The Connection Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance

𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝? When we talk about emotional intelligence, it’s easy to get lost in the feel-good fluff around self-awareness and empathy. But does all this talk about emotional intelligence really make a difference in the workplace, or is it just another tool to weed out the “wrong” candidates? In my experience hiring people, I’ve seen plenty who tick every box on technical skills but struggle with the “soft stuff.” Emotional intelligence seems to be the X-factor that makes or breaks a team member’s success. Studies back this up. Research from TalentSmart shows that 90% of top performers in companies have high emotional intelligence. In fact, people with high emotional intelligence are known to make an average of $29,000 more per year than their lower-EQ counterparts. So, while some might argue that emotional intelligence is just another HR fad, the numbers suggest that it’s crucial to long-term success. Imagine an employee who’s technically brilliant but lacks self-awareness—they’re likely to clash with colleagues, miss out on feedback, and struggle with client interactions. On the other hand, someone with high emotional intelligence not only thrives personally but boosts the performance of those around them. In my company, this is why I’ve started paying close attention to EQ during hiring. It’s not just about what candidates know; it’s about how they handle pressure, how they motivate others, and whether they can adapt to an environment that’s often stressful and constantly evolving. So, is emotional intelligence a game-changer? In my experience, absolutely—it's the difference between someone who just shows up and someone who actually makes an impact.

I had the chance to co-facilitate 20+ emotional intelligence workshops in the last year alongside Kevin Thomas, ACC and Sue DeLazaro. We delivered the workshop to hundreds of L&D professionals, and they asked the same question time and again: → "My audience is ___, so they tend to dismiss emotional intelligence as a 'soft skill.' How can I show them it matters?" You can pretty much fill that blank in with just about any audience. Engineers, doctors, air force pilots, law enforcement officers, execs in any industry, etc. So, to try to explore this question in a bit more detail, Kevin Kruse and I ran the data on 1499 people to see if their EQ scores had any bearing on: 1. Job performance 2. Salary THE FINDINGS A 20% improvement in your EQ score moves you more than halfway toward the next performance tier, and one-third of the way into the next pay tier. THE GRAPHS Graph # 1: Better EQ, Better Job performance. For every point by which someone's EQ score increased, their self-rated job performance ticked up. A 10% increase in EQ roughly translates to a 0.2–0.3 jump on the five-point performance scale. Often, this would be enough to move an employee from “average” to “above average,” or from “above average” to “well above average.” Graph # 2: Higher EQ, Higher Salary A 10% boost in EQ predicted about a quarter-step increase into the next salary bracket. Considering that each salary band represents at least a $50,000 jump in salary, even small improvements carry major financial weight. A 20% increase in EQ—which in our dataset equates to around eight additional EQ points—corresponded to roughly $15,000–$20,000 more in annual earnings. Over a 30-year career, that translates to nearly half a million dollars in additional lifetime income. ___ P.S. Another interesting finding: Of the four core EQ skills, relationship management had the strongest correlation to both job performance and salary. ___

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Whenever I see a position description for a Quality Professional, it lists the usual suspects: organised, attentive, strong problem-solving and analytical skills with an eye for detail, excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong knowledge of standards and regulations, etc. It all makes sense. These are important capabilities. But there's a skill conspicuously absent from these lists. One that's actually crucial to success in quality leadership. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. And it matters more than people realise. Quality professionals rarely have direct authority over the people whose behaviour they need to influence. You're asking operators, managers, technicians, to change how they've always done things. You're navigating departmental silos where people see quality controls as additional workload. You're translating regulatory requirements into practical actions for teams who didn't ask for your input. Think about what actually happens in your day-to-day work. You need to sense when someone's resistance is about the process itself versus feeling overwhelmed. You need to read the room during audits and know when to push for clarity versus when to step back. You need to build enough trust that people come to you before problems escalate, not after. Technical knowledge gets you in the door. Emotional intelligence determines whether you can actually get anything done once you're there. And the research confirms this. Daniel Goleman's study of more than 500 organisations found that 85% of senior leaders owe their outstanding performance to emotional intelligence rather than technical skills or IQ. The best quality professionals I've worked with aren't just meticulous, they're perceptive. They understand that a robust QMS works because it's people-centric, not because it's comprehensive. They know how to make compliance feel like collaboration, not imposition. They don't just sit at their desk reviewing documents. They walk around and talk to people, building rapport and gaining trust. If you're struggling to gain traction in your quality role despite having all the technical credentials, this might be the missing piece. It's not that your processes are wrong; it's that the human system around them isn't ready to receive them. And that's a different kind of problem requiring a different kind of skill. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? P.S. I'm going to be exploring this and the human side of system building in my newsletter over the coming weeks. Link in the comment if you want to get it when it drops. #humancentredsystem #qualitymanagementsystem #qualitymanagement #qualityplusscience #

