In this episode of The Quiet Warrior Podcast, Serena speaks with Emily Erstad—speech language pathologist, hospice executive director, and author of It’s Not That Deep: Navigating Leadership Through the Lens of Emotional Intelligence.

Drawing from her experiences in rehabilitation and Hospice care, Emily shares how emotional intelligence shapes effective leadership, especially in high-pressure environments. As an introvert, she opens up about navigating vulnerability, protecting peace, and finding courage to lead authentically without sacrificing one’s core nature.

This conversation is full of practical wisdom for introverts, quiet achievers, and leaders seeking to build psychologically safe, resilient, and emotionally intelligent teams.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The Journey to Leadership – How Emily’s career in speech pathology evolved into leadership and authorship.
  
• Emotional Intelligence at Work – Why self-awareness, vulnerability, and honesty are the foundation of strong leadership.
  
• Introversion as Strength – How introverts can leverage observation, reflection, and stillness to lead effectively.
  
• Vulnerability and Trust – Why choosing the right people to open up to builds trust, fosters growth, and helps you feel seen.
  
• Protecting Your Peace – Practical ways introverts can manage energy, create boundaries, have hard conversations, and build intentional clarity in leadership.
  
• The Equalizer Effect – How introverts bring stillness, calm, and psychological safety to teams and families.
  
• From Book to Movement – Why Emily wrote It’s Not That Deep and her upcoming project In Too Deep for introverts.

Connect with Emily

It’s Not That Deep – Find it on Amazon

Instagram: @itsnotthatdeep_author

LinkedIn: Emily Erstad

Introvert Resources:

For more resources to support your Quiet Warrior journey, join The Visible Introvert newsletter atserenalow.com.au.

This episode was edited by Aura House Productions