In this special, spontaneous episode of Chu on This!, recorded aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with leadership consultant Mandy Cansler following a full day team retreat with the Choo Crew.

Set against a backdrop of renewal, reflection, and intentional growth, this conversation explores emotional intelligence, vulnerability in leadership, and what it truly takes to build a sustainable legacy practice.

Mandy shares her perspective after watching Katie’s team move from uncertainty to meaningful engagement throughout the retreat. Through tools like the Merrill-Reid personality assessment and guided group discussions, the team explored communication styles, personality dynamics, emotional triggers, feedback culture, and personal growth.

A central theme of the episode is the distinction between IQ and EQ. While IQ may be relatively fixed, emotional intelligence is a choice. It can be strengthened through awareness, maturity, and a willingness to evolve. Mandy explains why long term success in today’s workplace depends less on technical skill alone and more on emotional regulation, accountability, and the ability to give and receive feedback with grace.

Katie reflects on how this retreat represents something much larger than a workshop. It is about sustainability. It is about creating a practice that will continue to serve the Rosemead and San Gabriel communities for the next thirty years. It is about legacy.

This episode offers a powerful look at leadership that prioritizes heart as much as skill, vulnerability as much as authority, and long term impact over short term performance.

Emotional intelligence is a choice, not a fixed trait IQ may remain stable, but EQ can be intentionally developed. Awareness, emotional maturity, feedback literacy, and trigger management are what elevate teams.

Leadership exists at every level Influence is not defined by title. Every team member shapes culture, patient experience, and community impact through how they show up each day.

Sustainable legacy requires vulnerability and alignment Building something that lasts decades demands more than technical excellence. It requires emotional growth, shared purpose, and alignment at every level of the organization.

“The technical skills that got you where you are may not be what secures you in a position for success.”

“IQ is a given. EQ is a choice.”

“That is a promise to my patients and to my community.”

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