BOOK REVIEW
Book Title: the emotionally intelligent team: building collaborative groups that outperform the rest
Author: Vanessa Urch Druskat
Publisher: HBR Press
List Price: $32.00
Format: Softcover, 272 pages
Publication Date: July 2025
ISBN: 978-1-64782-487-7
Reviewer: Natalia Fisher, PMP
Review Date: April 2026
Introduction
The Emotionally Intelligent Team is a practical and insightful guide for anyone who works in teams such as leaders, project managers, and team members. The author explains how emotional intelligence goes beyond individuals and becomes a shared responsibility that shapes team culture, collaboration, and performance.
Highlights
One of the strongest aspects of this book is its clear framework for building team emotional intelligence. The author introduces norms such as trust, open communication, accountability, and mutual respect, and explains how these behaviors directly impact team success.
Highlights: What I liked!
What makes this book especially valuable is its practicality. Readers walk away with actionable steps to improve team dynamics, manage conflict effectively, and foster psychological safety. These tools are particularly helpful for project managers and leaders who want to create high-performing, engaged teams.
More…
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How to cite this work: Fischer, N. (2026). The emotionally intelligent team, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue V, May. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pmwj164-May2026-Fischer-the-emotionally-intelligent-team-book-review.pdf
About the Reviewer
Natalie Fischer, PMP
Texas, USA
Natalia Fisher is a Project Management Professional (PMP)®, CSM, SCPO, ITIL4 and has been working with marketing and IT projects and programs for over 10 years in a variety of industries, such as CPG, IT, telecommunication, transport and logistics, healthcare and government.
For ten years, she has volunteered for the PMI Dallas Chapter and now she serves as an immediate Chapter Past President.
Natalia is very passionate about learning about AI, implementing her knowledge in her professional and personal lives.
Editor’s note: This book review was the result of a partnership between the PM World Journal and the PMI Dallas Chapter. Authors and publishers provide books to the PM World Journal Editor; books are delivered to the PMI Dallas Chapter where they are offered free to PMI members who agree to provide a review within 45 days; book reviews are published in the PM World Journal and PM World Library. Reviewers can normally claim PDU’s for PMP recertification upon publication of their book reviews.
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