Guest: Joshua Freedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Six Seconds

Around the world, people are emotionally exhausted, socially polarized, and struggling to stay engaged at work. Global emotional intelligence scores have declined for several years, and leaders today face an unseen burden: an emotional tax on every interaction, decision, and relationship.

In this episode, emotional intelligence expert Joshua Freedman joins Maureen Metcalf to explore how leaders can reduce the hidden emotional tax in organizations, rebuild trust, and create healthier workplaces.

Discover how EQ drives performance, why trust is a leader’s greatest currency, and what practical steps you can take to lead with clarity and humanity in turbulent times.

Here's what Joshua and Maureen discuss:

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- The Human Energy Crisis at Work with Joshua Freedman

- What’s the Point: Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson

- To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:  

Learn more about Joshua’s work at https://6seconds.org. His many books are available on Amazon.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US: 

YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 

IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 

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About Our Guest:  

A staggering finding emerged from over a million emotional intelligence assessments: the world is in an emotional recession. Burnout, falling empathy, and disengagement are draining performance and wellbeing. Joshua Freedman, CEO and cofounder of Six Seconds, is on a mission to reverse the trend. For 25+ years, he has led the world’s largest EQ study (State of the Heart), advised global brands like FedEx, Shell, and the UN, and developed practical tools used in 150+ countries. A bestselling author; his 8th book, Emotion Rules (2026) equips leaders to transform emotions into actionable data that fuels trust, resilience, and results.