Podcast: DeDe Halfhill — Hiring for Emotional Intelligence

DeDe Halfhill, Founder and Principal Consultant of TAIOH Partners, is a retired US Air Force colonel with 25 years of service. Her career includes a tour with the US Air Force Thunderbirds, two command assignments, including a squadron in Iraq, and a role on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. We talk with DeDe about the 1948 Air Force leadership manual behind her upcoming book, the story that earned her a place in Brené Brown's "Dare to Lead," and why emotional intelligence is the most important skill a leader can hire for. She also shares the interview question she uses to test for accountability and explains when confidence becomes a red flag.

Oct 21, 2026
# mins
Podcast: DeDe Halfhill — Hiring for Emotional Intelligence

Podcast: DeDe Halfhill — Hiring for Emotional Intelligence

DeDe Halfhill, Founder and Principal Consultant of TAIOH Partners, is a retired US Air Force colonel with 25 years of service. Her career includes a tour with the US Air Force Thunderbirds, two command assignments, including a squadron in Iraq, and a role on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. We talk with DeDe about the 1948 Air Force leadership manual behind her upcoming book, the story that earned her a place in Brené Brown's "Dare to Lead," and why emotional intelligence is the most important skill a leader can hire for. She also shares the interview question she uses to test for accountability and explains when confidence becomes a red flag.

Podcast: DeDe Halfhill — Hiring for Emotional Intelligence

DeDe Halfhill, Founder and Principal Consultant of TAIOH Partners, is a retired US Air Force colonel with 25 years of service. Her career includes a tour with the US Air Force Thunderbirds, two command assignments, including a squadron in Iraq, and a role on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. We talk with DeDe about the 1948 Air Force leadership manual behind her upcoming book, the story that earned her a place in Brené Brown's "Dare to Lead," and why emotional intelligence is the most important skill a leader can hire for. She also shares the interview question she uses to test for accountability and explains when confidence becomes a red flag.

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