into their authentic selves. She brings her unique insights into how leaders can not only improve their leadership skills but also empower and inspire their teams to thrive simply by using more of their EQ.

Andrea is a transformational leadership coach and host of the Stand Tall and Own It podcast.

Throughout this conversation, Andrea shares her personal journey of breaking away from the stereotypical image of leadership and explains how modern leadership requires more than just authority—it demands influence, authenticity, and empathy. Drawing from her experiences in managing operations in Universities Andrea discusses the challenges she faced, particularly with traditional male-dominated leadership structures, and how she learned to overcome the limitations these systems imposed. She opens up about the importance of core values in leadership, explaining that values are not just guiding principles but the key to remaining authentic and transparent in every situation.

Andrea emphasizes leading with both influence and empathy. She explains how leadership is not just about holding up a flag and expecting others to follow—it’s about showing up authentically, engaging your team in decision-making processes, and leading by example. Her approach to leadership focuses on helping leaders become more intentional with their actions, enabling them to lead with greater impact while staying true to who they are.

Next we discuss the concept of emotional intelligence (EQ) and how understanding both your emotions and those of your team members dramatically improve your leadership effectiveness. She shares real-life examples of how tapping into emotional intelligence resolves conflicts, improves communication, and builds stronger relationships within teams. 

Another explains how spiritual and emotional alignment play a role in leadership, helping leaders tap into their true purpose and create a ripple effect that impacts not just their business but the lives of everyone they touch. By integrating these elements into your leadership, you can lead with greater clarity, purpose, and compassion.

To learn more from Andrea Johnson, visit her website, The Intentional Optimist, where you’ll find valuable resources such as her core values exercise to help you define your leadership style.

If this episode resonated with you, don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with friends, colleagues, or anyone else who could benefit from Andrea’s wisdom. We’d love to hear your thoughts, leave a c

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Andrea Johnson:

Hi there. I'm Andrea Johnson, the Intentional Optimist, transformational leadership coach and the host of Stand Tall and Own It podcast. And on my episode with the Business Growth Architect Show, I'm going to talk to you about how understanding your own unchanging leadership principles promotes next level leadership. Make sure that you head over there now and listen to the entire conversation

BEATE CHELETTE:

And hello, fabulous person! Beate Chelette here. I am the host of the Business Growth Architect Show, and I want to welcome you to today's episode where we discuss how to navigate strategy and spirituality to achieve time and financial freedom. Truly successful people have learned how to master both a clear intention and a strategy to execute that in a spiritual practice that will help them to stay in alignment and on purpose. Please enjoy the show and listen to what our guest today has to say about this very topic. Hello and welcome back. It's your host, Beate Chelette. I'm talking to Andrea Johnson from the Intentional Optimist, and we are talking about something I think that a lot of listeners are probably unsure about what these terms really mean, and that's leadership. Andrea, welcome to the show. I cannot wait to dive in about giving your unique spin to this very old topic. Oh,

Andrea Johnson:

thank you, Beate. I'm so excited to be here, and I love talking about this topic too too few people actually do it. Well,

BEATE CHELETTE:

the first question when I say leader, in my mind, I see a white haired old guy sitting in a country club with a wood paneling with a bunch of his buddies and drinking 12 year old whiskey. Sure is that the definition of leadership? Not

Andrea Johnson:

mine, for sure, not mine at all.

BEATE CHELETTE:

So why is it that we have this image when we talk leadership, and what is your part in changing that? Well,

Andrea Johnson:

I think the reason we have that is because we've seen it and it's been promoted for so long. When you look at CEOs, and even you look at American history, especially, or any European history, any kind of big names like that, they tend to be exactly what you described. And when we don't actually challenge those norms, we don't challenge the way we see things and look at things from a different perspective, we get kind of stuck in that rut. And I was there myself for 50 years, and I went through I was in university management and university operations, and I just kind of got, I wanted to be more, but I kept getting going up against the ceiling that included men that were either what you described or were like six three blonde hair and blue eyed with an MBA. And I never could get above that. And I said, something's got to change, because the old white dude that I listened to and I love so much as John Maxwell, and he actually says it differently too. He says leadership is influence, plain and simple. And when you talk about influence, a lot of times we think, Well, I don't want to influence people. Yes, you do. I just want people to follow you. You want people to change the way they think. You want people to figure out how to work together as a team, any of those things is influence, and when we start looking at it from that perspective, it opens up a whole new way of looking at leadership in general. I

BEATE CHELETTE:

think that there are a lot of points that are in there that coming up for me when you say what you say. So number one, I think that there is the traditional image of the leader, which I do believe we see as the gray or white haired guy, and that's not necessarily bad. There's a lot of people that have a lot of wisdom, and they have the experience and they're willing to share, and they understand leadership on a broader level. But I think that where leadership really has gone wrong lately, and you talk about this in your work is that somebody holds up a flag and says, Follow me. Why does the assumption that by the title of me being a leader, a manager, a director, being in the C level, holding up the flag and yelling at people, follow me? Why does this not work anymore? Or has it even ever worked?

