Sandra M, Department for Education
Attending the Leading with Emotional Intelligence event was brilliant!
To be honest, I joined without expecting to learn much, so I was working in the background while listening. Then, within the first five minutes, I stopped what I was working on and gave the event my full attention.
Manny shared so many invaluable insights, and I was blown away! For example, a great leader always speaks last.
His delivery is excellent - the different analogies he uses are creative - and most importantly, what I took away from the event is timeless.
If you're ready to become an even better leader than you already are, then this session is for you. But if you think you know everything there is to know and can't be taught anything new, then guess what? This event is for you!
Keep up the great work, Manny
John F, The London Metal Exchange
I did attend Manny's leadership and emotional intelligence session.
I found your presentation informative, engaging and concise.
The flow of your presentation made a lot of sense and made me understand the depth of the topic being presented. It has certainly enhanced my leadership skills in my career. I found Manny a brilliant communicator and has given me an insight into effective presentation skills.
Femi A, Senior HR Business Partner,LCW
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence session. During the session, I felt you effectively communicated with and engaged the audience; your presentation flowed seamlessly and you demonstrated excellent poise and confidence throughout the session. Your slides were easy to understand, effective and you kept the audience engaged!
Jide A, Metro Bank
I've had the pleasure of attending multiple leadership lectures delivered by Manny. Each session was truly enlightening, and I walked away with valuable insights that I've since applied in my current role. Your dynamic presentation style and engaging delivery make your lectures not only informative but also highly entertaining. You have a remarkable ability to capture and hold the audience's attention from start to finish. The Q&A sessions at the end are particularly impactful, your thoughtful responses and genuine engagement with the audience are second to none.
Hilary B, DWP
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence event held 26 June 2025
You stood out! I loved your candour, and the career journey you have taken despite being faced with someone who posed as a huge obstacle in your work. I loved the fact you were relatable to everyone in the room (specifically mentioning mind set and obstacles for those of us with protected characteristics or any kind of perceived or real barriers).
You put a LOT of content into the one hour. Whew! If you had stopped ahead of going into motivation, we would not have felt like we missed out on anything. The room would have had more time to interact with you and give thoughts on said concepts. I think this would be valuable in your hour.
Good luck in your new endeavours outside of the Civil Service; it's our loss. I've kept a note of your website and will keep you in mind in future. Thank you for today.
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 - not good and 10 very good - I rate you a 10
Nicole A, Cabinet Office
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence event held 26 June 2025
Manny often used his personal experiences to convey his message. The topic around the difficulty faced with his line manager at G7 level, having to tweak his ways of working based on that relationship may have contributed to his advancement in the Civil Service as it provided a blueprint of what to expect.
The structure and content were fantastic but I believe that more seniors/decision makers need to be on these calls as the audience were mostly junior to middle management staff.
I thoroughly recommend Manny's session to all working levels. I felt empowered after the session!
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 - not good and 10 very good - I rate you a 10
Helen N, HMRC
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence event held 26 June 2025
Memorable take away - "that listening is key"
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 - not good and 10 very good - I rate you an 8.
Gillian A, Home Office
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence event held 26 June 2025
Memorable take away - "EI can get you further in life."
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 - not good and 10 very good - I rate you a 10
Osbourne H, Home Office
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence event held 26 June 2025
One word - amazing!
Michelle B, UKHSA
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence event held 26 June 2025
The concepts of leadership and intelligence explained clearly and applied effectively.
Memorable take away "Lady Luck ain't gonna dance with no tramp "
Enjoyed the session, thanks.
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 - not good and 10 very good - I rate you a 10
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence - Making it Happen, held 9 September 2025, with the Overseas Territories
See what anonymous attendees liked most about the event including their satisfaction rating.
Easy to understand - Excellent - 10/10
Scenarios made the content feel practical, not theoretical - Very much so - 10/10
Strong content and delivery - Exceptionally engaging session - 10/10
Presenter's lived experiences and ability to resonate - Presenter created a highly engaging and inclusive environment - 9/10
Opportunity to share and discuss scenarios - Presenter used examples effectively to maintain attention - 9/10
Presentation was simple and not too wordy - Seniors encouraged thought and applicability - 10/1
Crowd engagement - Facilitated group conversation by calling on participants - 8/10
Valued discussion on emotional intelligence in professional settings - Used scenarios to create interactive learning - 9/10
Practical nature of discussions - Asked participants how they would handle case scenarios - 8/10
Supervisor's shift toward empathy was impactful - Presenter's tone and enthusiasm were engaging - 10/10
Exposure to new ideas and motivation to improve - Invited participation via chat and interactive scenarios - 9/10
Interactive session - Excellent - 10/10
Well-balanced timing and content - Allowed questions during presentation and invited comments - 8/10
Very engaging - Provided time for questions and engagement - 8/10
Easy to understand and presenter was knowledgeable - Efficient and engaging presentation - 10/10
Interactive and practical focus on self-awareness and empathy - Encouraged participation, valued diverse views, used relatable examples - 10/10
Timely and interactive - Very engaging - 10/10
Clear distinction between leadership and management with case scenarios - Chat and Q and A made it interactive - 8/10
Open discussion on handling delicate situations - Definitely provided engagement opportunities - 9/10
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence - Making it Happen, held 9 September 2025, with the Overseas Territories
See what anonymous attendees liked most about the event including their satisfaction rating.
