Emotional Intelligence for Leaders
Why emotional intelligence predicts leadership success—and how to develop it. Based on 450+ programs, 52,000+ leader reflections, and research with Monash Business School.
Technical experts get promoted. They’re great at the job. Then they struggle with people.
HR sees it clearly: feedback isn’t happening. Small issues escalate. Difficult conversations get avoided until they can’t be. “By the time it gets to me, it could have been handled so easily earlier.”
So organisations send them to a feedback workshop. A conflict course. A communication skills day.
It doesn’t stick. The same problems return.
We’ve run 450+ programs across 150 companies. We’ve collected 52,000+ reflections from leaders developing the skills that sit beneath all of this—self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy. We’ve seen exactly where it breaks down.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and manage emotions—your own and others’. Sometimes called EQ, emotional intelligence for leaders builds the skills that predict leadership success more reliably than IQ or technical expertise.
Daniel Goleman’s research identified four domains:
Most training treats these as separate modules. A self-awareness exercise here. A feedback framework there.
Why Emotional Intelligence Matters for Leadership
The research is unambiguous. Goleman’s work across nearly 200 global companies found that emotional intelligence proved twice as important as IQ and technical skills for jobs at all levels. At senior leadership positions, nearly 90% of the difference between star performers and average performers was attributable to emotional intelligence factors rather than cognitive abilities.
The business impact follows:
- Leaders with high EI are rated 2.5 times more effective by their teams
- Organisations with emotionally intelligent leadership report 25% higher engagement
- Divisions led by high-EI leaders outperform yearly earnings goals by 20%
- Teams with emotionally intelligent leaders see 20% lower turnover
But here’s what we see when leaders on our platform complete an emotional regulation self-assessment. Their reflections tell a consistent story: surprise.
I always believe that I am an empathetic person... I was a bit surprised by my result.
I thought my score would be a little higher.
6 out of 10 — my frustration gets in the way.
No, the results didn’t surprise me. But I feel they would surprise people who know me well.
— Leader on our platform
That last one is telling. Leaders often have different views of themselves than the people around them do.
The Self-Awareness Gap
Organisational psychologist Tasha Eurich’s research uncovered a striking disparity: while 95% of people believe they’re self-aware, only 10–15% actually meet the criteria.
We see this play out constantly. We ask leaders to identify their strengths and weaknesses, then verify with three colleagues. The gaps become visible:
Two contacts identified the same issue with one of my weaknesses. They didn’t refute it, but it was perhaps not worded accurately.
Everyone thinks I have a lot of patience. Even though I get angry, I don’t show it to people.
I have very different reactions in public than I do in private at home. I can regulate my emotions when at work relatively well, but not so well when I am surrounded by my family.
Traditional promotion pathways select for technical expertise and IQ while inadvertently screening out emotional intelligence—precisely when EI becomes most critical for organisational impact.
Read: Emotional Awareness — The Skill Most Leaders Think They Have →
Where the Skills Break Down
Self-Regulation
Self-awareness shows you what’s happening. Self-management is what you do about it.
When we ask leaders about their stress responses, the patterns are striking:
I need to be able to slow my mind down when under pressure so that I can make better decisions. I feel that this one weakness alone has hindered my progress for some time now.
A lot of the time I react before I process what’s happening — fight or flight mode — and I tend to go straight to fight mode.
My heart rate may raise, I become grumpy and frustrated. I also start to significantly doubt myself and my decisions.
I have a long fuse but then one little thing will send me over. I’m usually so pent up by this point that I snap.
— Leader on our platform
This is what we call moving from Green Brain to Red Brain.
When stress triggers the limbic system, the prefrontal cortex—responsible for reasoning, planning, and impulse control—goes partially offline. Leaders become reactive. Defensive. Unable to think clearly.
In Red Brain, feedback comes out wrong. Conversations escalate. The leader knows they’re not at their best. But in the moment, they can’t access their best.
Read: Achieve Emotional Self-Control →
Empathy
Empathy is the bridge between managing yourself and leading others. But most leaders misunderstand what empathy actually means.
We test leaders’ empathy through an interactive exercise, then ask them to reflect. The most common insight surprises them:
I realized that my approach was more direct than I thought and I used examples to show empathy when this might not be empathetic at all.
I learnt not to relate it back to me and focus on how they are feeling.
I noted that I offer up my anecdotes before acknowledging someone else’s emotions.
I probably jump too quick offering solutions without listening to get the full picture.
— Leader on our platform
This is the empathy trap.
Leaders think they’re being empathetic by sharing their own similar experiences. Actually, they’re hijacking the conversation.
They think they’re helping by offering solutions. But the other person just needs to be heard.
Feedback and Difficult Conversations
We collect thousands of reflections from leaders attempting to give feedback. The pattern is clear:
I was too forceful with the start of the conversation and it went downhill from there. I was only interested in a solution and not what had happened.
My colleague snapped and took it as a personal attack on her abilities.
It started well, the approach was good, and all of a sudden, my colleague felt like it was attacking him.
— Leader reflecting on a feedback conversation
That’s how quickly it derails—even when the leader knows the framework.
These leaders know the feedback frameworks. They’ve learned the models. But under pressure—when it actually matters—they can’t execute. Their emotional state hijacks their intentions.
Read: Emotional Intelligence Training — What Actually Works →
Can Emotional Intelligence Be Developed?
Yes—but not in the way most organisations attempt it.
Unlike IQ, which remains relatively stable throughout life, emotional intelligence can be developed and improved through training. This trainability represents one of EI’s most significant advantages: while organisations cannot change employees’ cognitive abilities, they can systematically enhance emotional competencies through well-designed interventions.
The most comprehensive evidence comes from Mattingly and Kraiger’s 2019 meta-analysis examining 58 studies. They found a moderate positive effect of training on emotional intelligence scores, with improvements persisting more than three months after training ended.
But here’s what the research also shows: standard approaches don’t work.
Hermann Ebbinghaus’s foundational work on memory shows that learners forget up to 50% of new information within an hour, and up to 70% within 24 hours. Without reinforcement, retention drops to 10–20% after a week.
What makes the difference is accountability.
What the Research Says Works
| Approach | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Sustained practice over months | Behaviour change requires repetition—not a one-off event |
| Cohort-based learning | Accountability, shared language, peer support |
| Real-world application | Practice on actual work, not hypothetical case studies |
| Assessment → feedback → practice | Builds actual capability, not just awareness |
| Multimodal training | Addresses multiple EI domains, creates synergistic effects |
What Doesn’t Work
- One-off workshops (forgotten within days)
- Self-paced modules without accountability (5–15% completion)
- Skills training without the foundation
- Theory without application
How Long Does It Take?
| Outcome | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Shifts in self-awareness | Weeks |
| Meaningful behaviour change in self-regulation and empathy | 2–3 months |
| Sustained improvement that others notice | 4–6 months |
| Leadership effectiveness improvements | 12–18 months |
This is why our programs run 6–9 months. That’s how long it takes for practice to become habit.
Our methodology was developed in partnership with Monash Business School and recognised by AACSB—the global accreditation body for business education—in their Innovations That Inspire program.
Future leaders must first be convinced of the relevance of change and its benefits to them. Then, they must learn the skills. But most importantly, they must practice and apply the behaviors repeatedly, over the course of a significant period of time, to embed and cement these behaviors into habit.
— AACSB Innovations That Inspire
That’s the AACSB’s language, not ours.
Read: How to Improve Emotional Intelligence →
What Emotional Intelligence Looks Like in Practice
Emotional intelligence isn’t abstract. It shows up in specific leadership challenges every day.
| Challenge | EI Foundation Required |
|---|---|
| Giving feedback | Self-regulation (staying calm when it gets uncomfortable), empathy (understanding how the message lands) |
| Difficult conversations | Self-awareness (knowing your triggers), self-management (choosing your response rather than reacting) |
| Building psychological safety | All four domains working together consistently over time |
| Managing conflict | Perspective-taking, emotional self-control, relationship management |
| Developing team members | Empathy, coaching mindset, genuine interest in their growth |
| Leading through change | Self-regulation under sustained pressure, social awareness of team needs |
The shift shows in the reflections we collect as leaders develop:
I have started to slow down talking so I am not rushing, and take a deep breath between sentences.
— Leader after completing the program
Open ended questions give someone a chance to speak. It helps to build a bigger picture so you really can walk in someone else’s shoes.
Focusing on one thing at a time helps. Taking a moment between different tasks and walking away from my desk — I find I get distracted easily so I’ve started using do not disturb more.
When the foundation is there, the skills land differently.
See how EI builds high-performing teams →
Explore psychological safety →
Signs Your Organisation Needs This
How do you know if emotional intelligence development should be a priority?
- Feedback isn’t happening—or happens badly. Managers avoid giving constructive feedback, or deliver it in ways that damage relationships rather than improve performance.
- Small issues escalate into major conflicts. What should be a simple conversation becomes a standoff. By the time HR gets involved, it could have been handled easily earlier.
- Difficult conversations get avoided. Performance issues linger. Tensions build. Everyone knows there’s a problem, but no one addresses it.
- High turnover, especially under certain managers. Some leaders consistently lose people. The pattern is clear, but the cause isn’t addressed.
- Engagement scores stuck or declining. Despite initiatives, the numbers don’t move—or move in the wrong direction.
- New managers struggling with the people side. Technical experts promoted into leadership roles find that what made them successful as individual contributors doesn’t translate.
- “Culture problems” that persist despite initiatives. You’ve tried team-building. You’ve run workshops. The same issues keep surfacing.
Read: Signs of Low Emotional Intelligence →
Developing EI in Your Leaders
Start With Assessment
Before development, establish a baseline. Validated tools like the EQ-i 2.0 or Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory provide objective measurement. 360-degree feedback reveals blind spots that self-assessment alone can’t capture.
Measurement also enables ROI tracking. If you can’t measure where leaders start, you can’t demonstrate the impact of development.
Read: Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace — The Business Case →
Build the Foundation First
The sequence matters. Our Emerging Leaders Program dedicates multiple journeys to the emotional intelligence foundation:
These come before feedback, conflict, and team building—because the foundation has to be there first.
Choose the Right Format
| Format | Best For | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| One-day workshop | Awareness building, introducing concepts | Doesn’t change behaviour (forgotten within days) |
| Self-paced online | Scalability, cost efficiency | Low completion rates (5–15%), no accountability |
| Cohort-based + mentoring | Sustained behaviour change, peer learning | Requires organisational commitment |
| Executive coaching | Senior leaders, individualised development | Expensive, not scalable |
The format that changes behaviour combines daily practice, cohort accountability, and ongoing mentoring over months—not days.
What Changes
We see the shift consistently. Leaders move from:
I need to slow my mind down when under pressure
To:
I have started to slow down talking so I am not rushing, and take a deep breath between sentences.
From:
I probably jump too quick offering solutions
To:
Open ended questions give someone a chance to speak. It helps to build a bigger picture so you really can walk in someone else’s shoes.
From:
I react before I process what’s happening
To:
Focusing on one thing at a time helps. Taking a moment between different tasks and walking away from my desk.
The results show in the organisations:
| Organisation | Key Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| MYOB | 50% of 2020 cohort promoted | 264+ participants over 5 years. 98% completion rate. |
| Supagas | Confidence to address challenges | Transformation in leadership styles described as “remarkable.” |
| Camp Quality | 30% of participants promoted | +5% organisation engagement score. |
Where to Go From Here
Understand the Research
Emotional Intelligence Training: What Actually Works →
How to Improve Emotional Intelligence: Evidence-Based Guide →
Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: The Business Case →
Signs of Low Emotional Intelligence: How to Spot the Patterns →
Explore Specific Skills
Emotional Awareness: The Skill Most Leaders Think They Have →
See Results
Case Studies — How organisations have developed emotionally intelligent leaders →
Talk to Us
Speak with Us — Discuss your organisation’s needs →
Program at a Glance
Methodology developed with Monash Business School. Recognised by AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire.
About the author
Ashley Leach is Founder of Leda. Leda’s leadership development methodology was co-developed with Professor Anne Lytle (Monash Business School, Kellogg PhD) and has been recognised by AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire. The platform has supported thousands of emerging leaders across Australia and New Zealand, with completion rates of 88–98% — compared to 3–15% for typical digital learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Emotional intelligence—sometimes called EQ—is the ability to recognise and manage emotions, both your own and others’. For leaders, it encompasses four domains: self-awareness (knowing what you feel and why), self-management (regulating your responses under pressure), social awareness (empathy and reading others), and relationship management (using these skills to lead effectively).
Research shows emotional intelligence explains 58% of job performance and is twice as important as IQ for leadership roles. Leaders with high EI are rated 2.5 times more effective by their teams, and organisations with emotionally intelligent leadership see 25% higher engagement and 20% lower turnover. The skills that made someone a great individual contributor—technical expertise, analytical ability—aren’t the same skills that make them effective at leading people.
Yes. Unlike IQ, emotional intelligence improves with practice. Meta-analyses confirm training effectiveness, with improvements persisting months after training ends. However, one-off workshops don’t work—behaviour change requires sustained practice over months, not days. Our programs run 6–9 months because that’s how long it takes for new behaviours to become habits.
EQ (Emotional Quotient) measures emotional intelligence, similar to how IQ measures cognitive intelligence. The terms are often used interchangeably. What matters isn’t the terminology but whether development actually changes behaviour—and whether that change is measured through observable outcomes, not just satisfaction scores.
Leaders typically notice shifts in self-awareness within weeks. Meaningful behaviour change in self-regulation and empathy emerges over 2–3 months. Sustained improvement that others notice requires 4–6 months of consistent practice. This is why effective EI development programs run for months rather than days.
Skills like giving feedback, managing conflict, and having difficult conversations require emotional regulation to execute under pressure. A leader who can’t manage their stress response will derail conversations regardless of which framework they’ve learned. Emotional intelligence is the foundation that makes other leadership skills usable when they’re actually needed.
We track behaviour change: leader reflections showing new patterns, feedback from managers on observable behaviour, and outcomes like promotions and engagement scores. Our 88–93% completion rate (versus 5–15% industry average) indicates genuine engagement with the development process. The case studies document specific organisational outcomes—promotions, engagement improvements, retention changes.