The Power of Managing Emotions at Work
Technical skills alone are no longer enough. A growing number of companies are recognising the true value of soft skills. Among these, emotional intelligence stands out as a key factor in enhancing performance, fostering collaboration among colleagues, and supporting individual wellbeing.
Rapid change, relentless innovation, and a chaotic market characterised by growing complexity require us to shift our focus towards emotional intelligence — the ability to recognise, understand and manage our emotions.
From this perspective, American psychologist Daniel Goleman is undoubtedly right in highlighting the crucial importance of managing emotions in the workplace, in decision-making, and in relationships. Emotional intelligence at work means knowing how to approach complex situations with balance, communicating effectively, respectfully and empathetically.
Emotional intelligence as a competitive advantage
Emotional intelligence is a significant competitive advantage, given its direct impact on business results. Individuals with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to manage stress and collaborate effectively. They also build solid, long-lasting relationships grounded in trust.
Organisations that have invested in this strategic soft skill are already seeing significant benefits, including improved performance, higher engagement and a more positive workplace culture. All of these factors enhance the value of any organisation, whether public or private. Where emotionally intelligent leaders are present, this naturally translates into a constructive work environment, greater employee engagement and a strong sense of belonging.
The 4 pillars for managing emotions at work
Understanding and managing emotions in the workplace is essential today, as it means drawing on a valuable and effective set of skills.
From Goleman’s perspective, every organisation should develop several fundamental competences:
Self-awareness: Recognising your emotions and understanding how they influence your behaviour is the essential first step. This strengthens decision-making and relationships.
Self-regulation:
The ability to control and manage emotional reactions is crucial, especially in high‑pressure or stressful situations. It promotes clarity and balance.
Empathy:
Understanding others, their perspectives and emotions, fosters effective communication and authentic relationships, strengthening teamwork and reducing conflict.
Relationship management: Respect and trust are essential for a cohesive, productive team that is focused on success.
Investing in emotional intelligence is increasingly recognised as a strategic business decision. Organisations that understand the value of emotional skills and actively cultivate them lay the foundations for resilient, productive and collaborative workplaces. Strengthening these skills means being better prepared to face modern challenges with clarity, effectiveness and long‑term balance.
HR in the strategic control room
At the same time, the process of repositioning human resources within organizations will continue. To have a strategic impact, the people strategy must be aligned with business objectives, integrated across different areas, and focused on sustainability. In this model, HR plays a key role in creating integrated, coherent companies that are finally capable of breaking down organizational silos.
Talent retention, engagement, skills development, and well-being become key indicators of corporate performance, enabling human capital to create measurable value, impacting financial results and long-term sustainability.
Employee experience as a competitive advantage
Transversal competencies as a top priority
Setting everything else aside, according to the World Economic Forum in its update of "The Future of Jobs Report 2025", soft skills are an absolute priority for companies worldwide.
The study highlighted some particularly striking findings:
- 94% of companies consider soft skills to be more important than technical skills. What a discovery!
- The most sought-after skills are: critical thinking, creativity, empathetic leadership, and change management. Easier said than done!
- Soft skills are strategic for tackling the evolution and dominance of new technologies. An undeniable truth.
- Interpersonal communication, the ability to build effective relationships, and problem-solving are almost mandatory skills. They always have been!
Organisations are increasingly competing for talent with ever more sophisticated tools, yet the employee experience is emerging as one of the key differentiating factors.HR in 2026 is expected to design personalised and consistent experiences across the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to growth opportunities. This focus goes beyond attraction and retention: it helps build more inclusive, motivated and productive organisations, where people feel a genuine alignment between their individual goals and those of the business.
Skills, adaptability and continuous learning
Every day, people in leadership roles decide whether to protect or leave their employees vulnerable, whether to listen or ignore them, whether to build trust or stoke fear. Over time, these decisions make the difference between a team that simply survives and one that truly excels. Being a leader means, above all, having the courage to be the last to take a seat at the table, making sure that everyone else has been served and protected first.
References:
- Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York: Bantam Books.
- Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2013). Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.
- Harvard Business Review (various articles). Emotional Intelligence Has 12 Elements. Which Do You Need to Work On?
- TalentSmart (2009). Emotional Intelligence 2.0. San Diego: TalentSmart.