LinkedIn Voices: Travis Bradberry

In the modern workplace, it's no secret that technical skills are just one part of the equation for success. The other, often more crucial, element is the ability to understand and manage emotions, both your own and those of others. This is the world of emotional intelligence (EQ), and few people have done more to popularize it than Dr. Travis Bradberry.

Travis Bradberry

Who is Travis Bradberry?

With a dual Ph.D. in clinical and industrial/organizational psychology, Dr. Bradberry has dedicated his career to demystifying emotional intelligence and making it a practical, actionable skill. He is the co-founder of TalentSmart, a consultancy that has worked with over 75% of Fortune 500 companies to help them improve performance through EQ. His work has been featured in top publications like Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.

The Power of Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Bradberry's most famous work is the book "Emotional Intelligence 2.0". Co-authored with Dr. Jean Greaves, the book offers a clear, step-by-step program to increase your EQ. It's built on a framework of four core skills:

• Self-Awareness: The ability to accurately perceive your own emotions and how they influence your thoughts and actions.

• Self-Management: The ability to manage your emotional responses and behavior, especially in challenging situations.

• Social Awareness: The ability to understand the emotions of others and grasp the dynamics of social situations.

• Relationship Management: The ability to use your awareness of your own emotions and others' emotions to manage interactions successfully.

The book isn't just theory; it includes an access code to a popular online EQ test that allows readers to measure their current emotional intelligence and track their progress as they apply the book's strategies.

Bradberry's Impact

Through his books, articles, and speaking engagements, Travis Bradberry has fundamentally changed the conversation around leadership and career success. He has shown that a high EQ is not just a "nice-to-have" trait but a critical predictor of job performance, and for leaders, it's the number one predictor of excellence.

His practical, science-backed approach has empowered countless individuals and organizations to harness the power of their emotions and achieve greater success.

Metrics & Impact

• Platform Reach: Authored articles featured on platforms like Forbes, TalentSmartEQ, and Speaking.com, reaching a wide audience interested in emotional intelligence and leadership development. 
  

• Business Impact: Co-founded TalentSmartEQ, the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. 
  

• Client Base / Influence: Influenced organizations globally, enhancing workplace performance and leadership through emotional intelligence training.
  

• Growth & Legacy: Recognized for his contributions to emotional intelligence and leadership development, with his work continuing to impact professionals worldwide.

Screenshot of Travis Bradberry's LinkedIn Profile

Content Strategy & Teaching Approach on LinkedIn

Dr. Travis Bradberry shares valuable insights on emotional intelligence and leadership development through various platforms, including LinkedIn with 2,609,006 followers. His content strategy includes:

• Regular Posts: Sharing articles, reflections, and insights on topics related to emotional intelligence and leadership.

• Engagement with the Community: Responding to comments and engaging with followers to promote constructive discussions.

• Multimedia Content: Utilizing videos and articles to address topics in a dynamic and accessible manner.

His teaching approach is characterized by:

• Clear and Accessible Language: Simple and direct explanations, making complex concepts easy to understand.

• Practical Applications: Providing actionable strategies that individuals can implement to enhance their emotional intelligence and leadership skills.

Examples of his Featured Posts on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

How to Accelerate Your Career with EQ | Travis Bradberry posted on the topic | LinkedIn

