"Recently, I was assigned a project with another grad student who was known to have a strong personality and could be very passive-aggressive and sometimes offensive as a way of seeking attention. But, knowing I'd be working with all sorts of personalities when working with my future clients or collaborating with other departments, I made a habit of being my best self at all times. It was up to me to ensure that everyone worked smoothly together. My professor pulled me aside and said I would go far in my career. She said that the strongest communicators and those with the highest EQ adapt to those who are less skilled or more internally conflicted. She said she saw that in me and that those skills would serve me well. That felt good to hear, and I have taken it to heart."

"One of my coworkers and I were presenting to a prospective client. It was a high-stakes presentation, and he and I have very different styles of performance and preparation. Luckily, we both identified this as a potential obstacle from the get-go and came to the table, literally, with our ideas on how the outline would go and who would say what. Because we both recognized that we might clash, we took a proactive approach to delegating tasks and dividing the presentation. We worked very well together, and our presentation was a tremendous success."