Emotional Intelligence at Work: Why it Matters more than Ever for Leaders

Leadership success is measured by more than technical expertise. Leaders who create impact are those who understand people and connect with them authentically. Emotional intelligence at work has become essential for driving employee engagement, building resilience, and shaping effective workplace cultures. Here are five reasons why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters now more than ever.

1. Emotional Intelligence Builds Trust

Trust is the very foundation of every high-performing team. Leaders who listen, show empathy, and respond thoughtfully, create environments where employees feel valued. High levels of emotional intelligence in leadership can strengthen trust, and trust directly enhances employee engagement and increases retention.

2. Emotional Intelligence Strengthens Leadership Skills

Showing authority alone does not inspire loyalty, commitment and motivation . Effective leadership relies on specific skills such as conflict resolution techniques, effective communication, and coaching employees. Developing emotional intelligence enhances these leadership skills, enabling leaders to influence and motivate teams with confidence and purpose.

3. Emotional Intelligence creates Resilient Leadership

Workplaces face constant change, dynamics and internal/eternal pressure. Leaders with strong emotional intelligence display resilient leadership by remaining calm, composed, and solution-focused rather than situation-focused. Their behaviour and actions set the tone for the team, encouraging stability and adaptability when facing challenges.

4. Emotional Intelligence shapes a Positive Workplace

Workplace Culture is shaped by daily interactions. Leaders who apply leadership skills through emotional intelligence foster psychologically safe environments. In these spaces, employees feel more comfortable in sharing ideas, learning from mistakes, and work collaboratively without fear of being misinterpreted or judged.

5. Emotional Intelligence Drives Engagement and Performance

Evidence shows that emotional intelligence is a key driver of success in the workplace [1]. Leaders who demonstrate emotional intelligence at work have a more positive disposition, focused, and can deal with different personalities. The outcome is stronger teamwork, higher productivity, and results that are evident and measurable.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence is now a core requirement for organisations that want to thrive. Emotional intelligence empowers leaders to have a “move forward” attitude, can adapt to personalities and situations, and guide their teams effectively for better performance. This creates a culture of trust, commitment and resilience. Organisations that prioritise emotional intelligence in leadership development gain a clear advantage in performance and employee wellbeing.

Discover how FrontAbility can help your leaders strengthen emotional intelligence and drive team success. To learn more, visit front-ability.com or get in touch with Organisational Psychologist Dr Josette Barbara-Cardona on [email protected].

[1]Kumar, P. A., Vaishnavi, M., R, S., D, N., V, S. and None, S. J. (2025) 'The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Employee Engagement and Productivity' Advances in Consumer Research 2(1), pp. 86-93.