This EQ heavy list will do wonders for your career. Why? 1) Career acceleration isn’t just about skills. It’s about identity. Many of these habits (like embracing weirdness or lifting others up) are not technical at all. They’re about shaping how others perceive you and how you perceive yourself. That’s what creates long-term career gravity. People remember who you are more than what you did. 2) Subtraction matters as much as addition. Notice how some points are about removing negative behaviors (gossip, unnecessary loyalty, unhealthy routines) just as much as building new ones. Career growth is often less about doing more, and more about cutting out habits that quietly slow you down. 3) Networking isn’t an event. It’s a lifestyle. Remembering names, managing up, and lifting others aren’t isolated actions because they compound over years. By consistently practicing them, you build a reputation bank that pays dividends when you least expect it (e.g., job offers, promotions, collaborations). Now read the list again with these insights in mind... How to Accelerate Your Career 1) Focus on Two Traits Get stuff done Be easy to work with 2)Build Self-Worth You don’t owe an employer loyalty. You owe it to yourself to get a job that pays you the value you create. 3) Work Smart Hard work is critical. But even more important? What you work on and who you work with. 4) Stack Skills Specialists are overrated. Generalists are underrated. Create a powerful stack of complementary skills. 5) Manage Up Master the 4-bullet update: • Here’s what you asked me to do • Here’s what I did • Here are the risks/blockers • If given more time, I’d do this… 6) Embrace Weirdness “Weirdness is what sets us apart, gets us hired. Be your unapologetically weird self. In fact, being weird may even find you the ultimate happiness.” – Chris Sacca 7) Avoid Gossip Don’t complain or gossip. Ever. Nobody likes to hear complaining. So why do we do it ourselves? 8) Train the Brain • Stay hydrated • Take long walks • Eat nutritious foods • Have a strong rest ethic 9) Remember Names A person’s favorite sound is their name. (h/t Dale Carnegie) Their 2nd? Loved ones and pets. 10) Lift Others Up Success isn’t a zero-sum game. Your greatest asset (and joy!) will be a network of people whose lives you’ve positively impacted. ------- ♻️ Like, follow, and repost if this resonates. Follow Travis Bradberry and sign up for my weekly newsletter. Thanks to Ben Meer for this excellent list. Do you want more like this? 👇 📖 My new book, "The New Emotional Intelligence" is now 50% OFF at Barnes and Noble (in store and online) and it's already a bestseller. | 107 comments on LinkedIn

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Growth often feels like discomfort. How to reframe the struggle as investment. | Travis Bradberry posted on the topic | LinkedIn

Growth often masquerades as discomfort. Rewards are delayed, while the cost is immediate. Progress has a strange habit of disguising itself as weakness, failure, or fear in the moment. This is because our emotions are poor short-term judges of growth. A “bad” feeling doesn’t always mean something is wrong; it can mean transformation is underway. Investing in yourself feels costly now. This is why so many people quit early. Your brain values short-term comfort over long-term reward unless you consciously reframe the struggle as investment. Courage compounds. Facing fears doesn’t just make you braver in the moment. It rewires your relationship with fear itself. Over time, what once terrified you becomes fuel for resilience, creating a compounding effect that expands your possibilities in every area of life. Read the quote one more time with these insights in mind... I came across a book that said: Working out will make you feel weak, when it’s actually making you stronger. Learning new things will make you feel dumb, when it’s actually making you smarter. Investing in yourself will make you feel broke, when it’s actually making you rich. Facing your fears will make you feel terrified, when it’s actually making you braver. Never hold yourself back. Strive to be better tomorrow than you were today. Thank yourself later. ------ ♻️ Like, follow, and repost if this resonates. Follow Travis Bradberry and sign up for my weekly newsletter. Do you want more like this? 👇 📖 My new book, "The New Emotional Intelligence" is now 50% OFF at Barnes and Noble (in store and online) and it's already a bestseller. | 130 comments on LinkedIn

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How to Beat Stress with Proactive Habits | Travis Bradberry posted on the topic | LinkedIn

If you want to beat stress you have to be proactive. These habits aren’t about calming down after stress hits, though that matters. It's just easier to manage stress if you prevent it from building up in the first place by creating structure, predictability, and mental breathing room. 1) Cognitive offloading is a hidden theme. Practices like “Keep One List,” “Capture It Later,” and “Automate Repeats” free up working memory. This isn’t just about being organized—it actively reduces mental fatigue by offloading details from your brain to reliable systems. 2) White space is as important as scheduled work. “Leave White Space” and “Build in Buffers” emphasize that productivity isn’t about filling every moment—it’s about leaving mental and logistical room to absorb the unexpected without spiraling into overwhelm. Read the list one more time with these insights in mind... "12 Secrets of People Who Never Seem Stressed" 1. Prep the Night Before Lay out your clothes, prep your bag, and write your to-do list the night before. Start ahead instead of catching up. 2. Always Arrive Early Plan to arrive 10 minutes early so you're never rushed. Calm becomes your default, not a lucky accident. 3. Schedule What Matters If something matters, give it a time slot on your calendar. Don’t count on memory or leftover time to make it happen. 4. Reset Quickly Know one thing that calms you fast — a walk, deep breath, music. Use it when stressed, don’t just push through. 5. Automate Repeats Set up auto-pay, recurring reminders, and saved preferences. Don’t think about the same things twice. 6. Keep One List Use one place to track everything. Fewer lists means less stress and less slipping through the cracks. 7. Capture It Later When something pops into your head, write it down. Stop trying to store everything in your brain. 8. Leave White Space Keep some open blocks in your day. You’ll think better, flex easier, and breathe more often. 9. Choose Your Top 3 Start your day by picking the 3 most important things. Let everything else be extra, not urgent. 10. Build in Buffers Add 15 minutes between tasks or meetings. Give yourself room to move without feeling behind. 11. Sync Your Calendars Check in weekly with your team or family so everyone stays aligned. Fewer surprises, fewer fire drills. 12. Protect Deep Work Block at least one stretch of focus each day. Real progress beats scattered effort. ------ ♻️ Like, follow, and repost if this resonates. Follow Travis Bradberry and sign up for my weekly newsletter. Big thanks to George Stern for this excellent graphic. Do you want more like this? 👇 📖 My new book, "The New Emotional Intelligence" is now 50% OFF at Barnes and Noble (in store and online) and it's already a bestseller. | 117 comments on LinkedIn

