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  • Susan David Speakers Reel
    Susan David Speakers Reel
  • The gift and power of emotional courage | Susan David
    The gift and power of emotional courage | Susan David
  • How to be your best self in times of crisis | Susan David
    How to be your best self in times of crisis | Susan David
  • Dr. Susan David: Build Emotional Agility, Avoid Burnout, & The Dangers of Toxic Positivity
    Dr. Susan David: Build Emotional Agility, Avoid Burnout, & The Dangers of Toxic Positivity
  • UN-HOOK from Difficult Emotions with Dr. Susan David | Being Well Podcast
    UN-HOOK from Difficult Emotions with Dr. Susan David | Being Well Podcast
  • Susan David, Ph.D. - How To Master Emotions, Manage Stress & Anxiety, & Get Unstuck
    Susan David, Ph.D. - How To Master Emotions, Manage Stress & Anxiety, & Get Unstuck
  • Harvard Psychologist REVEALS How To Heal Your BODY & MIND | Susan David
    Harvard Psychologist REVEALS How To Heal Your BODY & MIND | Susan David
  • HOW TO BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE WITH SUSAN DAVID
    HOW TO BUILD YOUR RESILIENCE WITH SUSAN DAVID
  • Why Your Emotions Are A Gift w/ Dr. Susan David | Maria Menounos
    Why Your Emotions Are A Gift w/ Dr. Susan David | Maria Menounos

Learn More About Susan David

Susan David, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading management thinkers and an award-winning Harvard Medical School psychologist. She has spent the past two decades studying how the way we navigate our emotions shapes everything that matters: our actions, careers, relationships, health, and happiness.

Her #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, “Emotional Agility” — based on the concept that Harvard Business Review heralded as a “Management Idea of the Year” and winner of the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award — describes the psychological skills critical to thriving in times of complexity and change. “Emotional Agility” has been translated into 30 languages and is the winner of numerous accolades including Amazon’s Best Books of the Year Award and the Books for a Better Life Psychology Award. David’s TED Talk on emotional agility has been viewed by more than 11 million people.

Named to the Thinkers50 global list of the top management thinkers, David is a sought-after keynote speaker and advisor, with clients that include the World Economic Forum, Ernst & Young, the United Nations, Google, Microsoft, Nasdaq, and many other national and multinational organizations. She is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and as a guest on national radio and television.

David trained as a clinical psychologist. She completed her Ph.D. and a post-doctorate at Yale University on emotions research. She is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and is a cofounder of the Institute of Coaching (a Harvard Medical School/McLean affiliate). She lives with her family outside of Boston.

Susan David is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.

Susan David was last modified: June 24th, 2025 by Justin Louis

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Building Emotional Agility

Rapid technological change, globalization, and hybrid work have fundamentally disrupted the way we live. We are increasingly caught between organizational demands and environmental realities. Organizations need flexibility, teaming, customer-centricity, innovation, and inclusion. Yet at the same time, accelerated complexity conspires against positive change, leading to rigidity, strained relationships, and lower wellbeing. The demand for people and organizations to be agile has never been greater.

Developed by Susan David, Ph.D., Emotional Agility is a practical, science-based roadmap. It’s a set of essential psychological skills for our fast-changing, complex world: skills that allow us to remain engaged, open, and values-connected, and to reincorporate our most challenging feelings as sources of energy, creativity, and insight.

Emotional Agility is at the heart of mental health, leadership, culture, collaboration, and innovation—everything that matters to healthy people, organizations, and communities. Now more than ever, it is crucial. Thinkers50 recognized the Emotional Agility framework with its coveted Breakthrough Idea Award, noting, “Emotional Agility is the new currency for leading effectively” and The World Economic Forum calls Emotional Agility a “key skill for the future.”

Emotional agility is a tool for everyone. Because our thoughts, emotions, and behavior drive everything; every aspect of how we love, live, parent, and lead.

