Bringing together new teams of people can be challenging, especially if it requires managing disparate personalities, diverse backgrounds, and conflicting interests. However, with sustained effort, open communication, and effective problem-solving skills, successful team cohesion is within reach. Leaders need to take the time to get to know their team members individually, invest in building relationships of trust and mutual respect, motivate mild competition where appropriate, set clear goals and expectations, resolve conflict constructively, and use feedback to coach and celebrate success. When leaders put in the work to bring their teams together, the results will be well worth the effort. A registered nurse since 2011, Andrea works in a pediatric critical care unit. Discussing mental health and philosophy has always been her passion and outlet. Andrea wholeheartedly believes emotional intelligence is a valuable, yet under-taught phenomenon. After all, it helped her cope with anxiety, depression and her first burn out at the young age of 21 – two short years after working the floor as a nurse. Unaware of what she was experiencing, Andrea turned to talk therapy for help, where she was taught strategies on how to become aware of her emotions and thus, manage them. She learned how to handle the anxiety that had imprisoned her mind, and gained control over the panic attacks and depression that plagued her. Andrea’s goal is to destigmatize mental health and create a safe space through her podcast so she can help others who are currently going through their own personal struggles. She hopes to encourage self-awareness and self-love, and create an environment where mental health can be spoken about openly and truthfully, without stigma or judgment. Topics During this interview Andrea and I discuss the following topics: The challenges of bringing a new team togetherTactical actions she took to get her team gel togetherHow her team got through conflict with another teamStrategies she used to improve communication within her teamHow having a sense of psychological safety has propelled her team forward For the complete show notes be sure to check out our website: https://leaddontboss.com/249