Manny's presentation style and scenarios - Clear, concise, and interactive presentation - 10/10
Well-researched presentation - Asked questions, shared scenarios, and listened actively - 8/10
Presenter's fluency and practical knowledge - Clear, engaging, and informative presentation - 10/10
Inclusion of professionals from various health fields - Engaging, responsive to questions - 8/10
Interactive format - Very inclusive and engaging - 10/10
Presenter was knowledgeable and relatable - Encouraged participation with thoughtful questions and time - 9/10
Timely and necessary - Provided feedback and elaboration on scenarios - 10/10
Real-life examples and interactive nature - Made a strong effort to engage participants - 10/10
Scenarios were helpful - Created a positive and engaging learning atmosphere - 9/10
Interactive with personal experiences - Shared personal experience - 9/10
Manny's insights and shared experiences from OT officers - Excellent delivery, engaging style, valuable scenarios, answered questions - 10/10
Engagement of all attendees - Asked for emotional feedback and scenario reactions - 9/10
Presenter's enthusiasm, visuals, and practical scenarios - Encouraged two-way communication and real-time feedback - 10/10
Virtual platform enabled broad participation and strong presentation - Warm tone, balanced participation, excellent communication - 10/10
Strong content - Reacted to group responses and asked questions - 10/10
Clear and well-presented delivery - Simple and easy-to-follow presentations - 6/10
Informative content - Allowed and answered participant questions - 10/10
Interactive session improved self-awareness and confidence - Aimed to equip participants with emotional leadership skills - 9/10
Easy webinar access and strong presenter delivery - Inviting of questions and comments, friendly and unrushed delivery - 8/10
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence session hosted by the Department for Education on 11 September 2025.
Due to the UK General Data Protection Regulation Act (UK GDPR), DfE is unable to share personal details alongside the feedback shown below.
Comfortable style of delivery, felt like a conversation.
The stories and analogies Manny had to share with us.
Genuine speaker who came across very well.
Discretionary effort.
Understanding how different emotions lead to different actions.
The Presenter was engaging and human and the presentation logical and thoughtful. I am not sure it contained anything new to me but it provided an opportunity to review an important issue and assess what is going on in my own career journey and why I am feeling disengaged, and motivation is a struggle.
Loved that it was interactive, to pop things in chat, the questions in chat, the Q and A at the end.
Open and relaxed style of presenting was good, thank you.
Understanding importance of EI.
The personal touch.
Understanding how EI and Language reflect in outcomes - trying to put the positive spin on it - remove the negative.
All of it!
A very open and inclusive session, thank you.
Manny was a terrifically engaging speaker, and he explained the subject well.
Just because people don't work the same as you, doesn't mean they aren't effective.
The importance of having EI transferrable skills to stay relevant.
How you think affects how you feel and vice versa.
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence session hosted by the Department for Education on 11 September 2025.
Due to the UK General Data Protection Regulation Act (UK GDPR), DfE is unable to share personal details alongside the feedback shown below.
How the transferable skills are interconnected and that knowledge, expertise and emotional intelligence is what is required to succeed as a leader.
It was easy to follow.
Speaker spoke very genuinely.
Understanding the difference between management and leadership.
I found the presenter very knowledgeable on the subject with excellent real world examples.
The speaker was very inspiring!
Everything, I think it was really well done and the practical examples were helpful.
The passion and enthusiasm Manny demonstrate for the subject.
There was an iceberg for leadership and how managers inspire or lose discretionary work by colleagues based on loyalty
Manny was a very inspiring speaker and his knowledge and passion for the topic shone through.
Manny's honesty.
The presenter talking about his own experience and some examples, bringing things to life.
Being self-aware, showing empathy and the Q and A session.
Very easy to engage, very welcoming.
The entire webinar was very interesting and provided food for thought.
Discussion on empathy.
Understanding how much emotional intelligence has to play in your day to day work. The personal experiences of the speaker.
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence session hosted by the Department for Education on 27 November 2025.
Due to the UK General Data Protection Regulation Act (UK GDPR), DfE is unable to share personal details alongside the feedback shown below.
"Leaders speak last" listen and give space to your team. The link between EI and self-confidence. Getting validation from within, not from the outside - this helps you remain a strong leader.
A presenter who understood the Civil Service and worked his way up the ladder. All of it - was very straightforward with zero jargon. Brilliant!!
Amazing. Thought provoking. Emotional Intelligence and learning about loving yourself and self-awareness will help you to become a great leader.
Enjoyed learning about Manny's experiences, practical advice that are relatable. Excellent content and brilliant delivery.
Exploring a different view on what makes a good leader. Good / interesting examples provided by Manny. Some simple but potentially impactive ideas to try.
Great conversation in the chat relevant to the presentation Hearing about someone else's career experience.
