OM DENNE EPISODE
What does sustainable high performance actually look like? In this episode of Middle Manager Mastery, I sit down with Rich Hua, former Chief EQ Evangelist and Worldwide Head of the EPIC Leadership Program at Amazon, for a conversation about emotional intelligence, purpose, performance, recovery, and personal growth.
Rich shares his journey from believing emotions were a weakness to helping build a large EQ community at Amazon - and the lessons he learned along the way.
About Rich:
Rich Hua is a global expert in emotional intelligence, leadership, and innovation. As Amazon’s former Chief EQ Evangelist and Worldwide Head of EPIC Leadership, he built a 70,000+ member EQ community and developed the EPIC framework - Empathy, Purpose, Inspiration, and Connection.
A sought-after keynote speaker, Rich helps leaders build emotionally intelligent, resilient, innovative, and high-performing cultures in an AI-powered world.
Timestamps:
00:17 - From “Genius Robot” to discovering EQ
02:46 - Why IQ alone isn’t enough
05:03 - How one EQ talk sparked a movement at Amazon
09:53 - Finding your Ikigai
12:13 - Job crafting and creating more meaningful work
14:14 - Making a living vs. making a life
16:18 - Control what you can control
18:32 - Why recovery matters as much as productivity
22:04 - Knowing when to push and when to pause
24:28 - The power of “loving critics”
26:36 - The secret to long-term success: give yourself a break
28:46 - When a strength becomes a weakness
33:49 - Rich’s four-word life mantra: Learn. Love. Live. Give.