Andrea Johnson:

It might work in some situations where you've got them scared to death that if they don't follow, they're going to get fired. But that's not the kind of leadership you want. That's not the kind of followers you want. None of us want that. What we want is people who are excited to be doing what they do, if it's in a volunteer capacity, or if it's in a paid capacity as an employee or a team member. And so what I actually help people do is figure out a way to be themselves and to Stop imitating other people's principles and priorities, which is what holding up a flag and saying, follow me, that's imitating other people's principles and priorities. So what I do. They help people figure out how to not do that, how to figure out their own how to come up with a sustainable way to be a leader that will keep you transparent, that will keep you authentic, that will inspire those who are around you, because they see that you're going to do the work as well. You know, we hear a lot about servant servant leadership is the other thing that we hear a lot about. And I think that just saying, Well, I'm doing this for you or for the benefit of the organization. We think that's servant leadership, and it's not servant leadership is truly believing that the people around you are important enough to include in the decision making, to include in the vision, and when you share that and when you're willing to let your own self shine. People are drawn to that like a moss to a flame, so holding up a flag, as long as you are authentic and transparent, might work, but the best way to do it is to get to know yourself and your own leadership style, so that you're not begging people to follow you or beating them into following you. How

BEATE CHELETTE:

do I find out what my leadership style really is. I think that in the end of the day is the most difficult thing for most people. You know, people say this sort of very laissez faire. Be yourself, everybody else's take and just show me who you really are. But that's not exactly how we grew up. This is not exactly how we how the system is educating us. So how can I shed these things that everybody taught me how to be me and then become me, like, how do I even do that as a leader?

Andrea Johnson:

Yeah, that actually is a really tall order. That is something that I wish I could just say, you do this a, b, c, d thing and you're done. I can't. I would love to, but that's why you and I are having a conversation like this for the people who want to listen, because it isn't just a simple fix. It really is figuring out who you are. So the way I work with clients is I first, I have three main aspects to what I call magnetic leadership. I want you to understand who you are. And by that, I mean, what are your core values? There's a lot of talk about core values out there, but I mean the things that have motivated you from day one, like, if your mama looked at you when you were two years old, she'd probably be able to say, yep, that's the same thing that motivates you today. Those are your core values. When you know what those are, then you can figure out how to show up in situations that will honor those that help you honor those in other people as well, and make you more transparent once you figure that out, we also look at how you need to know how you communicate. Everybody has a pattern of communication, and I personally am one of those bubbly people. I love to tell stories, and I can keep you engaged. If you wanted to have this podcast for three hours, we could go right, I can do that. But that's not what everybody needs. Some people need give me the bottom line. Some people need the extreme detail. And when I start understanding who how I communicate and how others communicate, then I start building bridges and filling in those gaps. And then I figure out as well how to help people live their own life principles, and once they figure out the life principles that they want to live by, whether they're mine, I call myself the intentional optimist, and I have six tenets of intentional optimism. You can borrow mine or I help them figure out what their principles are, so that they can live out those core values and their communication in a way that is true to who they are. Some people can do this on their own. Some people you say, here's the things that you need to look at, and they're really good at being reflective and developing their own self awareness. But sometimes people need some more help. So you know, you and I are here to help them figure those things out and get them started on that path. I

BEATE CHELETTE:

like this a lot. I think that, and maybe this goes back into the white haired leader, right? Because the longer you are around, the less you care about what other people think it is the there is a benefit for that. Maybe the gray hair is required to get to the point where people said you really don't give you don't give a bleep here. But I think that there is this in the beginning, like, if I'm 20, I say I don't care, American if I'm 30, and I say, I don't care. I'm ignorant and stupid because I don't know what's good for me if I'm 40. And I say, I don't care. I sound like a lost all hope if I'm 50. And I say, I'm I don't care. People say she knows what she's talking about if I'm 60. And I say, I don't care. Everybody says she's got it figured out. Yeah, what do we do with that?

