By Mary Estrada and Dan Dillabaugh
In FY 25, Fort Bliss Leadership took an important step toward strengthening emotional intelligence across the MWR team. At the request of the DFMWR Director Roberto Medina, the MWR Academy team delivered the EQ-i: Emotionally Effective Leaders workshop. Leaders were able to deepen their self-awareness, improve communication and enhance their ability to lead their teams through change. 
To meet needs of the team, two full-day sessions were offered on January 13 and 14, 2026. MWR Academy instructors Dan Dillabaugh and Mary Estrada led the workshops, with a total of 68 attendees, which included directors, divisions chiefs, managers, assistant managers and support staff from multiple divisions. 
In preparation for the workshops, Fort Bliss purchased 70 EQ-i assessments, which were emailed out to students one month in advance. Attendees completed their assessments prior to the workshop and received their personalized report during the workshop. Instructors guided them through understanding their results, identifying strengths and opportunities for growth.
Throughout each workshop, leaders worked together on strategies to improve organizational effectiveness, strengthen interpersonal communication, and manage stress and change more effectively. Each participant completed an action plan focused on areas of development and were offered ongoing coaching sessions with Dan Dillabaugh to support their continued progress.
The workshop was a success, providing Fort Bliss leaders with helpful tools and an understanding of their own emotional intelligence to elevate their leadership and better support their teams!