Can emotional intelligence actually be developed — and can you measure it? Many L&D leaders face skepticism from stakeholders who see EQ as a fixed trait or dismiss it as too "soft" to matter. In this session, Joshua Freedman, CEO of Six Seconds, answers the question with three real-world case studies showing how organizations designed EQ development programs that produced measurable, bottom-line results.

You'll see how a Komatsu manufacturing plant used emotional intelligence to double employee engagement and increase plant performance by 9.4%… how Excelitas Technologies achieved measurable leadership improvement in 73% of participants using 360 feedback… and how UCB Biopharmaceutical transformed team dynamics and stakeholder relationships by cascading EQ from leaders to the field. Across all three, you'll learn the Change MAP framework (Engage → Activate → Reflect) that structured each intervention — a practical design model you can apply to your own programs.

Whether you're building the business case for EQ in your organization or designing learning programs that need to show ROI, you'll leave with a clear framework, concrete evidence, and a free EQ assessment you can take yourself.

Joshua Freedman is CEO and cofounder of Six Seconds, the world's largest emotional intelligence network, where he leads a global community using EQ tools and methods in 150+ countries. He directs The State of the Heart, the world's largest study of emotional intelligence, and is the author of eight books including the new Emotion Rules: The Science and Practice of Emotional Wisdom. Named one of Inc.com's Top 50 Leadership Experts and a Master Certified Coach (ICF), Josh is known for making the science of emotions practical, measurable, and immediately actionable.