How emotional intelligence fuels leadership

In last week’s blog, we explored how leadership norms are shifting, highlighting the increasing importance of emotional intelligence and adaptability for leaders in 2025.

The traditional qualities of leadership are being complemented (and often surpassed) by the ability to connect with others emotionally. As organisations prioritise coaching, growth, and employee wellbeing, emotional intelligence is no longer just a "nice-to-have" skill, it’s a core requirement for effective leadership. In this context, the role of empathy and self-awareness in leadership has never been more critical.

Harnessing emotional intelligence and empathy can significantly enhance leadership potential. It improves decision-making, fosters clearer communication, and helps navigate complex, high-pressure situations. But before you can develop empathy for others, you must first understand your own emotions and triggers.

Emotions are data

At its core, emotional intelligence is about recognising that emotions are data. While this might sound a bit detached, it's a fundamental insight for navigating today’s complex, fast-changing environments. Emotions like curiosity, happiness, and desire drive us toward certain actions, while fear, anxiety, or disgust help protect us from risks.

Emotions are valuable because they provide signposted information that can guide us through complex situations. These signals can help us make informed decisions, but only if we learn how to interpret them. If we’re unaware of what our emotions are telling us, we risk making poor decisions or being paralyzed by indecision.

In the context of leadership, empathy has emerged as a core pillar. However, developing empathy begins with a deep understanding of your own emotional responses. This process of developing emotional literacy involves identifying and acknowledging your emotions in order to better understand the emotional dynamics of those around you.

Emotional awareness as a leadership foundation

Self-awareness is foundational to emotional intelligence and essential for effective leadership. When you understand how your emotions influence your actions, you gain insight into how your behaviour shapes your leadership style. This deeper awareness of your emotional context makes it easier to recognise and respond to the emotions of others, fostering empathy and building stronger relationships within your team.

As we discussed in last week’s blog, leadership is about inspiring, empowering, and enabling others. To do this effectively, leaders must align their personal values with the values of their team. This requires a high degree of self-awareness and an openness to growth, qualities that emotional intelligence can significantly enhance.

Get familiar with your own triggers

Once you’ve built a foundation of emotional awareness, the next step is to identify your emotional triggers. Triggers are automatic emotional reactions to certain situations that occur when your brain’s emotional centre (the amygdala) becomes overwhelmed by stress. These emotional responses often happen without conscious thought, but understanding your triggers is essential to becoming an emotionally intelligent leader.

Triggers are valuable information, providing insights into what might be causing stress or discomfort for you. For example, if being late is a trigger, you might react strongly when you or someone else misses a deadline. If you don’t recognise your emotional response, you may inadvertently project your own discomfort onto others, avoiding necessary feedback or leaving unresolved issues in the workplace.

By understanding your triggers, you can respond more effectively and avoid unnecessary conflict, which allows you to navigate leadership challenges with greater clarity and empathy. Recognising that what triggers you might not be the same for everyone else is also a critical part of building emotional intelligence and empathy in leadership.

Can emotional intelligence be learned?

It’s important to remember that while emotions are automatic, you have the power to regulate your responses. This process, known as emotional regulation, allows you to manage your emotional reactions in a way that promotes better decision-making and clearer communication. According to James Gross, a Stanford professor who specialises in emotional regulation, there are four key stages to achieving this:

• Reinterpret the situation: Remove the threat or assume positive intent in others' actions.
• Normalise your feelings: Acknowledge that your emotional response is natural and doesn’t have to define your behaviour.
• Reorder your priorities: Adjust the value you place on the situation to gain perspective.
• Reposition yourself: View the situation from another person’s point of view.

Emotional regulation isn’t something that happens overnight. It begins with self-awareness, which is really the foundation on which emotional intelligence is built. The more you practice recognising and understanding your emotional responses, the more you strengthen the brain’s emotional centres, enabling you to respond to challenges with greater clarity and empathy.

Embracing your growth as a leader

Building self-awareness and emotional intelligence requires ongoing effort and reflection, but the rewards are immense. As we mentioned last week, leadership is not a fixed trait; it’s a dynamic skill that evolves with experience, context, and the demands of your environment. In 2025, the workplace is increasingly shaped by AI, hybrid work models, and rapidly changing expectations. Leaders who can adapt to these shifts and lead with emotional intelligence will be the ones who thrive.

By identifying your emotional triggers, regulating your responses, and developing empathy for others, you can unlock your full leadership potential. As emotional intelligence becomes a more central aspect of leadership, those who cultivate it will not only inspire greater trust and engagement but will also foster long-term growth and success for their teams.

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