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How can leaders use emotional intelligence to create workplaces where employees flourish?<\/span><\/em><\/strong> We explore the science and practice of emotional wisdom, examining how leaders can harness the interplay between emotion and reason to foster well-being, connection, and high performance in their teams.<\/span><\/p>\nJosh Freedman, named one of the\u00a0top 50 management and leadership experts\u00a0by\u00a0Inc. Magazine<\/em>,<\/strong> is a global authority on emotions and emotional intelligence. He has spent decades helping leaders develop the skills to better understand themselves and connect with their teams.<\/span><\/p>\n In our wonderful conversation, Josh reveals the \u201csecret power\u201d most leaders overlook<\/strong>: emotional intelligence \u2014 more specifically, the ability to understand and harness emotions in oneself and others to drive connection, well-being, and performance.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Our conversation explores the idea that humans aren\u2019t strictly rational beings, as highlighted by New York Times<\/em> columnist David Brooks, who recently described our minds as \u201cswirls\u201d \u2014 dynamic, interconnected systems where emotion and reason are inseparable. Josh explains why this framing is critical for leaders who want to support employee well-being. We also examine how historical and cultural myths have shaped the way business views emotion, and what leaders can do to shift these outdated perspectives.<\/span><\/p>\n Practical skills for leaders are a key focus. Josh shares how to connect with one\u2019s own feelings, reflect on emotional data, and act with presence. He introduces the\u00a0TFA Triangle, showing how Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions interact, and how understanding this helps leaders respond more effectively to employees, especially during times of stress or change.<\/span><\/p>\n Josh explains emotional contagion and how leaders shape the overall culture and atmosphere of their teams. He also addresses one of today\u2019s most pressing organizational challenges: burnout, explaining why it is driven more by unmet emotional needs than logistics \u2014 and what leaders can do to prevent it and support their teams.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How can leaders use emotional intelligence to create workplaces where employees flourish? We explore the science and practice of emotional wisdom, examining how leaders can harness the interplay between emotion and reason to foster well-being, connection, and high performance in their teams. Josh Freedman, named one of the\u00a0top 50 management and leadership […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[283],"tags":[891,69,70,892,127],"class_list":["post-7473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast","tag-emotion-rules","tag-emotional-intelligence","tag-emotions","tag-joshua-freedman","tag-leadership-2"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staging-wmplo.xyz\/mark-c-divi5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/71fGN1tmI4L._SL1500_-191x300.jpg\")
Josh\u2019s new book,\u00a0Emotion Rules: The Science and Practice of Emotional Wisdom<\/em>,<\/strong> provides a practical roadmap for leaders who want to apply emotional intelligence to improve both individual and organizational performance. Drawing on decades of research and practice, the book challenges the myth that great leaders are cool, detached, and relentlessly rational. Instead, Josh shows that emotion and reason are deeply intertwined \u2014 and that understanding this interplay is essential for effective leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n