SAN DIEGO, CA — TalentSmartEQ, the world’s leading provider of emotional intelligence solutions, today announced the launch of Leading Through Friction™, a new leadership development program designed to help leaders recognize, navigate, and leverage friction: the tension, pressure, and conflict that define the most challenging moments of modern work.
“TalentSmartEQ has spent two decades helping organizations build emotional intelligence, and Leading Through Friction is a natural evolution of that work. It takes everything we know about EQ and applies it to the moments leaders struggle with most,” said Howard Farfel, CEO of TalentSmartEQ. “Friction is something every leader understands because they live it every day, with the pressure, constant change and uncertainty that challenges today’s leaders. This program gives them a framework to stop managing around it and start using it. Because at the end of the day, navigating friction isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the work.”
Leading Through Friction is grounded in original research and the insights, framework, and findings from Friction, a new book by Maggie Sass, PhD and Ross Blankenship, PhD, due for release in August 2026. Drawing on research conducted across the U.S. workforce and years of real-world leadership experience, the book explores how the emotional tension of modern work, including pressure, conflict, and uncertainty, shapes performance, decision-making, and relationships, and introduces a research-backed framework for turning friction into a leadership advantage. Leading Through Friction translates that research directly into an applied leadership development experience.
Friction Is Where Leadership Happens
Leading Through Friction is built on a fundamental reframe: friction is not an obstacle to effective leadership. It is where effective leadership is tested, developed, and demonstrated. When managed well, friction becomes a driver of clarity, stronger relationships, smarter decisions, and better organizational performance.
The program introduces a practical framework built around three types of friction that show up in every organization:
- Internal friction: stress, self-doubt, and reactivity that limit a leader’s ability to think clearly and act with intention under pressure
- Interpersonal friction: conflict, misalignment, and breakdowns in trust that slow execution and erode team effectiveness
- Systemic friction: competing priorities, unclear processes, and organizational pressure that create persistent drag on performance
“We spent years studying where leadership actually breaks down,” said Maggie Sass, PhD, co-author and program architect. “It’s almost never a skills deficit in ideal conditions. It’s what happens when the pressure is high, the stakes are real, and the situation is emotionally charged. Leading Through Friction gives leaders the framework and practical strategies to handle those moments and turn them into something more productive.”
An Experiential Program Built for Real-World Application
Leading Through Friction is a half-day facilitator-led experience, available virtually or in-person, and also through TalentSmartEQ’s trainer certification program.
Unlike traditional leadership programs that rely on passive instruction, Leading Through Friction is highly experiential. Participants work through high-pressure, time-bound scenarios, practicing how to slow down reactions, think clearly, and respond with intention in the moments that matter most.
The program includes:
- High-pressure friction simulations based on real leadership challenges
- The Friction Model: a practical framework for diagnosing internal, interpersonal, and systemic friction
- Real-time application of emotional intelligence skills in key leadership moments
- Guided reflection exercises, structured debriefs, and peer discussion
- Video-based learning to illustrate leadership in action
- Practical tools, frameworks, and job aids for ongoing application
Participants leave with a shared language and a practical approach they can apply immediately with their teams.
Leading Through Friction is available now. Organizations can learn more and schedule a program consultation at talentsmarteq.com.
About TalentSmartEQ
TalentSmartEQ® is the world’s premier provider of emotional intelligence solutions. TalentSmartEQ’s training programs, EQ assessments, and coaching services make an impact at every level of an organization, from leaders and teams to individual contributors, transforming cultures to drive individual performance and organizational success. They have worked with more than 75% of the Fortune 500 across a range of industries from healthcare and technology to manufacturing, financial services, and education. Their #1 best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, has sold more than 3 million copies and is widely recognized as the standard resource for developing emotional intelligence at work.