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What True Confidence Looks Like: A 10-Point Checklist | Travis Bradberry posted on the topic | LinkedIn

True confidence is quiet, not loud. It's not about being bold or commanding attention. It’s about grounded presence, restraint, and inner security—hallmarks of emotionally intelligent confidence. 1) The checklist dismantles ego-driven habits. Confidence here is shown not through control or certainty but through vulnerability—asking for help, accepting feedback, and not chasing perfection. 2) Clarity and boundaries are foundational. The first two items focus on how you speak and what you decline. Confident people aren’t vague or people-pleasing—they communicate with calm assertiveness. 3) It’s deeply relational. Celebrating others, listening without needing to perform, and avoiding comparison all show that confident people aren’t threatened by others—they’re secure in their own lane. 4) Growth is prioritized over image. From welcoming feedback to aiming for progress over perfection, this list shows that confidence isn’t about being flawless—it’s about being committed to learning and evolving. Now read the list again with these insights in mind... Confidence Looks Like This: A 10-Point Checklist ◯ I speak with clarity – I don’t water down my words with “just” or “I think.” ◯ I say “no” without guilt or lengthy explanations. ◯ I welcome feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable. ◯ I celebrate other people’s success without comparing. ◯ I ask for help when I need it – without shame. ◯ I don’t chase perfection; I aim for progress. ◯ I listen more than I talk – and I don’t need to prove myself. ◯ I take responsibility instead of shifting blame. ◯ I stay curious, even when I don’t know the answer. ◯ I don’t need constant praise to feel worthy. ------ ♻️ Like, follow, and repost if this resonates. Follow Travis Bradberry and sign up for my weekly newsletter. Do you want more like this? 👇 📖 My new book, "The New Emotional Intelligence" is now 10% off on Amazon and it's already a bestseller. | 65 comments on LinkedIn

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How to be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader | Travis Bradberry posted on the topic | LinkedIn

This is emotionally intelligent leadership in action. Every letter of LEADER aligns with a core emotional intelligence competency. It’s not just a leadership checklist—it’s an EQ roadmap. 🔑 The 'Don’ts' reveal common leadership blind spots. Most leaders don’t fail because they lack good intentions—they fail from micro-missteps like interrupting, hovering, excluding, or overlooking. This model is powerful because it shines a light on the invisible ways leaders erode trust without realizing it. Read the list one more time with the EQ framework in mind... L – Listen Do: Listen to understand – trust starts when people feel heard. Don’t: Jump to conclusions or advice before hearing the whole story. E – Empower Do: Trust people and give them real ownership and decision-making authority. Don’t: Undermine confidence by second-guessing or taking over their work. A – Align Do: Make sure every person feels seen and valued in the team’s vision. Don’t: Let people feel left out or unsure of where they fit. D – Develop Do: Prioritize team learning, mentoring, and growth opportunities. Don’t: Expect people to “just figure it out” on their own without support. E – Engage Do: Invite every voice – people open up when they know they matter. Don’t: Make decisions alone or let anyone feel invisible. R – Recognize Do: Notice and appreciate the effort, people deserve to be seen and valued. Don’t: Overlook the quiet wins or take anyone’s hard work for granted. ---- ♻️ Like, follow, and repost if this resonates. Follow Travis Bradberry and sign up for my weekly newsletter. Thanks to Dora Vanourek for the excellent graphic. Do you want more like this? 👇 📖 My new book, "The New Emotional Intelligence" is now 10% off on Amazon and it's already a bestseller. | 77 comments on LinkedIn

