Emotional intelligence is no longer just a nice-to-have trait. That’s because emotions are at play in all aspects of leadership, whether you’re navigating tension between team members or building rapport with a new client. The strongest leaders know how to read the room and create safety when things get hard.

According to TalentSmartEQ’s Dr. Maggie Sass, emotional intelligence is the leadership skill that matters most now. At its core, leadership is a relationship. It’s not purely logic. It requires recognizing emotions and using them to guide conversations and shape decisions. How can you improve your emotional intelligence? We share Dr. Sass’ guidance in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

  1. Journal for self-awareness. All you need is 5 minutes at the end of the day. Dr. Sass suggests writing about what you felt strongly today, what triggered it and how you responded. Journaling builds emotional granularity, which she says is the ability to name your emotions precisely. For example, you can articulate that you are feeling overwhelmed instead of just stressed. Dr. Sass says leaders with richer emotional vocabularies regulate better and connect more authentically.

  2. Practice micro-regulation. Pause and name what you’re feeling the next time you’re triggered. For example, you could say, “I’m angry.” Then, she says you should ask yourself what the composed version of you would do right now. According to Dr. Sass, acting from that perspective interrupts reactivity and builds trust.

  3. Expand your emotional vocabulary. Words create awareness and leaders set the tone, Dr. Sass says. If you simply tell your team you’re “frustrated,” it can shut down dialogue or create defensiveness. Instead, try saying something more precise like, “I feel unclear about how decisions are being communicated across the team” or “I feel disappointed that we didn’t get the result we expected, but I’m eager to learn from it together.” The more accurately you name what you’re experiencing, the more likely others are to understand your perspective and respond constructively.

  4. Observe the room. Try pausing for 90 seconds in your next meeting and not say anything. Use that time to notice body language, tone, who speaks and who stays silent. Then consider the emotional current in the room. Dr. Sass says you’ll learn more in silence than a dozen rushed updates.

You can improve your emotional intelligence starting with the 4 ideas above. Try setting aside a few minutes each day to journal. Practice naming what you’re feeling and expanding your vocabulary. Also, try pausing in meetings to observe those around you. Emotional intelligence is built through practice and awareness and can give you a big advantage on those who ignore the human side of leadership.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Dr. Maggie Sass is the executive vice president of applied research at TalentSmartEQ.