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The Dad Edge Podcast

Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Missing Skill in Modern Fatherhood featuring Mick Hunt

The Dad Edge Podcast

Larry Hagner

Health & Fitness, Education, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does real leadership actually look like at home—not just at work? In this episode, I sit down with Mick Hunt, leadership and culture coach, to break down what emotional intelligence, boundaries, and masculine presence really mean for husbands and fathers.

 

Mick shares powerful insights on why being the "nice guy" often kills polarity and attraction in marriage, how emotional intelligence is a strength (not a soft skill), and why men need intentional transition rituals to show up fully present for their families. We talk about journaling as a daily leadership practice, setting boundaries without control, and how a father's emotional presence shapes the safety and confidence of his kids. This conversation is practical, grounded, and deeply relevant for men who want to lead with backbone and heart.

 

 

Timeline Summary

[0:00] Introducing Mick Hunt and why leadership matters most at home

[2:06] Morgan Freeman narrating Mick's videos and the unexpected connection

[2:27] Why emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill

[3:01] How the "nice guy" approach kills polarity and attraction

[3:29] Daily practices Mick uses to stay emotionally present with his kids

[4:09] The importance of transition rituals between work and home

[6:04] Mick's marriage story and reconnecting after decades of friendship

[9:07] Emotional intelligence as awareness, regulation, and response

[11:01] Why empathy doesn't mean losing authority as a husband or father

[14:05] Self-awareness as the foundation of emotional leadership

[15:18] Growing up with an emotionally unavailable father

[17:13] Mick's simple daily journaling practice

[19:17] Why writing trains the brain to separate fact from emotion

[21:07] Boundaries as love—not control—in marriage and family

[23:54] Defining boundaries through core values

[24:16] Protecting "me time" to show up better for others

[27:33] Why skipping transition time hurts marriages and families

[28:38] A real story of ignoring boundaries and paying the emotional cost

[31:27] Masculine presence and modeling healthy marriage for kids

[33:11] Being the emotional anchor of the household

[35:30] Teaching daughters confidence and sons how to care

[38:44] Where to find Mick and his leadership resources

 

 

Five Key Takeaways:

  1. Emotional intelligence is a leadership advantage, not a weakness, for men at home and at work. 
  2. Being agreeable isn't the same as being emotionally present, and "nice guy" energy often kills attraction. 
  3. Transition rituals protect your family from your stress, allowing you to show up grounded and present. 
  4. Boundaries rooted in core values create safety, not distance, in marriage and parenting. 
  5. A father's emotional presence shapes confidence, safety, and leadership in his children. 

 

 

Links & Resources

 

 

Closing Remark

If this episode challenged how you think about leadership, boundaries, or emotional presence at home, please rate, review, follow, and share the podcast. The most important leadership role you'll ever have is the one your family experiences every day.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the Dad Edge podcast. The Dad Edge movement creates leaders of men, leaders of families, and leaders of communities. We will not only impact this generation of fathers, but the next generation as well. The kids we are raising will have better chances and odds stacked in their favor because of the amazing example

0:21.2

that their fathers emulated for them. We are here to change the world. We are here to change

0:27.6

relationships. We are here to positively disrupt this generation of fathers so no man goes to their

0:33.6

grave with regret. We disrupt the drift of busyness and replace it with razor-focused intention,

0:40.3

passion, purpose, and direction.

0:43.7

We are the Dad Edge,

0:45.7

and we're here to change the game.

0:47.8

We're here to change the game.

1:04.4

I don't know. Hey, what's going on, gentlemen, welcome to the Dad Edge podcast.

1:05.5

My name is Larry Hagner.

1:07.7

I am the husband of one amazing woman.

1:10.7

I am the father of four awesome boys. I'm also the founder of the

1:12.3

Dad Edge Alliance. That's our mastermind for our career men. Doesn't matter if you're white

1:16.0

collar or blue collar. Also the founder of the Dad Edge Business Border and Brotherhood. That's our

1:20.1

mastermind for our entrepreneurs out there who are building empires but refuse to leave their

1:24.9

marriages or their families in the dust. They want to lead their kids, leave their families. That's what it's all about. So all right. So today, my guest is

1:32.9

Mick Hunt. And let me just say this out loud because it just sounds kind of ridiculous, but I mean

1:38.6

this in a really, really good way. The same Morgan Freeman who starred and narrated in Shawshank, along with a plethora of other movies,

1:47.2

one of my most favorite actors, is literally the same guy who narrates Mick's YouTube videos.

1:54.7

Yes, that Morgan Freeman, like I was just so starstruck by this.

1:57.9

And I was like, when I first started talking to Mick, I was like, dude, does the real Morgan Freeman do your videos? And he does. It's so cool. It's so cool.

2:06.5

But, you know, this conversation is not just a fun flex or anything like that.

...

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