The 15 Best Emotional Intelligence Podcasts (2026)

Daniel Goleman put emotional intelligence on the map in 1995 with his bestselling book, and this podcast is the closest thing to sitting in on a conversation with the man himself. Co-hosted by Goleman alongside his son Hanuman Goleman and producer Elizabeth Solomon, the show is produced through Key Step Media and goes well beyond rehashing theory. Each episode brings in researchers, authors, and practitioners to discuss how emotional intelligence actually plays out in schools, workplaces, relationships, and public policy. Guests have included Richard Davidson talking about what meditation does to the brain at a neurological level and Amy Gallo breaking down how to handle genuinely difficult coworkers. The podcast was originally funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which gives it a grassroots feel despite having one of the most recognizable names in psychology attached. With around 41 episodes, the catalog is manageable enough to work through without feeling overwhelmed. Episodes typically run 30 to 45 minutes and lean toward the analytical side, with real data and cited research rather than motivational platitudes. The production is clean and professional without being overproduced. If you want to understand emotional intelligence from the person who popularized the concept, and see how the field has evolved since that original book came out three decades ago, this is the primary source.

Brené Brown spent two decades researching vulnerability, shame, and courage before most people even had the vocabulary for those concepts. Unlocking Us is where she puts that research to work in hour-long conversations that feel remarkably unguarded for someone with her platform. Brown talks with researchers, authors, and cultural figures, but the best episodes are the ones where she gets personal, sharing her own struggles with perfectionism or the messiness of raising teenagers. She has this way of naming an emotion you have been carrying around without words for it. The show has 134 episodes, a 4.6-star average from over 23,000 ratings, and it airs weekly through the Vox Media Podcast Network. Topics range widely, from grief and racial equity to the psychology of leadership and how social media rewires our sense of self. Brown is direct. She will not sugarcoat things, and she expects the same from her guests. If you have read her books, this is the audio companion that goes deeper. If you have not, the podcast stands on its own as a sharp, emotionally honest exploration of what it means to be a person trying to do better.

Paul Colaianni has been producing The Overwhelmed Brain since November 2013, and with close to 600 episodes in the archive, there is an enormous body of work here. Colaianni is a certified behavior and relationship coach trained in brain sciences including NLP and hypnosis, and he brings that background to episodes focused on emotional intelligence, personal boundaries, self-worth, and navigating toxic relationships. The format is mostly solo episodes where Colaianni works through a specific emotional challenge, often inspired by listener questions and real coaching scenarios. He talks about things like why people-pleasers struggle to say no, how to identify manipulation tactics from partners or family members, and what happens in the brain when you feel emotionally hijacked. The show pulls around 280,000 downloads a month and averages 30,000 downloads per episode, which puts it in the upper tier of personal development podcasts. What keeps people coming back is Colaianni's directness. He doesn't sugarcoat things or hide behind jargon. If you are stuck in a pattern of allowing others to cross your boundaries, he will tell you exactly what that looks like and walk through specific steps to change it. Episodes typically run 30 to 50 minutes and come out weekly. The back catalog is particularly useful for anyone dealing with emotional abuse or codependency, topics he returns to frequently with practical, specific guidance.

Justin Bariso built his reputation writing about emotional intelligence for Inc.com, where he became one of the publication's most popular columnists. His book EQ Applied sold well enough to land him features in TIME, CNBC, and Forbes, and the podcast is a natural extension of that work. Each episode focuses on a single practical tip, trick, or psychological principle that you can actually use the same day you hear it. The format is tight and focused: Bariso draws from years of executive coaching experience to walk through specific emotional scenarios, like how to stay composed when someone pushes your buttons in a meeting or how to rebuild trust after a conflict at home. He covers how thoughts and habits shape emotions, why certain emotional reactions are harder to control than others, and what the research says about replacing destructive habits with healthier ones. The episodes are on the shorter side, which makes them easy to stack into a commute or a lunch break without committing to an hour-long conversation. Bariso's writing background shows in how clearly he structures each episode, moving from concept to example to takeaway without unnecessary tangents. This is a good fit for people who want actionable emotional intelligence advice rather than abstract theory, especially anyone in a leadership or management role where interpersonal dynamics matter every day.

