Welcome back to Emotions Science Simplified! This time, we’re diving into a fascinating review by Deanna Geddes and Dirk Lindebaum that unpacks the why behind strategic emotion expression at work. While we know emotions shape workplace culture, this research explores how and why people use emotions strategically, and what that means for leadership.

The Big Idea: What Is Strategic Emotion Expression?

Strategic emotion expression is the deliberate use of emotions to achieve a goal in a workplace setting. It’s not just about what emotions we show, but why we choose to display them in a certain way. Whether it’s a leader expressing confidence to motivate a team, an employee showing frustration to highlight an issue, or a customer service rep smiling through a difficult interaction. These choices shape workplace relationships, performance, and culture.

Why This Matters

Most research on workplace emotions focuses on which emotions people express anger, joy, fear, etc. But the reason behi...

As organisations continue to recognise the power of emotions in leadership, culture, and change, more leaders are turning to The Emotional Culture Deck to shape the way they work. This year, ECD Certified Consultants are delivering specialist courses around the world, helping individuals and teams bring emotion-led leadership into their workplaces.

These in-person courses offer hands-on experiences, guiding participants through proven frameworks and interactive activities and tools that deepen emotional awareness, improve team connection, and drive meaningful change. Whether you are looking to explore Emotional Leadership, Emotional Change Strategy, or Stakeholder Engagement, these courses provide a practical way to build emotional intelligence in leadership.

 → Click here to see all our upcoming In-person ECD Specialist Courses delivered by ECD Certified Consultants

Each course is led by an officially endorsed ECD Certified Consultant, bringing deep expertise in emotional culture a...

Leadership is evolving. In a world of constant change, uncertainty, and complexity, the most effective leaders are not just those who strategise and execute well—but those who understand and manage emotions, both in themselves and in their teams. Our latest report, Emotional Leadership: The Future of Leadership – Why Emotions Matter More Than Ever, explores why emotions are the missing link in leadership development and how leaders can harness them to build stronger, more connected, and higher-performing teams.

Our research, in collaboration with the Wharton School of Business and Professor Michael Parke, reinforces what we’ve long believed: emotional leadership isn’t a ‘soft skill’—it’s a critical capability that drives engagement, trust, and performance. Findings from the study show that leaders who intentionally foster emotional support increase team resilience, collaboration, and overall job satisfaction. The data is clear—when leaders prioritise emotional culture, they create env...

by Claire McKie, Facilitator | Communication skills expert | Coach | Clinician - Originally posted on LinkedIN here

Over the past three months, I’ve had the privilege of being on sabbatical. My key focus has been undertaking the Emotional Culture Deck (ECD) Certified Consultant Course. 

As part of this, I facilitated workshops with teams across the healthcare space, exploring how we talk about feelings and craft emotional cultures in the workplace.

I have been surprised and inspired by how much teams and their leaders have embraced this and have made changes. How a single workshop unites a team with a shared goal and simple changes that everyone can make. And seeing how this has led to tangible changes in team culture and how people show up to work. 

The feedback has been universally, that staff want more, they want to continue this work, and they want every team to have this opportunity.

And I’ve been surprised (and not surprised) by the patterns that emerged: 

I asked every tea...

Leadership is About Emotions, Not Just Strategy 

At riders&elephants, we believe leadership isn’t just about strategy, decision-making, or outcomes—it’s about relationships. And relationships are shaped by emotions. Every interaction, every decision, and every behaviour as a leader creates an emotional ripple effect that impacts your team’s morale, motivation, and performance.

But here’s the truth: most leadership development programs don’t focus on emotions. They might teach technical skills, frameworks, or behavioural strategies, but they rarely address the most human aspect of leadership—the emotional experience of being led.

That’s why we’re so excited to launch our brand-new Emotional Leadership Development Course, a 5-week journey designed to equip leaders, coaches, and managers with the tools to lead with intention, humanity, and emotional intelligence.

What Makes This Course Different? 

This isn’t your typical leadership course. We’ve designed it to challenge traditional...