Technical skills don't get you promoted. Your emotional intelligence determines your career ceiling: I coached Sam, a senior developer at Microsoft. Perfect code. Flawless technical reviews. Zero promotions in five years. The diagnosis took minutes during our first session. Sam solved problems through pure logic. He viewed workplace dynamics as inefficient distractions. He delivered criticism with surgical precision, regardless of how it landed. His manager later told me: "Sam's brilliant, but meetings feel colder when he's in the room." This pattern appears across thousands of technical professionals I've coached. Your expertise hits a ceiling when your emotional intelligence fails to match it. The research confirms this. TalentSmart analyzed over 33,000 professionals and found EQ predicted 58% of success in all job types. Your technical skills get you hired. Your emotional intelligence gets you promoted. Here's what separates the promoted from the perpetually overlooked: • They read rooms before speaking • They influence across departments without authority • They navigate conflict without creating casualties • They show appropriate emotion rather than rigid logic • They build alliances before needing them Sam focused on three EQ skills: 1. Relationship mapping: Identifying who influences decisions regardless of title 2. Empathetic disagreement: Challenging ideas without attacking people 3. Emotional visibility: Showing appropriate enthusiasm rather than constant neutrality Four months later, he received his promotion with a $31K salary increase. His manager's feedback: "Same technical skills, completely different impact." Technical professionals who master emotional intelligence don't just get promoted. They get chosen for opportunities others never know existed. Stop developing what already works. Strengthen what's holding you back.

Improving Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI AI just made your technical skills worth less. Here’s the one skill it can never replace. “I don't understand what's happening,” Rahul told me in our first coaching session. “I’ve implemented every framework. I respond to Slack instantly. My code reviews are flawless. But I just lost my third senior software engineer this quarter.” Rahul was a brilliant 38-year-old CTO. He built his identity on being the smartest person in the room. He could debug complex systems, almost in his sleep. But he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. I joined one of his team meetings. Within 20 minutes, I watched him: • Cut off his designer mid-sentence with “That won’t scale” • Respond to a burnout concern with “We all work hard here” • Miss the frustration on his PM’s face when he said “Just follow the sprint plan” He wasn’t being cruel. He genuinely thought he was being efficient. The data was perfect. The human beings were breaking. Your technical edge is shrinking fast. Your emotional intelligence is now your biggest competitive advantage. Here’s why. AI can out-think you. It can’t out-feel you. And that’s exactly where your leadership advantage begins. After three months of focused emotional intelligence work, his team’s productivity increased substantially. Retention improved. Innovation accelerated. People finally felt safe sharing “illogical” ideas. Here’s the reality: As AI masters logical tasks, emotional intelligence becomes your most valuable career skill. The research is clear *: 58% of job performance comes from emotional intelligence 90% of top performers have high EI EI is one of the top 10 most in-demand skills globally Technical skills get you to the table. Emotional intelligence gets you to the top.   Where AI falls short and humans excel: • Reading unspoken dynamics • Creating psychological safety • Managing emotional energy • Building genuine trust Want to strengthen your emotional intelligence? Start here: • Take 60 seconds to check your emotional state before your next meeting • Ask one genuine question about a colleague’s perspective before sharing yours • When receiving criticism, say “Tell me more” instead of defending • Identify your emotional triggers and build a response plan for each The leaders who thrive alongside AI aren’t the smartest. They’re the ones who master the most human skill of all: emotional intelligence. The AI revolution isn’t coming. It’s here.   Which of these 4 emotional intelligence skills do you want to strengthen first? Let me know and I’ll share an exercise you can use today.   Save this post for your next career move. + Follow me for more insights on becoming irreplaceable in an AI-driven world. * Source: Bradberry, Travis. "Why You Need Emotional Intelligence To Succeed." TalentSmartEQ, June, 2022.