Scott hosts this podcast with the tone of someone talking to a friend over coffee rather than lecturing from a stage. Each episode tackles a specific emotional situation that most people recognize but rarely talk about openly: the moment you realize you responded on autopilot instead of actually listening, the tension that builds when stress shapes your tone more than your words do, or the quiet frustration of knowing you could have handled a conversation better. The show strips away clinical language and academic framing in favor of relatable stories and simple shifts that make a noticeable difference. One of the recurring themes is the idea of doing a quick internal check-in before you speak, a two-second pause to notice where your stress level actually sits before you let it determine what comes out of your mouth. Scott shares his own experiences openly, including the realization that he was physically present in conversations but not emotionally engaged, and how basic awareness changed the quality of his relationships. Episodes cover triggers, conflict resolution, communication patterns, confidence, and those reactions you replay in your head wishing you had handled differently. The conversational style makes it approachable for people who have never explored emotional intelligence formally. No jargon, no prerequisites, just practical observations about how emotions drive behavior and what you can do about it. New episodes arrive regularly and run at a comfortable length for casual listening.

Noble Gibbens is a West Point graduate and Army veteran who spent over 20 years coaching people before an uncharacteristic blowup fight with his wife forced him to look at his own emotional blind spots. That personal reckoning became the foundation for EQ Gangster, a podcast aimed squarely at leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners who suspect they might be the ones holding themselves back. The name is deliberately provocative, designed to grab the attention of people who might scroll past anything labeled "emotional intelligence" as too soft. With over 400 episodes in the archive, Gibbens covers an enormous range of topics, from how to handle confrontation without escalating to why high achievers often have the hardest time admitting they need to change. The format mixes solo episodes where Gibbens shares frameworks and personal stories with interviews featuring other leaders who talk openly about how emotional intelligence transformed their business results and family relationships. His military background gives the show a directness that sets it apart from more therapeutic approaches. He is not interested in helping you feel comfortable with your patterns; he wants you to see them clearly and do the work to change. Episodes release frequently and vary in length from quick 15-minute reflections to longer interviews. The podcast works especially well for people in high-pressure roles who need emotional intelligence framed in terms of performance and accountability rather than feelings and journaling.

Brittney-Nichole Connor-Savarda wears several hats in the emotional intelligence space: she edits Emotional Intelligence Magazine, founded both Catalyst 4 Change and Generation EQ, and authored the book The EQ Deficiency. This podcast brings all of that experience together in a semimonthly interview format where she sits down with expert guests to talk through specific aspects of emotional intelligence in practice. Topics range from mindfulness and well-being to parenting with emotional intelligence, effective communication strategies, and performance under pressure. The guest list reflects the breadth of the field, pulling in therapists, educators, corporate trainers, and researchers who each bring a different angle. Connor-Savarda asks good follow-up questions and keeps conversations focused on practical takeaways rather than letting them drift into vague inspiration. The connection to Emotional Intelligence Magazine means the show often features guests who are actively publishing research or building programs, so the content tends to be current rather than recycled. Episodes run at a moderate length and the production is straightforward, letting the conversation carry the weight. The show is particularly useful for people in leadership or education roles who want to understand how emotional intelligence applies across different contexts, from boardrooms to classrooms to family dinner tables. The semimonthly release schedule means it does not overwhelm your feed, and each episode is substantial enough to stand on its own.

Nadja El Fertasi spent nearly two decades working at NATO, which is not the background you typically see on an emotional intelligence podcast. That experience in international security and digital transformation gave her a distinctive lens: she treats emotional intelligence as infrastructure, something organizations need to build into their systems the same way they build cybersecurity protocols. The podcast, with around 52 episodes, explores the intersection of emotional intelligence and the challenges created by AI, digital disruption, and remote work. El Fertasi coined the term "emotional firewalls" to describe how individuals and teams can build resilience against the psychological toll of constant digital exposure, and many episodes return to this concept from different angles. She interviews leaders, researchers, and organizational psychologists about topics like why soft skills are the hardest to automate, how EQ-driven leadership helps organizations navigate AI regulations, and what it means to foster a culture of psychological safety in workplaces undergoing rapid technological change. The framing is corporate and strategic rather than personal and therapeutic, which makes this a good fit for people in management, HR, or organizational development. Episodes run at a moderate length and the production is professional. If you work in a field being reshaped by AI and want to understand the human side of that transformation, this podcast connects dots that most emotional intelligence shows ignore entirely.