Andrea Johnson:

Oddly enough, the women that I work with Now, granted, I have gray and white hair, I finally, like, a year and a half ago, said I'm not coloring it anymore. And this is, this is the color that that God gave me. So I decided, if I'm going to be wise, I'm going to, like, wear the crown, right? So. But oddly enough, the women I work with tend to be somewhere between 27 and 40, and they're looking for someone in their 50s or not. I'm not 60 yet. I'm 57 but heading into that direction to say, show me the steps, right? And when I do that for them. I watch them blossom, and I think the world is opening up for women who are younger to not be arrogant or ignorant. And I just love getting a hold of a I've got a client right now who's about to be a senior in college, and getting a hold of her and helping her figure things out so that she can make career decisions that are not based on her family system, but are based on her system. And watching her do that, and her mom and I connected through a podcast, and she said, Would you coach my daughter? I'm like, Oh, I've never coached anybody that young, but it's turning out to be beautiful, and when we give them the tools they need, then you don't have to come across sounding arrogant to say, I don't care about what somebody else thinks of me can come across as arrogant when you're 20, but it can also come across, depending on how you say it, with a lot of confidence. And confidence is very attractive. We used to call that for women. We used to call it charm. And you know, we talk about people like Audrey Hepburn being very charming men are seeing when they're confident, they're seen as being strong, right? It's like for women having that confidence. It doesn't have to be the male strong confidence. It can be a charming female confidence that just says, yeah, that's not for me. I actually have a coach who taught me to say, I'm not available for this right now, and that might even be conversation, right? And so when we can give the younger women the tools they need, I think they'll get to where we may be. I don't know how old you are, but where I am sooner and actually accomplish a lot more in the long run.

BEATE CHELETTE:

Is this an interesting topic that you say that? And we're going to completely go off script here, because this is something I literally just did a podcast episode on, and it's the idea I'm going to say a bad word. So I'm going to prep you for that. The idea of the badass grandma. And the badass grandma, to me, is somebody you know that you trust and like, where you say, look, you're 60, and I'm going to be 60 this year. You go to somebody who looks like they have the life figured out to some extent, right? I take the responsibility of having gotten here very serious. Andrea, this does not look good. Then we are all screwed, in my opinion, right? If I work this hard to sell my business to make the money. You went through the leadership training. You went through the corporate you went independent. If this does not look good, then what's the point for anybody else? Great. So now can we, instead of being the angry feminist, the woman with the 20 cats, be really who we are intended to be? Said, You want shortcuts. Here are the shortcuts. And this is a theme that I've really talked about a lot. I'm actually really excited that you said that, because that is exactly where I think there's a shift in the market, this classic friction between young women and old women, of where the young women say, well, she's aging really poorly, and what does she even know? I do think that there's a shift in there, and there's a larger openness to say, Well, you do look good, you do sound smart, you are successful. You have something to say. Can you tell me how you did that? Or is there something I need to watch out? Are you seeing that shift like I do? I

Andrea Johnson:

am, and I actually did a podcast of talking about leadership and how you work with leaders that are in Gen Z. And when I look at these women that work with in the chamber here in in my town, and they're like 26 and 27 and they love having me on their executive council for these women's conferences, because I bring a different perspective. And I think there's an openness to generational differences that we haven't seen in a while. And I think part of that is just because of the globalization of everything. Everything's becoming more globalized and and it is very encouraging to me. Most of them are extremely curious. I expect them to shut me down, and I'll say, I don't know if you want my opinion here. And they're like, yes, we want your opinion. And that's something that I didn't get when I was younger. I was told nobody wanted my opinion. I was told that I needed to just keep my mouth shut by my family and by my jobs, and I was told not to promote people out or not to help them find other jobs, because we were losing them and and it just it didn't work for me. And so I fought that for so long. So now, when I see women who are in their 20s and 30s, and they are excited to learn what could possibly be different for them than what I went through, and when I look at them and I say, look, sister, you don't want to go down this road if you know, I forget who said it to me. Somebody said in their story, I think it was a girl I interviewed her mom with her, she's 25 years old, and said it's a good time to be poor. It's a good time to eat ramyun. It's also a good time at 25 to figure out that you want to be an entrepreneur and not work in corporate the rest of your life. And just because you think it's safe and it that really resonated, and the women that I work with and that I talk to are very open and very curious, so I'm extremely excited about the future of women's leadership.