The Critical Role of Emotional Intelligence in Hiring and Staff Development In today's fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, technical skills alone are not enough to drive success. Having led a recruitment company for over 28 years, I have seen firsthand how Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has emerged as a pivotal factor in hiring and developing staff, shaping not just individual careers but the very fabric of organisational culture. Why EQ Matters in Hiring: 1. Enhanced Collaboration:Employees with high EQ excel in teamwork. They navigate interpersonal dynamics with ease, fostering a collaborative environment that boosts collective productivity. 2. Effective Communication:High EQ individuals communicate with clarity and empathy. They are adept at understanding and addressing the needs and concerns of colleagues and clients alike. 3. Resilience and Adaptability: Emotionally intelligent employees handle stress and adapt to change more effectively, ensuring stability and sustained performance even in challenging times. 4. Leadership Potential: EQ is a cornerstone of effective leadership. Identifying candidates with strong emotional intelligence can help in nurturing future leaders who inspire and motivate their teams. Why EQ Matters in Staff Development: 1. Improved Workplace Relationships: Developing EQ in staff enhances their ability to manage conflicts, build stronger relationships, and contribute to a positive work environment. 2. Increased Employee Engagement: Employees with higher EQ are more engaged and committed. They are capable of aligning their personal goals with organisational objectives, driving mutual growth. 3. Enhanced Performance: EQ development leads to better self-awareness and self-regulation, allowing employees to perform at their best and continuously improve. 4. Fostering Innovation: Emotional intelligence encourages a culture of open communication and psychological safety, where creativity and innovation can thrive. Albert Einstein famously defined madness as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Is it time to rethink what factors determine if someone is suitable for a role? Incorporating EQ into hiring and development strategies isn't just a trend - it's a necessity. By prioritising emotional intelligence, we build resilient, adaptable, and empathetic teams that are equipped to tackle the challenges of the modern business world. Let’s invest in EQ and watch our people and organisations grow from good to great. #leadership #emotionalintelligence #hiring #emotionsmatter John Dare Jen W. Jessica Aghdam Scott Dare Emotous

"A Meta-Analysis of the Relationships Between Emotional Intelligence and Employee Outcomes" (Doǧru, 2022) 1️⃣ Purpose of the Study To examine the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), measured via three streams (ability EI, self-report EI, and mixed EI), and five employee outcomes: 💠 Organizational commitment 💠 Organizational citizenship behavior 💠 Job satisfaction 💠 Job performance 💠 Job stress 2️⃣ Methodology Design: Psychometric meta-analysis using Hunter and Schmidt’s method. Sample: 78,159 participants across published and unpublished studies (1990–2020). EI Streams: 👉 Ability EI 👉 Self-report EI 👉 Mixed EI 3️⃣ Key findings ✅ +36% link with Organizational Citizenship ✅ +30% with Job Performance ✅ +29% with Job Satisfaction ✅ +26% with Organizational Commitment ❌ –43% correlation with Job Stress 💡 Interestingly, non-managers showed stronger links between EI and outcomes like job satisfaction and stress, suggesting front line EI may be especially critical in today’s workplaces. Why it matters: EI isn’t just a soft skill, it’s a strategic capability. From reducing burnout to improving teamwork, it shapes how people think, act, and connect at work. 🧠 Are you investing in emotional intelligence development in your organisation?

