Emotional Intelligence and Leadership: What’s the Connection?

Emotional intelligence, often referred to as EI or EQ, has become something of a buzzword. A term originally coined by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer in 1990 and popularized by Daniel Goleman’s bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, it’s now firmly established in the public consciousness. But emotional intelligence is more than pop psychology—in fact, it’s an essential workplace skill for today’s leaders to develop.

5 key attributes of emotional intelligence

Goleman defined his concept of emotional intelligence in a frequently-cited Harvard Business Review article, setting out what he considered to be the five key principles that allow individuals to recognize, connect with, and learn from their own and other people’s mental states:

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Motivation, defined as “a passion for work that goes beyond money and status”
• Empathy for others
• Social skills, such as proficiency in managing relationships and building networks

How do these relate to leadership? Motivation, self-awareness, and self-regulation—having a clear vision and goals and the discipline to achieve them—are all essential qualities of a good leader. Understanding our own emotions helps us to manage stress, adapt to different situations, and navigate today’s fast-changing business world.

In addition, the so-called “soft” skills, meaning the ability to empathize with others and nurture positive relationships, are vital for building team morale, encouraging collaboration, and managing disagreements and conflicts. Increased empathy is an important factor in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the workplace. Studies even suggest that high emotional intelligence is linked to professional success.

These skills are in high demand: a study by LinkedIn revealed that 92% of hiring managers see soft skills as equally important as, or even more important than, hard skills. As early as 2016, the World Economic Forum identified emotional intelligence as one of the top ten skills needed to thrive in the fourth industrial revolution.

Recognizing and understanding emotions in the workplace

Humans are not rational creatures. We’re driven by our emotions, much more than we care to admit. This has an impact on our communication and decision-making skills, whether inside or outside the workplace. It’s therefore crucial for managers and leaders to understand and regulate their own emotions and those of their team members.

While some still view displaying emotion as a sign of weakness, it is quite the opposite. By encouraging more open communication in the workplace, we can create more supportive and productive environments. In fact, managers who show higher empathy with their team members are viewed as better performers by their bosses.

Is there an “EQ test,” and can emotional intelligence be learned? 

Where business skills and competencies are concerned, the maxim “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” is frequently invoked. So how do you measure emotional intelligence? There are several different psychometric tests designed to gauge various facets of emotional intelligence. One popular assessment is the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT); others include the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ) developed by Malcolm Higgs and Victor Dulewicz, and Wong’s Emotional Intelligence Scale.  

However, emotional intelligence isn’t an intrinsic quality that some people have and others don’t: research shows that it can be taught and learned. The RULER approach, developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, is widely used in educational institutions, with staff and faculty who have been trained in its use showing leadership by modeling good practice to their students. Universities and professional bodies all over the world offer courses in emotional intelligence to managers, and while these can be of variable quality, some show impressive results: one large-scale study reported improved emotional intelligence skills persisting up to six months following training.

The workplace in a changing world: why we need emotionally intelligent leaders

The global COVID-19 pandemic affected mental well-being on an unprecedented scale. In addition to the economic uncertainty faced by businesses and individuals, human interaction was severely curtailed, resulting in widespread loneliness. This is problematic both for individuals and society as a whole since, as studies have shown, enforced social isolation affects our brains similarly to hunger—it leads to a craving for social contact in the same way a starving person craves food. Despite many employees being able to carry out their everyday tasks remotely, they found they missed the human interaction with colleagues that forms an important part of workplace culture.

During the lockdown, managers had to be inventive: how could they maintain engagement and boost staff morale while also dealing with their own concerns about health, family, and finances? This was a situation in which emotional intelligence made a marked difference: those who were able to identify and understand their own emotions were also better equipped to manage remote staff in a supportive and understanding way. 

The transition to our “new normal” has led to a changed workplace, with employees having to adjust to the fact that their roles look very different from the pre-pandemic era—or that these roles no longer exist. Research indicates that the psychological effects of the pandemic are still being felt today. Despite an initial increase in organizational support for employee health and well-being, many now feel their companies are less invested in them than in pre-pandemic times. 

Leading with head and heart

As the results of the above study show, we cannot be complacent. Today’s workforce faces an uncertain future not just due to the legacy of the global pandemic, but several other factors too. The rise of artificial intelligence and automation leading to fears of job loss, ongoing conflicts in many regions of the world, economic recessions, and concerns about the impact of climate change all take their toll on our emotional well-being. 

As a study by the London School of Economics predicted, “In the past, jobs were about muscles; now they’re about brains, but in the future, they’ll be about the heart.” To navigate our fast-changing world with resilience, flexibility, and empathy, and to get the best out of ourselves and our teams, we have to lead with both head and heart.