The essential secret ingredient in today’s leadership – Emotional Intelligence
Why emotional intelligence matters in the age of AI
The headlines are telling us daily – it’s all about AI yet what does that mean for Emotional Intelligence?
Indeed, Emotional Intelligence is even more essential if we are to connect, motivate and engage our teams. Leaders are hearing about the broken psychological contract of work, the decrease in engagement and the need for soft skills that create connection.
“AI makes emotional intelligence more important than ever”
The broken psychological contract: A wake-up call for leaders
“A big reason for the erosion of the traditional psychological contract is that employers have become less focused on their people while continually ratcheting up workload and performance expectations.”
At The Oxford Group we hear leaders asking – how do I navigate and connect with my teams when I have less time, more work and constantly changing boundaries in an ever BANI workplace? (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible).
🔗 Forbes
It is with this context in mind that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has become the ‘secret ingredient’ that leaders can leverage both with individual leadership and creating teams that are Emotionally Intelligent.
Emotional intelligence: From Goleman to Today
Emotional Intelligence has been explored for over 50 years now since its popularisation by Daniel Goleman in 1996 Emotional Intelligence Why it Can Matter More Than IQ.
Fast forward to 2025 and EQ has moved onto new levels exploring EQ for leaders and the competencies for emotionally intelligent leaders thanks to the work of Dr Martin Newman and Judy Purse at Roche Martin.
Emotional capital: The competencies of emotional intelligent leaders
Martin and Purse have developed what they call Emotional Capital – indicating the competencies required for emotionally intelligent leaders. Through assessments (self-reported and 360) leaders can identify their strengths and areas for development as Emotionally Intelligent leaders.
This is the unique lens the ECR (Emotional Capital Report) adds, that of leadership competencies (Inner, Other and Outer)
What makes a team emotionally intelligent?
The question remains – how do we know if the team is itself emotional intelligent – and what is an emotionally intelligent team? Have you ever reflected – does my team deliver with emotional intelligence when externally the world is becoming more digital and data driven every day?
The three pillars of emotionally intelligent teams
Emotionally Intelligent Teams are a hot topic with the recent publication of Vanessa Urch Druskat’s book “The Emotionally Intelligent Team” as well as recent publications and discussions on Emotionally Intelligent Teams: –
Roche Martin have developed another great assessment (ECR Teams) aimed towards teams and identifying the level of emotional intelligence the team demonstrates.
Three key areas are explored in the ECR Teams report:
- Team Identity
- Psychological Safety
- Team Efficacy
With these three areas, teams are able to identify where the team feels they are when looking at themselves through the lens of emotional intelligence.
The rise in demand for developing EI
At The Oxford Group, we’ve seen a marked rise in demand for Emotional Intelligence as organisations seek to build more human-centred, resilient, and collaborative cultures. Our work in this space has deepened over the years, with Emotional Intelligence now forming a core thread in many of our bespoke leadership and team development programmes. We integrate the Emotional Capital Report (ECR) diagnostics – both individual and team-based – to help leaders and teams gain a clearer understanding of their emotional strengths and development areas. These insights allow us to tailor interventions that not only raise awareness but also embed emotionally intelligent behaviours into everyday practice. Emotional Intelligence is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s a strategic capability that enables teams to thrive in increasingly complex and digital environments.
Explore the Impact of Emotional Intelligence: