Emotional Intelligence Is Our Greatest Superpower
I want to tell you about someone I’ve known—someone who doesn’t just talk the talk but carries a presence that’s quietly magnetic. You walk into a room, and somehow, they make you feel seen. Calm under pressure, warm yet deeply competent, they build bridges effortlessly. They aren’t just smart—they’re emotionally intelligent.
You’ve met people like this too. They have that intangible essence, that secret sauce that doesn’t show up on a resume or in a spreadsheet. What sets them apart isn’t just their technical skills or IQ—it’s something far deeper. It’s emotional intelligence.
In a world where AI is steadily taking on more of the “thinking” tasks—the calculations, the data crunching—the real question becomes: What uniquely human gifts do we bring to the table? And how do we grow those gifts so our teams and organizations thrive?
For many of us, emotional intelligence wasn’t handed down naturally. I’ll admit: I wasn’t born with an instruction manual for this. Instead, I learned it by watching others—leaders who seemed to have a sixth sense for people.
I watched how they listened, how they adjusted their tone with different personalities, how they held space without judgment. They saw beyond words—they saw feelings, fears, and hopes.
That’s a profound truth about emotional intelligence: unlike IQ, which is fairly fixed, emotional intelligence is malleable. We can learn it, practice it, and deepen it over time.
Funny thing is, research tells us that while most people believe they’re self-aware, only a small fraction truly are. I’ve been there—thinking I “got it” until I realized how much blind spot I carried. The good news? That’s where growth happens—with deliberate practice, honest reflection, and courage.
Let me share a story about a woman who stepped into a leadership role at a company that, on the surface, looked strong. But underneath? The books were bleeding red ink. Hundreds of millions deep.
She faced tough calls—cutting perks, restructuring, letting people go. Unsurprisingly, it made her unpopular.
But she knew something most don’t: Culture isn’t just about perks or warm fuzzies. Culture is accountability. It’s sustainability. And that takes courage.
Her emotional intelligence allowed her to balance the hard, masculine energy of accountability with the soft, feminine energy of empathy—both for the people and the company’s future. That balance saved the company.
That’s what emotional intelligence in leadership looks like—not avoiding tough decisions, but making them from a place of deep understanding and care.
I’ve been lucky to work with companies that get this. Where emotional intelligence isn’t just a buzzword, but the air people breathe.
One organization redesigned its whole workday to ensure consultants could be home for dinner with their families by 5:30 pm—because they knew success isn’t just about hours logged, but lives lived well.
Others hire not just for skills but for alignment with core values. They celebrate when customers want to hang out with their teams after work. That’s emotional intelligence in action—cultivating belonging and authenticity.
Neuroscience backs this up—when people return to supportive environments after emotional intelligence training, they retain and apply those skills far better than those who don’t. The culture reinforces the growth.
The numbers don’t lie: when people are fully engaged, you get 120% return on their salary. When disengaged, you get barely 40%. That’s a swing that can make or break a business.
Turnover costs billions every year because people don’t feel seen, heard, or valued.
So if we want to capture the true impact of emotional intelligence, we don’t just measure KPIs. We look at engagement surveys, employee Net Promoter Scores, retention stats, and those little stories shared on Glassdoor.
Here’s something that hit me: managers’ empathy and communication alone account for up to 70% of employee engagement variance. That’s massive. And it means teaching emotional intelligence to leaders isn’t optional—it’s mission-critical.
Here’s a truth that’s both beautiful and brutal: environments lacking emotional intelligence often become spaces where people are afraid to make mistakes.
Fear kills innovation. Fear crushes creativity. Fear leaves people frozen.
But emotionally intelligent leaders create something else: psychological safety. They say, “Try it. Fail fast. Learn. Grow.” They hold people accountable, yes—but with grace.
I remember leading a team once where we made mistakes—not small ones, but big ones. Instead of blame, we created space to learn. The result? We innovated faster, took bolder leaps, and built trust that carried us through storms.
Google’s Project Aristotle found psychological safety as the #1 factor in team success—not talent or experience. It’s that critical.
Emotional intelligence unfolds in four parts:
Of these, self-awareness and relationship management are often the hardest. They require vulnerability and practice.
Organizations can nurture these through honest reflection, safe conversations, and accountability. We can teach people to follow principles like Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements—don’t assume, don’t take things personally, be impeccable with your word. These aren’t just ideals, but practical tools.
Let me be clear: AI is here to stay. It’s already handling many cognitive tasks, and it will only grow smarter.
But here’s the thing: AI can’t replace us. It doesn’t feel, it can’t hold space for nuance, and it doesn’t carry the stories and struggles that make emotional intelligence human.
That’s our edge.
We can—and should—build AI tools that amplify emotional intelligence, embedding heart into workflows. But the real magic happens when we lead with empathy, curiosity, and deep connection.
Think of emotional intelligence like a single spark in a dark room. It can ignite change across an entire organization.
But it takes leadership to fuel that spark—to set norms, celebrate emotional intelligence, and elevate those who lift others up.
When leaders “make heroes” out of the helpers, when they reward collaboration over individual wins, culture shifts.
The world is pouring billions into AI—more than $600 billion by 2028. But many organizations overlook the human skills needed to make that tech work.
Yet 83% of companies say emotionally intelligent workforces will be key to their success.
This moment is a crossroads.
Will we invest in emotional intelligence—our unique, irreplaceable human superpower? Will we build workplaces where people thrive, innovate, and find meaning?
I believe we will. Because at the end of the day, it’s human connection—the simple, powerful, real thing—that keeps us motivated, joyful, and purposeful.
No algorithm can replace that.
If you’re ready to lean into your humanity in a world of machines, let’s grow that emotional intelligence muscle together—one conversation, one moment, one connection at a time.