Robin Hills created Ei4Change (Emotional Intelligence 4 Change) and originally developed these bite-sized segments for Bolton FM, his local radio station in the UK, where they aired on the Breakfast Show and Lunchtime Show. The format carried over perfectly to podcasting: each episode contains five short thoughts, each under two minutes, centered on emotional intelligence, resilience, and the cognitive biases that trip people up in everyday decisions. The brevity is the point. Hills packs a single actionable idea into each segment, covering topics like confirmation bias, the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy, priming, confabulation, and hindsight bias, all explained in plain language with practical examples. The show updates bimonthly and has built a steady archive over the years. The format makes it genuinely different from the typical hour-long interview podcast. You can listen to an entire episode in under ten minutes and walk away with something specific to think about during your day. Hills brings a UK-based perspective that provides a nice contrast to the predominantly American emotional intelligence podcast space, and his background in organizational change gives the content a practical, workplace-oriented slant. This is an excellent podcast for people who want consistent, low-commitment exposure to emotional intelligence concepts without having to block out a significant chunk of time. The short segments also make it easy to share individual thoughts with colleagues or teams.

Jeff East and Eric Pennington have been co-hosting Spirit of EQ for seven seasons, releasing new episodes on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The format is conversational and collaborative: two guys who clearly enjoy each other's company talking through how emotional intelligence shows up in daily life and professional settings. They cover a wide range of ground, from how understanding your own emotions changes workplace dynamics to how EQ affects financial decisions, relationships, and responses to trauma. The dual-host setup creates a natural back-and-forth that keeps episodes from feeling like monologues. East and Pennington challenge each other's assumptions, share their own stumbles, and bring in guest speakers who add depth on topics like corporate wellness programs, leadership development, and emotional health recovery. The show is designed for individuals, leaders, teams, and organizations who want to realize their full potential through emotional intelligence, and that broad scope means you will find episodes relevant to almost any context. The tone is warm and encouraging without tipping into the motivational speaker territory where everything sounds great but nothing is specific. Their long run as co-hosts means they have developed a genuine rhythm and chemistry that makes even dense topics feel accessible. Episodes run at a comfortable length for a commute or a workout, and the semimonthly schedule gives you time to actually process what you heard before the next one drops.

Lisa Manzo is an emotional intelligence strategist and trauma-informed mindset coach with a background in healthcare, education, and neuroscience-based coaching. The Phoenix Mind is built around the idea that the most meaningful personal growth happens after the hardest experiences, and each episode features raw conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals who share how they rebuilt after significant setbacks. Manzo does not just interview people about their success stories; she focuses on the emotional mechanics of how they got through the worst parts. The show covers self-awareness as the foundation of emotional intelligence, science-backed strategies for regulating emotions under pressure, and practical approaches to building resilience in both professional and personal life. Guests include global leaders and what Manzo calls "everyday resilience heroes," people who may not have a public platform but whose stories of transformation are just as instructive. Her coaching background means the conversations often move past surface-level storytelling into specific tools and frameworks that listeners can apply. The podcast launched relatively recently and releases new episodes weekly on all major platforms. Manzo also hosts a separate podcast called Emotional Intelligence in Business, so she brings deep familiarity with how EQ operates in organizational settings. The Phoenix Mind is a strong fit for anyone going through a major life transition who wants both emotional support and practical strategies grounded in neuroscience.

