In this Implementors episode, host Ted Wolf sits down with Marc Brackett, Founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor at Yale’s Child Study Center, for an illuminating conversation on the critical role emotions play in leadership, performance, and human potential. Dr. Brackett challenges the long-standing myth that emotions are a distraction from success, explaining instead that they are central to how people learn, make decisions, and collaborate. Drawing on more than two decades of research, he introduces the science behind emotional intelligence and explains how unmanaged emotions—particularly anxiety—undermine judgment, creativity, and well-being in both leaders and teams. Ted and Dr. Brackett explore practical applications of the evidence-based RULER framework, which has been adopted by thousands of schools and organizations worldwide. Through real-world examples from education systems and Fortune 500 companies, Dr. Brackett shows how leaders can build emotionally intelligent cultures that improve trust, resilience, and performance. The conversation also addresses the growing importance of emotional intelligence in the age of AI. As intelligent systems take on more analytical and operational tasks, Dr. Brackett argues that emotional skills—empathy, self-awareness, regulation, and social connection—are becoming even more essential. This episode offers practical tools, deep insight, and a powerful reminder: emotions are always at the table, and leaders who learn to work with them gain a decisive advantage in a rapidly changing world.