Travis Bradberry's LinkedIn Account:

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Travis Bradberry - Author, THE NEW EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE • Follow me to increase your EQ & exceed your goals ⚡ Bestselling author • 5M+ books sold | LinkedIn

Author, THE NEW EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE • Follow me to increase your EQ & exceed your goals ⚡ Bestselling author • 5M+ books sold · I became deeply passionate about emotional intelligence in my early 20s and began writing books and articles around that time as I finished my dual Ph.D. program in clinical and industrial psychology. I found that most everything people were writing about EQ was too academic and difficult to apply. My goal was to give people only what they needed: great techniques for applying EQ in their own lives. I learned and iterated and over the years I found an audience. To date I’ve sold more than 5 million books. I also built a thriving business that provided EQ tests and training to Fortune 500 companies. Then just months before COVID hit, my partner and I received a surprising offer for our business, so we sold it. I thought it would be nice to retire young. Sail off into the sunset, so to speak. I was dead wrong. I missed my calling. After a couple years off, I found myself researching and writing about EQ again. Times had changed, but EQ hadn’t. It’s more critical now than ever. And it isn’t something most of us are taught growing up. There was so much more that I wanted to say. So, here I am. I created a new, modern EQ test that greatly improved upon my previous work. I wrote an important new book (more on that below) that captured everything I’d learned during my absence. And now I’m part of a new company, LEADx, that uses this thinking to provide cutting-edge EQ tests and training to companies worldwide. → Check out LEADx: leadx.org/eq-certification → Check out my new book: amazon.com/New-Emotional-Intelligence-Travis-Bradberry/dp/B0DVRGB979 The world is changing rapidly, and EQ is more important now than ever. As times change, so should your approach to increasing your EQ. THE NEW EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE is a groundbreaking new book by Dr. Travis Bradberry that answers the call with an entirely new way to increase your EQ. This trailblazing book applies the latest breakthroughs in psychology and neuroscience to deliver a proven, step-by-step program that will take your EQ to new heights. The book's innovative process shows you how to make big changes in small steps as you transform yourself, surpass your goals, and unlock your highest potential. Each copy contains a unique passcode to take The Emotional Intelligence Test™ an enlightening new assessment (the author's first in 20 years) that will show you where your EQ stands today and how you can improve it. · Experience: The New Emotional Intelligence · Education: California School of Professional Psychology · Location: San Diego · 500+ connections on LinkedIn. View Travis Bradberry’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.

Some of His Talks

The Value of Emotional Intelligence-Travis Bradberry

Why Most Leaders Fail at Emotional Intelligence | Dr. Travis Bradberry

The Power of Emotional Intelligence | Travis Bradberry | TEDxUCIrvine

Why He Matters

Dr. Travis Bradberry is a leading expert in emotional intelligence, known for his practical approach to enhancing workplace performance and leadership. Through his bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and his work with TalentSmartEQ and LEADx, he has equipped individuals and organizations with the tools to develop emotional intelligence, leading to improved decision-making, better relationships, and greater overall success.

His contributions continue to shape the field of emotional intelligence and its application in professional settings.

Quick Profile Summary

Info	Detail
Name	Dr. Travis Bradberry
Title	Co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Co-founder of TalentSmartEQ, Chief People Scientist at LEADx
Focus	Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Leadership Development, Workplace Performance
Experience	Co-founded TalentSmartEQ, the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training, serving more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, has been translated into 25 languages and is available in more than 150 countries.
Funding / Wealth	Self-funded; his work has influenced organizations globally, enhancing workplace performance and leadership through emotional intelligence training.
Platform Reach	Authored articles featured on platforms like Forbes, TalentSmartEQ, and Speaking.com, reaching a wide audience interested in emotional intelligence and leadership development.
Notable Achievements	Co-author of the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0; co-founder of TalentSmartEQ; Chief People Scientist at LEADx; recognized for his contributions to emotional intelligence and leadership development.
Website	talentsmarteq.com