Hearing familiar problems but with ways of helping to deal with them. Hearing Manny's responses to the Qs in the chat, as it brought everything together
Hearing real, relatable experiences from someone with senior leadership experience, which helped me to reflect and understand my own experiences at work. hearing the presenter give his experience of his own development and growth in this area.
How important feedback is and not perceiving questions as something to be defensive about I am currently reading Daniel Goreman's 25-year anniversary version of his book Emotional Intelligence, and so the highlight was hearing what I have been reading in layman's terms and in a workplace environment.
I have a greater understanding of emotional intelligence and how I can be a better leader by understanding myself I like it overall, a good grounding session as I am always wanting to learn and/or reinforce my knowledge and skills. A lot of the information was not new but good to revisit and think.
It made me think about how my emotions and actions affect the people around me. It was an excellent webinar, delivered in a very clear manner.
It was very well presented and kept my attention all the way through. Johari window - but basically just Manny's presentation overall, he was brilliantly engaging and full of practical wisdom.
Just having space to be mindful about these issues Leaders should in most cases speak last to get point of views from other. Really powerful how one manages their emotions validation comes from within.
Manny - being so honest and open with his experience. Manny is a brilliant, inspirational and motivational presenter ... I have NEVER had a better insight of EI than Manny's session today. A stunning, amazing session that every Civil Servant should attend.
Manny uses a structured approach and speaks from experience. I particularly like that each section was split down and explained in a comprehensive way with examples.
Manny was a brilliant speaker, honest, insightful and so interesting.
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence session hosted by the Department for Education on 27 November 2025.
Due to the UK General Data Protection Regulation Act (UK GDPR), DfE is unable to share personal details alongside the feedback shown below.
A huge thank you to Manny who was very engaging and honest. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAZING!!
Manny was the highlight for me. He was excellent, extremely inspirational and insightful. Brilliant Presentation!
Manny's delivery and honesty made it the most impactful.
Manny's delivery of the course content was fantastic. He was engaging, enthusiastic and clear in what he wanted to say. I hope I can attend one of his sessions again in the future. Manny's energy and experience - journey from AO to success.
Manny's enthusiasm for the topic and level of insight and wisdom, drawing on his own experiences as well as some of the thinking and literature on this topic. Manny's explanation of lived experiences and the book recommendations.
Personal reflections of the speaker Presenter made it a very engaging session with some really useful reflections and insights.
Presenter's knowledge and experience sharing as well as his engaging style and energy. Taking the time to be able to really think about something which is so important in the workplace. Manny was excellent and had some good quotes to reflect on.
The amount of information that was given, and the different sources that were referenced in the talk. The concept of leaders being in a goldfish bowl was very interesting, as was the Johari Window.
The experience shared by the presenter and recommends he made with regards to books to read that will help increase knowledge in the area of emotional intelligence. The knowledge and professionalism of the presenter.
The points raised that not everyone is the same or thinks the same when it comes to things such as promoting new ideas. The presentation was engaging and informative.
The presenter - the way he presented made me want to hear more. His presenting style was focussed and interesting, the content was very clear, and the pace was suitable, not rushed. The presenter put things across in a very unusual and thought-provoking way.
The presenter sharing his personal stories alongside informative evidence on emotional intelligence The presenter was very engaging and there was plenty of opportunity to share thoughts in the chat box.
The speaker was exceptional, I've never attended a session with such an engaging speaker who had genuine experience and cared about what he was delivering. The speaker was very passionate about being a leader, I enjoyed listening to his own journey and what he found inspiring. It was also good to get some suggestions in the chat of books/extra resources.
The topic emotional intelligence not just being about understanding the emotions of others but also understanding the importance of our own emotional regulation as part of demonstrating emotional intelligence.
This is a topic that I am very interested in and have bought books about. I start to read them, put them down, pick them back up again a few months later when I have lost my thread. The seminar has motivated me to get back into the subject of emotional intelligence again and begin practicing it. I also intend to seek feedback from colleagues about how they perceive me.
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence session hosted by the Department for Education on 17 March 2025.
Due to the UK General Data Protection Regulation Act (UK GDPR), DfE is unable to share personal details alongside the feedback and comments shown below.
What was your highlight of the webinar?
Manny was a great presenter.
All of it
Complementing EI competences was super helpful.
Personal reflections from presenter
"I'm here today and here to stay, for the world to see, this is me" quote from Manny. Great session and some great tips well delivered.
I think the combination of very specific techniques, ways to approach a problem, and then Manny's inspirational push to believe in ourselves at the end. Coming from a such an impressive person, it meant a lot.
Taking people with you
I have had a lot of opportunities to reflect on EI so the first part of this felt a bit slow to me; but that will not be a universal take. The discussion of authenticity, feedback, bravery, and resilience was the best bit by far.
Self-awareness
Reminding me of my skills
Feeling understood in my role and the pressures working under - with helpful tips on how to manage this.
To be made aware that EI shouldn't be ignored.
Book recommendations
The valuable insights into the adaptability of good leaders
Discussion on how soft skills matter and the connection between what you think, how you feel and what you do.
The chat questions and conversations had there?
Useful to understand the importance of emotional intelligence.
It was all useful
The Johari window model