Emotions are vague, hard-to-handle fluff that have no place in a result-driven workplace.
Wrong! Emotions significantly impact employees and their performance, making emotional intelligent leadership an essential part of a modern leader’s toolkit.
Why is recognizing emotions important – even in the workplace?
We humans are emotional beings, even at work. There’s no switch in our bodies to turn off emotions.
Every employee experiences a range of emotions at work, and these shared and expressed emotions shape the unique emotional climate of every workplace.
Modern research clearly shows that emotions influence employees’ work capacity and performance in many ways: energy levels, decision-making, interactions, commitment, recovery, and motivation.
Today, many employees feel a constant sense of insufficiency, frustration, and lack of meaning at work. Too many rush to work feeling anxious, bouncing from one meeting to another, overwhelmed by the growing pile of unfinished tasks.
Fatigue and anxiety increase, and emotional life narrows.
When someone constantly ignores or suppresses their emotions, they become more detached from themselves. Eventually, they risk becoming a robot – simply going through the motions day after day.
At an organizational level, this results in:
- Weakened commitment
- Decreased genuine motivation
- Increased dissatisfaction
- Declining productivity
Ignoring or suppressing emotions also leads to unresolved feelings surfacing in distorted and often more harmful forms – cynicism, indifference, apathy. Workplace problems often stem from these repressed emotions that poison the work atmosphere.
This is why recognizing and managing emotions in the workplace is crucial.
What is Emotional Intelligent Leadership?
To address – or even prevent – these issues, emotional skills are urgently needed.
Emotional intelligent leadership means recognizing, understanding, and managing employees’ emotions, while also raising emotional awareness through leadership.
When emotional awareness grows, a vast amount of energy, potential, and well-being is unlocked within the workplace.
When emotions are properly managed, team productivity and problem-solving skills improve.
And when negative emotions are handled correctly, and positive emotions are consciously encouraged, employees feel more resilient and perform at their best.
Research also shows that leadership behavior impacts 50–70% of a workplace’s emotional climate.
Leaders are under a magnifying glass – their actions, expressions, and gestures shape the emotional atmosphere through their example.
Here are our tips for effective emotional intelligent leadership:
Look beyond behavior: Listen and understand
Many employee issues resolve simply through being genuinely heard and understood.
But how long should a leader tolerate negative behavior? Should they endlessly try to understand, encourage, and support?
We certainly don’t advocate endless tolerance. However, this is key:
One of the most crucial emotional leadership skills is to look beyond behavior. Start by deeply listening and trying to understand what’s really going on – do this several times if needed.
When someone behaves negatively, they’re often experiencing emotional distress. Behind that behavior are unmet psychological needs.
Here’s how to approach it:
- Tune into the emotional level.
- Try to understand what emotions are driving their behavior.
- Reflect on the unmet needs behind those emotions.
By approaching the situation calmly and empathetically, you’ll gain clarity, improve your problem-solving abilities, and find better solutions.
Remember:
- Giving negative emotions kind attention helps them subside, leading to more productive discussions.
- You can’t just cover bad feelings with good ones – you need to process the negative emotions first.
- Only then can you start lifting the mood.
Be empathetic yet assertive
Don’t rush into offering solutions right away. Focus on listening and understanding the issue from the employee’s perspective.
Try verbalizing their feelings and desires. If that doesn’t resolve the situation, it’s time to use firmer approaches.
Empathy and assertiveness aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, the best leaders combine both – they set high expectations but also genuinely care for their employees.
Between empathy and assertiveness lies a dangerous pitfall: indifference. Failing to address issues can come across as not caring – it signals that the matter isn’t important enough to tackle.
Allowing problematic situations to persist too long is both negligent and irresponsible. A good leader knows how to both care and hold others accountable.
Reflect on which is more natural for you in tough situations – empathy or assertiveness?
Neither extreme is ideal. The goal is a healthy balance.
For a leader with a strong emphasis on empathy: How to strengthen assertiveness?
- Prepare in advance for difficult situations.
- Set clear goals for discussions – know what needs to be agreed upon.
- Think ahead about how to raise difficult topics in a way that feels natural.
- Set boundaries: It’s normal to feel caught off guard. In such cases, ask for time to collect your thoughts.
For a leader with a strong emphasis on assertiveness: How to cultivate more empathy?
- Be honest with yourself: Do you truly care about this person? Are you interested in their experience?
- Busy schedules can kill empathy. If you’re overwhelmed, it’s okay to admit that now isn’t the right time for an emotionally demanding conversation.
Express your own emotions
When leaders appropriately express and articulate their feelings, they create space for others to do the same.
For example, expressing gratitude becomes more meaningful when paired with emotions. Instead of a simple “thanks,” describe the effort you noticed, the positive impact it had, and then offer a sincere thank you.
If you’re struggling with a difficult situation, consider Selective self-disclosure. Share your feelings and thoughts – be open about your frustrations, hopes, or even fears.
This vulnerability fosters connection, making you more approachable as a leader.
Selective self-disclosure takes courage and sensitivity. Speak your emotional truth. For instance, admit feeling frustrated because you want to help but aren’t sure how.
Master emotional intelligent leadership
Emotionally intelligent leadership is a rapidly growing trend. A workplace’s emotional climate has been proven to directly influence job satisfaction, decision-making, collaboration, and negotiation skills.
Positive emotions are even linked to better evaluations of employees’ growth potential and higher income levels.
There are research-backed methods to support emotional leadership, helping any organization thrive.
Read more about our Emergy® LEADER training program.