Ismail Qadry and Sameer Aleem launched The Emotional Intelli-Gents Podcast in January 2023 with a specific focus on emotional intelligence as a leadership skill. The name is a playful nod to the hosts being two men who take emotions seriously in professional settings, and the content reflects that angle. With over 60 episodes and a release cadence of two per month, the show has built a steady catalog covering topics like ethical leadership, social awareness, the balance between idealism and optimism, and how leaders wield influence through communication. Episodes average about 33 minutes, which is long enough to explore a topic with some depth but short enough to hold attention. The hosts bring a genuine passion for helping other leaders understand the connection between emotional regulation and better outcomes, and their conversations often come back to self-awareness and empathy as foundational skills rather than optional extras. They discuss specific workplace scenarios where emotional intelligence made the difference between a productive outcome and a failed one, grounding the concepts in recognizable situations. The show has grown a substantial listener base and covers ground that will resonate with anyone in a management or leadership role. The dual-host dynamic keeps things engaging, as Qadry and Aleem come at topics from slightly different perspectives and push each other to be specific rather than vague. It is a solid pick for professionals who want emotional intelligence framed through a leadership lens.

Jeremy Holcombe takes an unusually personal approach to emotional intelligence on this podcast. Rather than positioning himself as an expert dispensing advice, he shares candidly about his own journey through inner healing and personal growth, including the patterns he inherited from his family and the work it took to change them. The show launched in December 2019 and has built up around 80 episodes across multiple seasons. One of the most distinctive features is the anonymous client session episodes, where volunteers agree to have their real coaching sessions recorded. Hearing the actual back-and-forth of someone working through a trigger or an emotional block is far more instructive than listening to someone describe the process in theory. Holcombe also brings his wife Hailley on for episodes about relationships and parenting, adding a dimension that most emotional intelligence podcasts skip entirely. The content focuses heavily on understanding what triggers you, learning to regulate yourself in the moment rather than reacting on autopilot, and breaking generational patterns that have been running in your family for decades. Holcombe's background in coaching comes through in how he guides conversations toward specific, identifiable patterns rather than letting them stay abstract. The show ranks in the top tier of self-improvement podcasts and has a loyal following. Episodes vary in length and format, giving the catalog a natural variety that keeps it from feeling repetitive. It is best suited for people who want emotional intelligence explored through real human stories rather than academic frameworks.

Agnes Le and Celine Teoh are both Stanford-trained executive coaches, and that pedigree shows in how tightly structured each episode is. The premise is simple: every episode delivers one tested, actionable emotional intelligence technique that you can apply immediately to improve your leadership. Le brings 20 years of coaching experience and served as a facilitator for Stanford Graduate School of Business's famous Interpersonal Dynamics course, the one students call "Touchy Feely" and consistently rate as the most popular elective. Teoh is a certified Tiny Habits Coach trained by BJ Fogg at Stanford's Behavior Design Lab and spent years as a McKinsey consultant working with Fortune 500 companies. Together they interview leading experts, top coaches, and real leaders to extract specific emotional intelligence hacks. The topics map directly to common leadership challenges: improving connections at work, gaining influence with your team and stakeholders, leading with authenticity without sacrificing credibility, and managing interpersonal conflicts without letting them fester. The bite-size format means episodes stay focused and respect your time. There is no meandering conversation or extended small talk before getting to the point. The Stanford and McKinsey backgrounds mean the advice is grounded in behavioral science and tested in high-stakes corporate environments, not pulled from inspirational quotes. This podcast is particularly valuable for mid-career professionals and executives who already know emotional intelligence matters and just need specific, proven techniques to get better at it.

Marc Monteil has worked in over 50 countries as an emotional intelligence coach and educator, and that international perspective gives this podcast a genuinely global feel. As the founder of Intemotionnelle.com, Monteil brings a structured, educational approach to the five core pillars of EQ: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Each episode focuses on a specific concept or model, like secondary emotions, Gross's Emotion Regulation Model, or mindfulness and embodied awareness, and breaks it down in language that is accessible without being oversimplified. The podcast is listened to in 82 countries, which speaks to how well the content translates across cultures. Monteil also created an illustrated children's book called Beyond The Hidden Door about mastering emotions, and that interest in making complex emotional concepts understandable for all ages influences his podcast style. He explains ideas clearly and builds from foundational concepts rather than assuming listeners already have a background in psychology. The show covers practical EQ skills alongside more conceptual material, including how emotional intelligence plays out in workplace dynamics and personal relationships. Episodes are well-organized and the production is clean. This is a particularly good entry point for someone new to emotional intelligence who wants a thorough, systematic education in the core concepts. Monteil's multicultural background also means the examples and references feel broader than what you typically get from a single-country perspective.