Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Emotional Rescue
Emotional intelligence goes deeper than data, beyond process, and right to the heart of project leadership. No longer the sole purview of the Oprah show, the concept is changing the way many perceive the so-called softer skills of project management — just ask NASA. And it could shape your future as a project manager.
The now infamous flaw in the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror was so small that it could be measured as 1/50th the thickness of a single sheet of paper, yet it threatened America's dominance in space exploration, invited Congressional scorn and spurred massive budget overruns.
Yet for all the investigation and recrimination that followed its discovery, no one could have predicted the true reason behind the mistake, which was alarmingly simple, like a pair of eyeglasses perfectly matched to the wrong prescription, says NASA's former director for astrophysics, Dr. Charles J. Pellerin.
The source, says Pellerin, who led the Hubble launch and the mission to fix it, was "leadership failure."
Yet for all the investigation and recrimination that followed its discovery, no one could have predicted the true reason behind the mistake, which was alarmingly simple, like a pair of eyeglasses perfectly matched to the wrong prescription, says NASA's former director for astrophysics, Dr. Charles J. Pellerin.
The source, says Pellerin, who led the Hubble launch and the mission to fix it, was "leadership failure."
It's a concept he now understands as emotional intelligence, something many experts believe is the unseen power behind all great leadership. Though not new, "emotional intelligence" is broadly defined as the ability to identify, understand and manage the emotions around you. It has changed the way many perceive the so-…
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"The rule is perfect: In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane." - Mark Twain |