Making EQ Visible = Making Impact
What does emotional intelligence look like in action? Sometimes, it’s as simple as a pause. A breath. A moment when you choose to listen instead of looking away. To connect instead of control.
These moments might seem small but they are significant. When people see EQ in action, it creates a powerful ripple effect. It invites others into a different kind of interaction, and when repeated, these ripples become waves of change.
by Patty Freedman
The Science Behind the Ripple
Emotional contagion research shows that emotions are biologically contagious. We unconsciously mimic the facial expressions, body language, and tone of the people around us and this subtle mimicry causes our emotional states to sync.
So when you show up with calm, kindness, or curiosity, it actually helps others feel that way too. Your presence becomes a kind of signal that influences the whole emotional climate.
This doesn’t stop with your immediate circle.
Researchers Christakis and Fowler found that cooperative behavior and positive emotions can spread through social networks up to three degrees of separation. That means when you act with emotional intelligence, you may be influencing not only your friends and coworkers — but also their friends, and their friends’ friends.
In other words, your emotional intelligence practice doesn’t end with you.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Every six seconds, you have a choice — and each choice shapes the world around you.”
What Makes a Changemaker?
When we look at people who are really making an impact, those who consistently spark positive change, a few things stand out. Research shows these changemakers often share core emotional and social strengths that are at the heart of emotional intelligence.
Changemakers are self-aware. They know what they stand for and stay grounded in their values. They manage their emotions and keep going even when things get hard. They lead with empathy, not just listening but truly connecting. And they stay motivated by a deep sense of purpose
These aren’t flashy traits. They’re quiet, steady ones. The best changemakers usually aren’t the loudest people in the room. They’re the ones walking their talk, showing up with intention again and again in ways that ripple outward.
Research supports this inside-out approach. In a global study on changemakers, Ashoka and McKinsey & Company (2015) found that leading social entrepreneurs shared a strong sense of self-awareness and personal mission. The report suggests that emotional intelligence, especially empathy, self-management and purpose-driven motivation are critical success factors in making impact.
Making EQ Visible: Skye King’s Practice in Public Spaces
One great example of making emotional intelligence visible comes from Network Leader Skye King. She recently led an EQ experience at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum called Create Your Koi Story. It was a creative, reflective experience inspired by the “Color Your Heart” activity from the Six Seconds Pop-Up Festival. Participants explored their emotions by coloring a koi fish to reflect on emotional awareness and resilience.
People were invited to map their emotional experiences using colorful markers to share feelings they’d recalled from the past week. As Skye shared:
“Adults realized they couldn’t remember the last time they paused to notice how they were feeling.”
“People described the experience as meditative, a rare moment of self-connection in a fast-paced world.”
“And children? They named feelings like anxiety, joy, and sadness with total clarity. It reminded us how naturally attuned kids can be when we give them the space to express themselves.”
Skye’s EQ practice is a reminder that when we offer these tools in visible, accessible ways, we’re not just helping individuals. We’re shifting the wellbeing of the systems around us. Skye shows us a powerful kind of practice: giving EQ away in ways that invite others to feel, reflect, and connect multiplies outward.
It’s one thing to talk about emotional intelligence. It’s another to share it freely in community.”
How Change Happens: Six Seconds’ Theory of Change
At Six Seconds, we believe emotional intelligence is a practical and powerful way to create real change. Our Theory of Change starts with one person choosing to engage — to pause, to feel, to respond with intention.
As we build those inner skills, something shifts. We show up differently in our relationships. That changes how we work, lead, parent, partner, and connect. Over time, those ripples grow and begin to shape teams, schools, communities, and eventually entire systems.
This inside-out model is how we think about impact. It’s also how we measure progress: one person practicing EQ, then another, then another, until that practice becomes culture.
We do this through training, tools, research, and partnerships, all toward one goal: 1 billion people practicing EQ to build a more connected, compassionate, and resilient world.
Reflecting on Your Own Impact
So where do you fit into this theory of change? Whether or not you see yourself as a changemaker, your actions matter. Let’s pause and reflect:
- What kind of emotional energy do you tend to bring into your relationships—at home, at work, in your community? How might that be shaping your world?
- How much do you absorb the emotions of others, and do you notice when it’s happening?
- Are the people in your circles helping you grow into the person you want to be?
- Is there something you want to shift—in yourself, in your relationships, or in how you show up?
Download this EQ Impact Checklist to help motivate your daily practice
This EQ Day, Make Your Impact Visible
On June 6, World EQ Day invites you to take a simple step that supports your EQ practice and is grounded in purpose. Will you practice emotional intelligence in a way that others can see, feel, and be inspired by?
It could be sharing a story. Naming a feeling. Helping someone else pause before reacting. Whatever it looks like for you, make it visible. That last part is the big ask. Will you share your practice?
Sharing is a bold way to call attention to our collective action, bringing more EQ to life. Remember that every six seconds, you have a choice that shapes the world around you.
📎 Get all the details and resources for World EQ Day here.
For more articles, I recommend:
- Stressed Out? 4 EQ Strategies for the End of the World (or Just a Bad Week) - June 23, 2025
- Making EQ Visible = Making Impact - May 26, 2025
- How to Make Stress Work for You - April 27, 2025