Why emotional intelligence is a must-have for leaders

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In today’s workplace, technical skills might get you in the door, but emotional intelligence is what keeps you there. Here’s why EQ is no longer optional for leaders. https://krnfy.bz/3J3zQvM

29 Comments

Elif Acar-Chiasson, P.E.

Building Ready-Now AEC leaders who build the world | Fix the Approval Bottleneck so decisions flow local | 15+ years building leadership teams for AEC teams at F500 and private companies

Agreed, and I'd argue AI proficiency makes EQ more critical, not less. In AEC, I'm watching firms install new tech platforms while approval bottlenecks still clog the work. The real constraint isn't whether your team knows the AI tool; it's whether they know who decides, when, and to what standard. The article nails it >>> you can't innovate your way out of disengagement. Furthermore. AI makes the human-skills gap more expensive, not less. When decisions move faster and teams are asked to do more with fewer people, the cost of a leader with low EQ compounds quickly: rework, cycle-time drag, and your best people walking out. The firms that win aren't choosing between tech and people skills. They're engineering both into the work; decision architecture plus emotional regulation so AI adoption actually scales. That's not soft. That's the system.

1 Reaction

David Noon

Senior HR Leader | HR Generalist | Specialist Interest in Organisational Development & Culture | Passionate About Change Management, Leadership Development & Evidence-Based Decision Making

EQ and the soft skills have definitely made me a more self aware and confident leader, they are so underrated.

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Pradeep Ganguly, Ph.D.

Dean of Graduate Studies - CSU, Site Selection Consultant, Economic Development Hall of Fame, The Marquis Who’s Who, and a lot more.

Thank you, Korn Ferry. Emotional intelligence and empathy are two important requirements in leadership today.

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Kogila Cintolo PHD (c)

Snr T24 Core Banking Product Manager @ Varo Bank

My research on remote multicultural teams reflects and agrees with this truth: empathy, self-awareness, and trust sustain performance across distance and difference. EQ always wins over AI, because while AI can process data, EQ connects people. It’s what keeps leadership human.”