A leader’s emotional state is the team’s emotional state. 😧 One of my executive coaches shared that off the cuff the other day and I can’t stop thinking about it. Not because it’s catchy, but because research backs it up. 🤓Gartner shares that emotional intelligence (EQ) is directly tied to leadership effectiveness: self-awareness and emotional regulation help leaders guide people through change. 🎓Wharton has called out “emotional contagion”: leaders unconsciously spread their moods to their teams, virtually or in person. 📈A Forbes article explains how team emotions converge around a leader’s emotional cues, shaping both performance and the “emotional norms” of a group. If your emotions set the tone, it’s critical to build habits that help you show up well: 1️⃣Know your emotional patterns. Build self-awareness and understand what triggers you. If your mood isn’t serving your team, work to reset or reframe. 2️⃣Practice deliberate emotional regulation. Use nonverbal cues (tone, facial expressions) to guide your emotional “transmission.” Nonverbals shape every conversation. 3️⃣Develop emotional intelligence. EQ isn’t just a “nice-to-have”; it’s a strategic capability. 4️⃣Shape your team’s emotional norms. Encourage emotional resilience: be transparent, welcome vulnerability, and set emotional standards (what behaviors are encouraged). 5️⃣When things are chaotic or stressful, lean into emotional intelligence and steady presence. Your team will pick up on it and follow your lead. Bottom line: Never underestimate the power of your emotions as a leader. It’s not just about how you feel; it’s about what you exude. Strengthen your emotional resilience, and you’re not just better; your team is, too.🏆

“Emotional intelligence isn’t a soft skill—it’s a leadership multiplier.” My brother is an engineer and occasionally guides me to journals I would never find in my self-guided reading. Today's shared study was published in the Journal of Engineering, Management, Science and Technology Research and analyzed responses from mid-level leaders. Why mid-level managers? They serve as critical connectors—translating strategy from the C-suite into action for frontline teams. Their leadership style can make or break organizational alignment, morale, and performance. Many of these are familiar terms but there are some meaningful findings that I extracted and relate to leadership in any field, including healthcare. 1️⃣ Transformational leadership leads the way. Managers who scored high on EI were far more likely to exhibit transformational leadership behaviors—like inspiring vision, empowering others, and modeling trust. 2️⃣ The most predictive EI trait? Self-emotion appraisal. The ability to recognize and understand your own emotions was the strongest predictor of transformational leadership, followed closely by recognizing others’ emotions. Leaders who can name what they feel are better at leading through it. 3️⃣ Emotion regulation is the top strength. Among all EI domains, managers scored highest in emotion regulation—suggesting they can stay composed and make sound decisions even in high-pressure environments. 4️⃣ Laissez-faire leadership was negatively associated with EI. Leaders who avoid decision-making, provide little feedback, or disengage from their teams tended to have lower emotional intelligence. The more emotionally intelligent the leader, the more actively they engaged. 5️⃣ Transactional leadership showed moderate positive correlation with EI. While not as strong as transformational styles, even transactional behaviors (goal setting, rewards, accountability) were positively tied to emotional intelligence. 6️⃣ Demographic insights matter. ▪️ Gender: Women demonstrated significantly higher EI scores than men. ▪️ Experience: More years in leadership was associated with stronger transformational tendencies. ▪️ Sector: Interestingly, public vs. private sector had no significant difference in EI levels. Leadership development shouldn't just focus on outcomes—it must nurture the emotional skills that drive those outcomes. Investing in emotional intelligence (especially self-awareness and empathy) can accelerate the growth of transformational leaders. When organizations develop emotionally intelligent managers, they’re not just building better communicators—they’re shaping adaptive, inspiring, and trusted leaders. #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #TransformationalLeadership #HealthcareLeadership #OrganizationalEffectiveness #EQ

Most people think success in business comes down to strategy or hard work. But one of the biggest assets? Emotional intelligence. I’ve seen firsthand how EQ can make or break a business: ✔️ A leader with self-awareness builds a strong, motivated team. ✔️ A salesperson with empathy earns long-term clients, not just one-time deals. ✔️ A business owner who manages their emotions makes better, clearer decisions. On the flip side? ❌ A lack of emotional intelligence leads to miscommunication, lost deals, and frustrated teams. ❌ Poor self-awareness creates toxic work environments and high turnover. ❌ Reacting emotionally instead of strategically can damage relationships and opportunities. Early in my career, I thought being a strong leader meant having all the answers until I realized that true leadership is about listening, adapting, and understanding the people around you. Learning to pause before reacting, listen before speaking, and lead with empathy changed everything. It helped me build a thriving business, stronger relationships, and a team that feels truly supported. Because at the end of the day, business are built with people, so don’t treat them as cogs in a machine. What’s one moment in your career where emotional intelligence made all the difference?