About this episode

Doug Noll interviews Vidar Hokstad about transforming engineers into emotionally intelligent leaders.

In this episode of Listening with Leaders, host Doug Noll interviews Vidar Hokstad, Founder and Consultant at Hokstad Consulting, about his journey from early computer fascination to leading startups and venture-backed companies. The conversation explores lessons learned from product failures, the importance of emotional intelligence in engineering teams, and the challenges of adopting AI. An unidentified third speaker adds thoughtful questions. Vidar shares insights on bridging technical and interpersonal skills, his preference for consulting, and his hobby of writing science fiction novels, offering listeners a well-rounded view of leadership in today’s tech world. To learn more about Vidar's work, click HERE . Connect with Vidar on LinkedIn HERE . Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply HERE . Want to learn more about Doug's work? Check out his website at https://dougnoll.com

People in this episode

Host: Doug Noll

Guest: Vidar Hokstad

Topics covered

• emotional intelligence
• engineering leadership
• AI challenges
• product failures
• consulting
• science fiction writing

Keywords

• emotional intelligence
• engineering
• leadership
• AI
• consulting
• startups
• science fiction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hokstad Consulting

More episodes of Listening With Leaders

• 366 - Scaling Startups with Simplicity: A Veteran Entrepreneur’s Guide to Vision, Cash Flow, and Building Winning Teams with Graeme Barlow · June 30, 2026 · 29 min
• 364 - Mastering Mind, Body, and Spirit: How to Build a Revolutionary Training System with Mark Divine · April 21, 2026 · 43 min
• 363 - From Military Service to Executive Coaching: A Journey of Leadership and Emotional Awareness with Bobby Humes · March 10, 2026 · 28 min
• 362 - Building Connections in a Virtual World: The Importance of Empathy in Remote Work with Ben Gaddis · March 3, 2026 · 26 min
• 361 - Embracing Technology Without Losing the Human Touch in Leadership with Chip Higgins · February 24, 2026 · 25 min
• 359 - Untangling the Communication Knot: Mastering Emotions in Leadership with Maria Garaitonandia · February 10, 2026 · 25 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Listening With Leaders podcast page.