CQAA August 2025

Debug Your Leadership: Emotional Intelligence Skills for Software Engineers and Test Professionals

About the Topic

Technical skill alone is no longer enough for career growth. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a crucial differentiator for software engineers and test professionals aiming to lead, influence, and collaborate effectively. This session explores how EI enhances technical performance by reducing conflict, improving communication, and strengthening team cohesion. Drawing from Daniel Goleman’s EI model, participants will examine self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management in real-world engineering scenarios—from debugging crises and stakeholder meetings to architecture reviews and cross-team collaboration. You’ll gain practical tools like the “Rule of Reappraisal” for managing production pressure, active listening techniques for stakeholder alignment, and smart questioning strategies to extract clearer requirements. Whether you're mentoring juniors, leading sprints, or planning your move into leadership, this session offers concrete, actionable skills to help you move from strong contributor to trusted leader—without writing a single line of additional code.

Key Learning Objective

• Learn how to apply EI techniques to prevent conflict and improve team dynamics.
• Gain tools for clearer communication, better stakeholder alignment, and smarter requirements gathering.
• Understand how EI accelerates career growth by enhancing leadership presence and influence.

About the Speaker

Philip Lew is the CEO of XBOSoft, a software quality consulting and testing services firm he founded in 2006. With a Ph.D. in Computer Science and a background in operations research, he combines technical expertise with real-world business experience to help organizations improve software quality across diverse platforms. Philip is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences, known for blending practical insight with humor and storytelling. He also serves as President of the Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference. An avid cyclist and global traveler, Philip brings a spirit of curiosity and continuous learning to both his professional work and personal life.

Registration

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS PROGRAM.

Please register by August 18th, 2025 at www.cqaa.org.

If you have any questions, please contact info@cqaa.org.

Date: Wednesday, August 20th 2025, from 12:00pm-1:00pm

Location
Webinar - https://zoom.us/j/93521565981?pwd=aLnWyeZlehd6bZpW7u4BO4ClNKVvIK.1

The TestGuild is the world's largest media network related to software testing technologies.  With over 400,000 YouTube subscribers and four successful weekly podcasts, founder Joe Colantonio has done it all when it comes to engaging and educating people in automation, API testing, DevOps, and more.

The one world left for Joe to conquer has been an in-person event...until now!

Come join Joe and his co-host Jim Trentadue at this first-of-its-kind event at the Hilton Garden Inn in Schaumburg on Thursday, September 18th, from 5 to 8 PM.  Joe, Jim, and a panel of industry experts will speak about AI's impact on the future of software testing, keeping up with software delivery velocity, and much, much more!

Registration is being VERY limited, and this event WILL fill up quickly.  Register on the TestGuild web site at https://testguild.com/irl/chicago-2025.

See the link for more details!