EPISODE · Oct 21, 2025 · 35 MIN
Our Emotional Recession: How to Lead When People Are Depleted
· host Innovative Leadership Institute
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: The hidden emotional tax draining teams and cultures The business case for EQ (and how it improves performance) Why trust is now a leader’s most critical output. 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. ----------------------- 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 Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! ----------------------- 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.
What this episode covers
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: The hidden emotional tax draining teams and cultures The business case for EQ (and how it improves performance) Why trust is now a leader’s most critical output. 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. ----------------------- 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 Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! ----------------------- 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.
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Our Emotional Recession: How to Lead When People Are Depleted
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