E.I. in the Age of A.I.: Human Skills Matter More
AI is outpacing humans in mental tasks, and its advantage will only grow with time as technology gets faster and smarter. That means more jobs will be automated, and the rest will demand working with AI tools. But here’s the opportunity: human skills like emotional intelligence, empathy, and relationship-building still set us apart. These are the game-changers for sales, leadership, and team success—and they’re only growing in value.

Group EI
New research on what makes a team outstanding in its performance highlights the importance of group emotional intelligence. In this presentation, Daniel Goleman will review that research and name several indicators of high group emotional intelligence on a team.  Emotional intelligence looks different at the individual and group levels, and organizations whose productivity depends on high-performing teams will benefit from this understanding.

The Leadership Ripple Effect: How Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Pays Off, from the C-Suite to Customer Care
Whether in hospitality, sales, or health care, a company’s success depends to a large extent on the relationship between its representatives and the customers or clients with whom they interact. If social neuroscience tells us that emotions are contagious, then positive feelings are essential in these key interactions. Research from Harvard Business School details the most optimal emotional state for company representatives to be effective in their roles, and further research shows that emotionally intelligent leadership promotes that optimal state. This leadership ripple effect means that even if an executive never interacts with customers, how he or she impacts their direct reports matters for relations with customers. In this talk, Daniel Goleman presents the latest research to demonstrate how emotionally intelligent leadership at every level holds a payoff for a company, whether in repeat business, positive word of mouth, compliance, or whatever outcome metric matters most.

Optimal: Sustainable Excellence for Leaders and Teams
Imagine your best day at work. You exceed the goals set for you. Your interactions with coworkers are productive and bristle-free. The new system you implemented has boosted productivity company-wide. And you leave the office feeling on top of the world rather than crushed under the weight of it. What if your best day could be every day? Bestselling author and leading emotional intelligence expert Daniel Goleman holds the key to that reality. In this talk based on his book Optimal, Dr. Goleman presents insights from decades of emotional intelligence research to reveal how individuals and teams can consistently work at peak performance levels without burning out and how leaders can build an organizational culture that empowers sustainable optimal performance. Audiences walk away with the tools to ensure their best day at work is no longer a rare occurrence.

Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman’s bestseller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Matters More Than IQ completely redefined our understanding of our emotions. He argues that IQ is important, but intellect alone is no guarantee of adeptness in managing one’s own emotions or relationships. We need a different kind of intelligence to handle emotions in ourselves and others, and to make better personal decisions, resolve conflicts, or motivate ourselves or others. Becoming emotionally intelligent lets us be more skillful and wiser in each new circumstance. In this engagement, Daniel Goleman invites you to join him in examining how emotional intelligence shapes what we do and offers you tools to understand and harness these influences to positive ends. After this session, audiences will understand and be able to apply Goleman’s four essential elements of emotional intelligence: Emotional self-awareness: knowing what one is feeling and understanding the impact those moods have on us; Self-regulation: controlling or redirecting one’s emotions, anticipating consequences before acting on impulse, staying positive and achieving goals; Empathy: sensing the emotions of others; Social skills: managing relationships, inspiring others and being effective on teams and in our connections. Armed with these foundations, Goleman will demonstrate that when we are aware and can rely upon our EI ability to change our stance, our perspective, and the meaning we make, we are then poised to choose which mental disposition and actions might best fit the situation.

Teamwork and Making the Dream Work
What makes the most outstanding teams? Daniel Goleman draws on extensive research to reveal how star teams exhibit emotional intelligence at the group level. This means the team is self-aware, manages itself well, has empathy toward other groups, and handles relationships with them effectively. Self-awareness at the team level means members openly acknowledge and work according to each other’s strengths and limits. Self-management sees agreement on acceptable behaviors and proactive resolution of problems before they become crises. Empathy and relationship management between teams ensures clear communication and collaboration towards a common goal. Research shows that at the core of high-performing teams is a feeling of psychological safety, a sense of “I belong here” felt by every member. When people feel they belong in a group they can relax, connect well, and offer their best ideas and energies. Goleman sees that feeling of belonging in a group as a more natural, ground up way to achieve the goals of inclusion and diversity, without having to impose a top-down mandate. Using examples from top teams, Goleman reveals the key to building and maintaining excellent teams that consistently produce extraordinary results.

• Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day (Harper Business, 2024)
• Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body (Avery, 2017)
• Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business Review Press, 2016)
• A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama’s Vision for Our World (Bantam, 2015)
• What Makes a Leader: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters (More Than Sound, 2014)
• Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence (Harper, 2013)
• Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (Broadway Books, 2009)
• Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (Bantam, 2006)
• Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships (Bantam, 2006)
• Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama (Bantam, 2003)
• Working with Emotional Intelligence (Bantam, 1998)

• 2023  Centennial Medallion, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
• 1997  Washburn Award for Science Journalism
• 1985  Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 1984  Lifetime Career Award, American Psychological Association

• WATCH: The 4 domains of emotional intelligence, Big Think+
• WATCH: Emotional Intelligence, FranklinCovey On Leadership
• A Conversation with Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence, Emotions & Leadership, Thought Economics
• Leadership begins with you: Interview with author Daniel Goleman, International Institute for Restorative Practices
• Daniel Goleman Interview 2011 Ranking: #39, Thinkers 50
• EI in the Age of AI, Emotional Intelligence with Daniel Goleman