"Susan was fantastic! She showed great empathy for the audience and guided our leaders on how to become more agile in the face of our daily challenges. Her talk was the perfect blend of inspiring and practical, and the audience loved it!"

Guilherme Soarez, CEO, HSM

"We had such an amazing experience! Thank you. I had high expectations about your involvement from the beginning, and the outcome was better than I could have hoped for. You really reached our participants 'in their hearts'."

Mike Vierow, McKinsey & Company

"Susan's deep understanding of psychology is matched with clear, real-world steps to more effective leadership."

Helen Clark, 37th Prime Minister, New Zealand

"Our conversation could not have been more timely or well-received!"

Bently DeBeyer, Head of Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs

Praise for "Emotional Agility"

#1 Wall Street Journal Best Seller
Winner of the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award
Amazon Best Book of the Year
Forbes Recommended Books for Leaders
TED Talk sensation — over 12 million views!

“I’ve got a flagged, dog-eared, Post-it-ed [version of] Susan David’s incredible book.”

Brené Brown

“Susan David teaches us to understand—and to communicate in—the unspoken language of emotion to better align how we feel with what we do. Essential reading.”

Susan Cain, New York Times Bestselling Author of "Quiet" and "Bittersweet"

“It’s one thing to feel an emotion — it’s another to gain control over it. Susan David acknowledges the benefits of sadness, anger, guilt, and fear, and then shows us how to make sure they don’t take over our lives. This is a self-help book that might actually help.”

Adam Grant, New York Times Bestselling Author of "Originals," "Give and Take," and "Think Again"

“Emotional agility is the new currency for leading successfully.”

Thinkers50

“A powerful book on embracing your core values, being more decisive, and committing to meaningful change.”

Forbes.com

“'Emotional Agility' is filled with advice on how to live in the moment, cultivate a healthy awareness of your emotions, learn to identify what those emotions are telling you, respond to your feelings in ways that will serve you, and recognize your inherent values and goals — not only in your personal life, but also in relationships, in the workplace, and as a parent.”

Bustle

“Susan David is a leading authority on how our thoughts, emotions, and motives can empower or derail us. Her work combines compelling research, an engaging style, and practical wisdom to show people how to create meaningful change in their lives in order to thrive.”

Peter Salovey, President, Yale University

“One of the keys to a happy life is knowing yourself. In 'Emotional Agility,' Susan David offers us a groundbreaking way to recognize our feelings and gives us the tools we need to avoid the emotional ruts that keep us from reaching our bigger goals. This book is a revelation for anyone looking to make lasting change in their life.”

Gretchen Rubin, New York Times Bestselling Author of "The Happiness Project"

“The wisdom of the author’s innovative insights is only made more impressive by its practicality. Her deep understanding of psychology is matched with clear, real-world steps to more effective leadership.”

Helen Clark, 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand

“David proves here that no one trait is more indicative of success than the ability to collaborate gracefully with your own emotions. Learning how is the difference between a fight and a dance!”

Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times Bestselling Author of "Triggers"

“A compelling, inspirational, and original book about how to bring out the best in ourselves. Combining robust science, practical advice, and encouraging wisdom, Emotional Agility is a must-read.”

Pat Mitchell, Board Chair, Sundance Institute and Editorial Director, TEDWomen

“An accessible, reader-friendly voyage. Emotional Agility can be helpful to anyone.”

Daniel Goleman, New York Times Bestselling Author of "Emotional Intelligence"

“At a time when it’s more difficult than ever to silence the unending noise that surrounds us, along comes 'Emotional Agility,' a practical, science-backed guide to looking inward and living intentionally. By urging us to work with – not against – our own emotions, Susan David gives us the tools we need to be more adaptable and more resilient, so that we may not only succeed but truly thrive.”

Arianna Huffington, Founder of Thrive Global and New York Times Bestselling Author of "The Sleep Revolution"