DevOpsDays Halifax 2025

Leading with Empathy: Building Inclusive, High-Performance Teams in Agile Environments
2025-08-26 , Potter Auditorium - Kenneth C Rowe Management Building

In Agile environments, high-performing teams rely on more than just technical expertise, they succeed when emotional intelligence, empathy, and inclusivity are central to their culture. In “Leading with Empathy: Building Inclusive, High-Performance Teams in Agile Environments,” I’ll share how leaders and teams can foster a supportive, diverse, and collaborative atmosphere that leads to stronger outcomes. Attendees will learn actionable strategies to create psychological safety, enhance communication, and embrace diversity, ultimately building teams that perform at their best.


In today’s fast-paced Agile and DevOps environments, success isn’t just about technical expertise, it’s about creating teams that are inclusive, emotionally intelligent, and able to communicate effectively under pressure. Drawing from my experience as a social entrepreneur and DEI consultant, I’ll share strategies to help you lead with empathy and build stronger team dynamics. This session will focus on fostering trust, embracing diversity, and encouraging collaboration in high-performing teams.

You’ll learn:
- How to create a culture of psychological safety and openness through empathetic leadership.
- Ways to enhance communication and collaboration, especially in high-pressure situations.
- How to build diverse teams that take shared ownership of success and innovation.
- The importance of continuous feedback and inclusivity to support team growth.

This session is ideal for anyone in Agile or DevOps environments looking to elevate their team culture and ensure all voices are heard, valued, and empowered to contribute meaningfully.

Key Takeaways:
- Actionable strategies for inclusive leadership and team-building.
- Techniques for using emotional intelligence to improve team communication and trust.
- Tools for creating psychologically safe spaces where innovation can thrive.
- Insights on fostering feedback loops that promote growth and inclusivity.

Jacquelyn Miccolis is a social entrepreneur and creative leader specializing in fostering innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration through impactful events, engaging talks, and creative team-building workshops. She helps organizations create inclusive, accessible experiences that drive meaningful change.

With a background in community development, psychology, and technology, Jacquelyn blends strategic insight with a deep understanding of how diverse perspectives fuel innovation. As the founder of Supernova Events, she has built a creative hub that supports a sustainable, inclusive creative economy in Atlantic Canada.

Beyond event facilitation and consulting, Jacquelyn is a self-taught website designer, developer, and Canva specialist, blending design principles with custom code to create polished, professional results for her business and freelance projects..