In our fast-paced, ever-evolving corporate world, technical skills alone no longer suffice to lead a successful team. For truly optimised leadership, emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) will soon be considered the single key competence.
The trend towards this started over a decade ago, but, with perhaps a touch of irony, it has been accelerated by the advance of AI.
EQ in senior management is about understanding, empathising, and responding to our own emotions and those of our team members. It's about fostering an environment where feedback is valued, where challenges are faced with resilience, and where empathy is the cornerstone of decision-making.
When leaders demonstrate high EQ, the effects ripple through the organisation, creating more engaged, motivated, and productive teams. These leaders cultivate cultures of trust, cooperation, and psychological safety, encouraging everyone to bring their best selves to work.
And here’s the good news – unlike our core personalities, EQ can be measured and developed. There are 10 fundamental EQ skills, each of which can be assessed, understood and honed. Gone are the days of senior players getting away with the like of, “Oh that’s just not me,” or “People know what they get with me.” Both statements may be true, but to do nothing about it is no longer an option.
So, to all my fellow leaders: let's keep honing our emotional intelligence. Let's be the change agents who bridge the gap between numbers and narratives, between spreadsheets and stories. Let's lead not only with our minds, but also with our hearts.
I try to meet with, virtually or in person, lots of my business and coaching contacts, and I find this an effective way of keeping up to date with the latest relevant issues. It also helps to ‘ground’ me and encourage me to check in with my own work and approach. Along the way I have lots of discussions about leadership which inevitably entails wildly differing views and opinions.
Out of the proliferation of remote work during and after COVID, a new challenge for organisations has emerged: many important skills are not easily, or cannot be, nurtured through screens. In the traditional office environment, the subtle yet powerful process of learning osmotically plays a critical role. Leaders model behaviours, and employees, often subconsciously, absorb crucial skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and intuitive decision-making. Even resilience can be enhanced through witnessing other people’s coping mechanisms.
Reflecting on what I feel makes a leader truly great, I realise that leadership is generally misunderstood. It should not be about rank or authority;