Emotional Intelligence as a Competitive Advantage
Session Summary: This session focuses on developing and applying emotional intelligence (EQ) to enhance leadership effectiveness in high-stakes, complex, or fast-paced environments—particularly within the chemicals industry. Attendees will learn practical tools to strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills, which directly impact team performance, decision-making, and organizational culture.
Key areas include:
• Self-Awareness & Self-Regulation: Understanding your emotions, triggers, and patterns, and learning strategies to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively.
• Empathy & Social Awareness: Recognizing the emotions, needs, and perspectives of colleagues, teams, and stakeholders to build trust and stronger relationships.
• Relationship Management: Navigating conflicts, giving and receiving feedback, motivating teams, and influencing others with credibility and respect.
• Decision-Making Under Pressure: Leveraging emotional intelligence to make clear, balanced decisions even in uncertainty or high-stress situations. • Leading Change & Building Culture: Applying EQ to support team resilience, inclusion, and engagement, particularly during organizational transitions or challenging projects.
This Session is Sponsored By:
Speaker
Candice Lecourt
Candice Lecourt is the Business Director of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions for Harcros Chemicals Inc., where she has dedicated nearly two decades to building a career defined by progressive leadership, operational depth, and strategic growth within the chemical manufacturing and distribution industry.
Beginning her tenure in customer service, she developed a foundational understanding of client relationships and service excellence that would shape her leadership approach for years to come. She went on to hold roles in purchasing, office management, operations, sales, district and regional management — becoming the first woman in company history to serve as Regional Manager. In that role, she helped guide the Northeast region through its most successful performance years, strengthening profitability while fostering long-term partnerships grounded in trust, transparency, and ethical business practices.
Her breadth of experience across administrative, operational, compliance, and commercial functions has given her a uniquely holistic view of the business. She believes that high performance is not driven by numbers alone, but by culture, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead people through change with clarity and empathy.
At the Women in Chemicals 2026 Conference, she will share insights on emotional intelligence as a strategic business advantage — demonstrating how self-awareness, relational trust, and disciplined communication can directly influence growth, retention, and long-term competitive success in the chemical industry.