Today's guest, Dr. Marc Brackett, is on a mission to educate the world about the value of emotions and the skills associated with using them wisely. “I want everyone to become an emotion scientist”, he says. “We need to be curious explorers of our own and others’ emotions so they can help us achieve our goals and improve our lives.”

In this deep dive conversation, Marc and I explore themes from his book Permission to Feel as well as his broader work as a leader in the field of emotional intelligence, including:

Some of his story and how events in his childhood including surviving abuse led to his dedication to the work he does today
Why people so often suppress emotions and what happens in our brains and bodies when we do
Why it’s so important to ask people “how are you feeling?” and to genuinely listen to the answer
The story of his Uncle Marvin, and what he learned from him about the power of creating safe spaces
Highlights from the biggest study he has ever conducted and the case for empathy, compassion, non-judgment, and good listening as life changing qualities for leaders, parents, and individuals.
An introduction to the RULER skills (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions)
How he uses the RULER skills in his own life to navigate daily challenges, enhance wellbeing, and stay on track with goals that are important to him
The link between emotions and performance - why and how emotions matter when it comes to thriving teams and organizations
Why giving people the permission to feel may be one of the most important things we can do to help people thrive at work and in life.

More about Marc:

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine. As a researcher for over 20 years, Marc has focused on the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, health, and performance. His book, Permission To Feel, has been translated into 22 languages. Most recently, with Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann, Marc and his team co-created the Apple award-winning app, HowWeFeel, that was designed to teach emotion skills and enhance well-being.

Marc is the lead developer of RULER, a systemic, evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that has been adopted by over 5,000 schools across the United States and has reached over 4 million children. Marc regularly consults with large companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft on best practices for integrating the principles of emotional intelligence into training and product design. For more please visit: https://www.marcbrackett.com

Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are more episodes we think you’ll love!

Dr. Jud Brewer - Is Curiosity is a Superpower?

Kelly McGonigal - Finding the Hope, Connection, and Courage to Transform

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