BEATE CHELETTE:

I may not believe everything that you say and not everything that you are saying is relevant to me, but at least I want to hear and then I feel I'm strong enough to determine for myself what of which I can take on and what of which I can disregard. Is that what I'm hearing from you, yes,

Andrea Johnson:

and it's a very refreshing resurgence of what I call critical thinking. I'm not the only one who calls it that, but you know, women in my generation were really not taught to do critical thinking. We were taught to follow instructions. And you and I have talked about this. In our education system, we're all taught to follow instructions, study for the test, pass this thing, follow this prescription, you'll get right to that exactly where you're supposed to be and and it doesn't always work out that way. And not everybody is a follower. Most of us are not true followers. Most of us have a unique perspective that needs to be, that needs to have the freedom to breathe and to grow. And when I see women who are willing to say, you may not agree with everything, but I really appreciate your perspective, because you helped me see it differently. And now I may be even more solidly where I was before, but I can see where you're coming from, and I can see how you got there. Those kinds of conversations Tell me that there's a lot of hope even in the political landscape, because as long as we're willing to listen to another person and hear where they're coming from, we at least are opening ourselves up to that perspective.

BEATE CHELETTE:

Yeah, I couldn't agree. Agree with you more on that fascinating conversation so far. Andrea, I really like your perspective on intergenerational knowledge exchange, so to speak, or a larger or larger openness, because I remember when I mean, I rejected everything my mother said and I embraced everything my father said. So I guess I did embrace generational knowledge to some extent, I feel that it was much harder back in those days, and I don't want to sound too old, but I also don't want to pretend I'm not what I'm not. But I think it was harder for us to take instructions from women that didn't do what they taught us, and because we I feel like I've been raised in a perpetual conflict of leadership. You know, my mother told me, men don't like women like me outspoken, who she opinionated. And my father told me how much he loved women like me that were outspoken and that the world was open for me and needed women like me. And then you grow up and you're like all very, very confused. And that brings me sort of in a in a maybe wobbly bridge, over to the conversation about, is there a spiritual element to leadership for each one of us listening? And what is it?

Andrea Johnson:

I think so. And I think it might be an going back to our core values, what that individual way of connecting with others might be for me, it I'm I am a Christian, and for me, understanding that each individual human I believe, is created in the image of our Creator, and therefore I It helps me see the people that I am Leading, knowing that we're on an equal playing field, right? You and I, we're both human, and being able to see each other as human, and being able to understand that everything we do has that ripple effect. My one of my top core values is, first this freedom, but after that is is things like belonging and so understanding that not only do I need belonging, but everyone else needs belonging too. So when I tap into my own understanding of who I was created to be, that helps me take leadership to a different level, because it's on a spiritual level, because I see it as these are not just cogs in a wheel. These are not just, you know, or spokes at a wheel and and things on a conveyor belt. These are humans. They matter. They have families. They have things that that they can do uniquely. So it helps me to help identify team members strengths and play to their strengths, rather than telling them you must follow this job description. Let's figure out ways that we can plug you in here and you in here. And I think when we start looking at things from that, that separate perspective, that third eye, if you will, it helps us see people from it in a different way and in a new way. It kind of that really kind of elevates it all to a new level. This

BEATE CHELETTE:

is so interesting to me, because I do believe, like you do, that there's a spiritual element to leadership. Is leadership, your ministry?

Andrea Johnson:

You know, I'm a pastor's wife and I'm a missionary kid, and I have struggled with that definition of what is ministry and what is my business. I think that I do believe that we are integrated humans. It's. So I believe that if I am this way in one situation, I am the same person in another situation, I might turn something up in one and turn something down in another, like, I come home from work and my husband's like, you're not the manager here, not boss

BEATE CHELETTE:

here on that,

Andrea Johnson:

you know, but because there are ways in which different aspects of your personality is going to show up in different places. So do I think it's a ministry? There are women that I talk with and coach with that feels very much like a ministry that, and part of it is they bring it up. They might know something about me, or hear something, because I don't want anybody to feel like they can't talk to me. I want them to know it's a safe place. And I even had employees that would show up in my office, or even doctors, because I worked in university medical situation, medical systems, and I had had doctors show up and just talk to me because it was safe. I had one show up in the middle of a panic attack. Former employee came to my office in the middle of panic attack. She said, You were the only safe place I knew. And she is an atheist, and I had even told her, you know, I will pray for you. And she goes, I don't believe in that, but I know what you mean when you say it, right. So being authentic, right? She goes, and I appreciate it.