We’re thrilled to share that our founder and Master Gamemaker, Jeremy Dean, was recently featured on the Lead With Less podcast with host Tash Pieterse. It was an incredible conversation about the profound impact of emotional leadership and how we can transform workplaces by embracing emotions as a source of connection, performance, and growth.

In the episode, Jeremy shared the story of riders&elephants and how we reimagine how people and organisations connect and grow through emotion-driven tools. As a gamemaker, Jeremy has spent years crafting simple yet powerful tools, like The Emotional Culture Deck, to unlock emotion-led conversations in workplaces worldwide. These tools have now been embraced by over 500,000 people in 60+ countries, including organisations like Netflix, IBM, and Airbnb.

 
What We Explored in the Episode

Here are some key takeaways from the conversation:

• Emotional Contagion: The science behind how our emotions impact those around us—and how leaders can harne
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We often get asked if The ECD can be used solo, especially by people who want to explore emotions for personal growth before facilitating with others. The short answer? Absolutely! Using The ECD for personal reflection is a powerful way to develop self-awareness, gain clarity, and navigate life’s emotional challenges.

Recently, we received a thoughtful question from Steph, an ECD enthusiast, asking if the cards are applicable for individual use. Since many others may be wondering the same thing, we decided to share some insights on how you can use the deck for your own self-discovery journey.

Yes, You Can Use The ECD Solo!

While The ECD is often used in teams or groups, it’s equally valuable for individuals who want to better understand their emotional landscape. Many people find that working with the deck on their own helps them identify emotional patterns, reflect on their experiences, and gain deeper insights into how emotions influence their decisions and behaviours. 

Learn fro...

In 2024, a leading public organisation in New Zealand faced a significant change process affecting 4,000 employees. Understanding that emotions play a critical role during periods of transformation, one of their teams turned to The Emotional Culture Deck Change Readiness Programme to guide them through the journey. Partnering with Professor Michael Parke from Wharton Business School, we set out to measure how The Emotional Culture Deck impacted employee engagement, psychological safety, and overall wellbeing throughout the process.

The outcomes of this intervention—our ECD Change Readiness Programme—highlight the strategic value and personal importance of supporting teams in recognising and managing both individual and collective emotions during change.

Below, we’ve outlined the key results and insights, along with a concise one-page summary of our findings.

ECD Intervention Results Overview

We conducted a field intervention to examine how The ECD workshop impacts key employee en...

Welcome to Emotions Science Simplified! Let's explore how the intensity of leaders’ unpleasant affective displays shapes team performance.

Research Spotlight:

“Leadership in the Locker Room: How the Intensity of Leaders’ Unpleasant Affective Displays Shapes Team Performance” (2019) Staw, Barry M. DeCelles, Katherine A. de Goey, Peter

Leadership isn’t just about strategy and vision. It’s also about emotion. The way leaders express their emotions can shape team performance, motivation, and culture. But how much is too much? This fascinating study by Barry M. Staw, Katherine A. DeCelles, and Peter de Goey dives into this question, analysing 304 halftime locker room speeches from high school and college basketball coaches.

The Big Idea

The research found that leaders’ unpleasant emotional expressions—like frustration, anger, or disappointment can actually boost team performance, but only to a point. Beyond a certain intensity, these displays can backfire, demotivating teams instead.

As we wrap up 2024, I’m thrilled to share two special milestones with you: the latest edition of F World Magazine and the results of our first ECD research project in collaboration with Wharton Business School.

The F World is not just a magazine—it’s a reflection of our movement. The 2024 Edition brings together the voices, insights, and stories of a global community dedicated to emotional culture in workplaces. Designed by riders&elephants and powered by the incredible Elephant Rider Community, it's our way of celebrating and recognising how emotions are flipping work and life.

Whether you’re a seasoned Elephant Rider, a curious leader, or someone who just wants to understand how emotions shape our world, this publication is for you. Inside, you’ll find heartfelt stories, expert insights, and practical tools to help you reimagine connection, culture, and leadership. From inspiring case studies to the highlights of our Global Elephant Rider Summit, every page is packed with real-worl...