Susan David, Ph.D., one of the world's leading management thinkers, operates at the nexus of business and psychology. She is the creator of the concept of Emotional Agility, and uses this lens in her consulting, coaching, and keynotes, and in the development of psychometric tools to analyze, assess, and develop these skills. 

Her focus is on how Emotional Agility contributes to effective people strategies, particularly in the areas of employee engagement, wellbeing, interpersonal relationships, high-performance leadership, and organizational culture change. Her TED Talk on Emotional Agility has more than 11 million views. Susan is also a co-founder and co-director of the Harvard-affiliated Institute of Coaching.

Susan is a sought-after keynote speaker, coach, and consultant to C-suite executives. Her unique combination of pragmatic business experience and extensive scientific knowledge allows her to help leaders meet the most pressing business challenges without losing sight of their people. 

She routinely consults internationally at the most senior levels of large organizations and has extensive experience in industries as diverse as financial services, information technology, healthcare, utilities, pharmaceuticals, and mining. Her client list includes Ernst and Young Global, the World Economic Forum, BHP Billiton, Telstra, the United National Development Program, JP Morgan, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nestlé, among many other multinational firms. 

Susan is author of the definitive Oxford Handbook of Happiness (Oxford University Press), Beyond Goals (Gower). She also authored the top-rated Harvard Business Review article “Emotional Agility” which was named as a Management Idea of the Year and was the impetus for her #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, “Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life.” Her work is frequently featured in the national media including Harvard Business Review, TIME, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and Inc.com.

Susan David

Here's a secret: self-compassion does not make you weak or lazy. 

There's a misconception that you need to be tough on yourself to maintain focus as you move toward your goals. On the contrary, research shows that self-compassionate people aim just as high as self-critical people do. The difference is that self-compassionate people don't fall apart when, as sometimes happens, they don't meet their desired result.

Instead of expecting your disparaging inner critic to be waiting in the wings if you fail, turn instead to offer yourself words of kindness and support while you work your way toward your goal.

Susan David, Ph.D.

Psychologist. Harvard Medical School. TED Speaker. Author of the #1 WSJ bestseller Emotional Agility. Co-Founder of Institute of Coaching.

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It's hard to maintain a sense of calm when you're juggling a deadline at work, a weekly calendar full of meetings, and ongoing family responsibilities. 

If your emotions are threatening to send you over the edge, try to identify exactly what you're feeling.

Stress is different from anxiety and anger is different from frustration.

Correctly labeling your emotion is the first step to achieving greater balance.

Just show up. You don't have to always get it right or be a perfect person. 

You DO have to be willing to show up to your uncomfortable feeling and say,"You're here. I'm here. Let's talk."

When we show up to our difficult feelings, we prime ourselves to anticipate pitfalls and prepare more effective coping methods for critical moments.

Let's try the emotional agility stress-buster.

Scenario: You often get stressed out when faced with a long to-do list.

1. Give yourself the space to simply feel that way. Say it, whether out loud, or in your head: "Okay, this is my go-to reaction when I have a heavy workload. I am feeling stressed." 

2. "I still have the power to decide how to act in this moment. I will choose not to snap at my coworker, because I value kindness." 

3. This stress is telling me to divide my work and approach it one step at a time instead of getting overwhelmed by everything at once. 

4. "I am feeling stressed, but I am not defined by my stress." 

How'd it go?

Display rules are the lessons we teach our kids about what is and is not an appropriate emotional response to any given situation. 

A display rule might manifest itself through a directive like “Buck up! Boys don’t cry,” which signals to a child that uncomfortable emotions are signs of weakness and to be avoided. This kind of response deprives a child of the critically important opportunity to sit with their feelings. 

It’s critical—because over time, the way we talk about emotions becomes the way they talk to themselves. These early lessons shape their coping strategies, wellbeing, and adaptability for life.

As a director of PRAN-RFL Group, I have over 21 years of experience in training, coaching, and mentoring executives, managers, and employees in deploying Lean Six Sigma, Agile Project Management, Leadership and soft skills. I'm a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Master Agile Manager, Master Applied Project Manager and Lean Practitioner from Villanova School of Business and a Negotiation and Conflict Management specialist from the Notre Dame University.

I work closely with the HR department. I have designed and delivered over 300 training and development modules for the organisation. My training topics cover various aspects of management, leadership, sales, customer service, and operational excellence. 

I organise transformative Training for Trainers (TOT) during the summer, focusing on a different theme each year that aligns with our vision and goals. I aim to help individuals and teams achieve their full potential and contribute to the business success. My motto is "Please help me help you".

My training programs focus on skills and knowledge enhancement,  prepare managers and leaders to expand and understand their responsibilities, and develop a broader perspective to lead at all levels efficiently and effectively. 

This is done not only at the executive level but at all levels of the organisation. Eventually, this helps individuals and our organisation remain goal-oriented, highly focused, and motivated to achieve their individual, functional, and strategic organizational goals.

The theme for my summer training sessions are: 
2015 - Operational Excellence
2016 - Good to Great
2017 - Pathway to Excellence
2018 - Learners to Leaders
2019 - Pursuit of Excellence
2020 - Tomorrow Begins Today
2021 - Our Way Forward
2022 - Journey of Transformation 
2023 - Fuel for Victory
2024 - Empower Your Future
2025 - Unleash the Power Within

Additionally, I am a passionate and award-winning poet and writer. I have over 100 poems published in different countries. Two volumes of my book, Dare to Dream, were released in 2021, and the second in September 2023, Dare to Lead.

I'm committed to empowering our teams to excel and align their goals with the broader strategic objectives of PRAN-RFL Group. My dedication to personal and professional development within the organization is unwavering, as I believe in enabling others to reach their fullest potential.

I invite you to read my books, Dare to Dream and Dare to Lead. I wish you good luck, and I pray that you think positive thoughts, spread positive energy, and join me in the Journey of Transformation.

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