BEATE CHELETTE:

So there was always sweet, right? There was almost like sort of, sort of an admission. Ish,

Andrea Johnson:

exactly, being able to have that kind of authentic relationship with those that you lead will open doors for you in ways that you that other people won't have, right? It's, I'm not looking to convert her. I just want her to feel seen and belong and safe. And so we still work together to this day, even though I've left the university and and it's a beautiful relationship. So is it my ministry? I don't know that I would call it my ministry, but I would say there's a ministerial aspect to it, just because of who I am. I'm a little bit of a philosopher, Theo theologian, and so that kind of comes up, but I do use my leadership skills at church as well. So yes, no, I

BEATE CHELETTE:

mean, and I did mean it in a trick question, kind of question, and I did not know this about your background, but I actually personally do believe that that there is an activation specifically right now, I talk about this all the time. I do believe that God, one source, whatever you want to call it, there is an activation right now that is calling people to step up and whatever that minute ministry, in that sense, is that you choose to accept. So I do believe that in the context of our conversation here today, that there is in the spiritual aspect, when you really step into your own core value that there's a development of that ministry, that's purpose of whatever you want to call it. You know, I'm not not attached to word, but I do like the word ministry, because I feel that there's an activation going on right now well.

Andrea Johnson:

And I like the way you say that all this activation I you know, in my circles, if I say or just a desire, but because of my background, I was trying to make it one or the other. And I think that's part of it for me, is that it's really been integrated, and therefore it doesn't really have walls anymore. And it's beautiful to see how I can work with one person in one way and one person in another way, and it still meets their needs. So I think for me, it's almost the breaking down of those walls has made it much more of a beautiful thing that I get to do.

BEATE CHELETTE:

Yeah, and I think, to your point, there is this element that we have to be very careful with how we articulate something, because people are very sensitive around how something is worded. And this goes back down to, you know, to the magic that you talk about in the conversations and in the communication. How do we? How do we? How are we being heard and seen as, as the leaders that we want to be? How can I influence how others see me as a leader? I think

Andrea Johnson:

you can do that in a couple of ways. One of the best ways is to speak the language they need to hear. And I don't mean that in a weird hocus pocus way. I don't mean it in a non authentic way. I mean being able to recognize that. Like I said, as a leader, some people need a very bottom line thing, but many times, people need to hear that they have been seeing and so being able to recognize in another person that they have a desire to hear the story of my life in order to identify with something. That is how I can actually reach them. When I hear somebody talking about, well, what are you? Know, you even said, what are the shortcuts? Bing, bing. Bing is like, oh, we'll do this, this and this, you know, and being able to do those kinds of things and being attentive to what other people need, as far as the the way we deliver it, that's what helps them understand us for who we are. Because no matter where. Communicating, the responsibility of communicating the message you want to get across is your responsibility. It is not the listener's responsibility. I have a 15 year old son, and he'll take something out say, Hold up, wait a minute. That's not what and he's like, Well, that's not what I meant. And I'm like, but it's what you said, right? So it's the responsibility is on us as leaders to make sure that we are careful, that we are wise, that we are intuitive, that we listen, and in order to get our message across to those that need to hear it, we need to meet them where they are and understand where they are coming from. Wow, that's

BEATE CHELETTE:

such a powerful message, and what a great way to end our podcast for today. So for somebody who now wants to learn more about how you can help them maybe step into their own leadership core values and principles and become better, where can we send them? Andrea, well, my

Andrea Johnson:

business name is"The Intentional Optimist," and that's where you'll find me, either on my website, which has a button right above my head that is for a core values exercise that can. Gotta give you a quick download, a PDF to download and walk through some exercises. But you can also find me on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you DM me and say that you heard me on Beate podcast, I'd be happy to converse with you that way. I know that it's not spam. I respond to all those I'm a one woman show.

BEATE CHELETTE:

Excellent. Well, thank you so much. I really appreciate you being here. It's been really a great fun to speak to you. Thank you, good. Thank you. I loved it all right, and that is it for us, for today. Thank you so much for listening to and or watching this episode. As always. We are really deeply grateful for your time, for you being here. Share this episode with somebody who needs to perhaps be a better leader, or just share some of the things that you've learned with others and speak to them in the language that they will receive, and that is it for us, for today and until next time and GOODBYE. So appreciate you being here. Thank you so much for listening to the entire episode. Please subscribe to the podcast, give us a five star review, a comment and share this episode with one more person, so that you can help us. Help more.

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Beate Chelette

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Andrea Johnson

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