Emotional intelligence in the workplace

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and to recognise how others are feeling. In the workplace, it can help you handle tough conversations with more ease, stay calm under pressure, and support the people around you in a thoughtful and respectful way.

If you're leading a team or working closely with others, you've probably seen how emotions show up. Someone might withdraw when facing personal issues. Another colleague might become frustrated when they're feeling job insecurity or financial stress.

Without emotional awareness, these moments can lead to tension, confusion, or even conflict. On the contrary, building emotional intelligence helps you notice these signs earlier and respond in a way that supports everyone involved.

What it means for leaders

As a manager or team leader, emotional intelligence gives you tools to guide your team through challenges. When you listen closely, respond thoughtfully, and communicate clearly, you create an environment where people feel supported, even during difficult times.

You don’t need to have all the answers, but showing up with empathy can make a big difference. Your team will notice how you handle pressure, how you respond when mistakes happen, and how open you are to hearing their concerns.

What it means for employees

For employees, emotional intelligence helps you connect better with others, deal with workplace conflicts with more confidence, and feel more in control of your own reactions.

It also makes it easier to ask for help when you're feeling overwhelmed or dealing with stress within or outside of work.

When teams share a common emotional language, they work more smoothly together. They also build trust more quickly, which makes everything from collaboration to feedback more effective.

How to strengthen emotional intelligence within teams

If you’re in a leadership role, you have a powerful influence on how your team handles stress, communication, and emotional challenges. Your approach sets the tone.

While these strategies are especially useful for leaders, many of them are just as valuable for employees who want to build stronger relationships at work.

1. Make emotional check-ins part of your regular rhythm

Start meetings with a short check-in. Ask your team how they’re feeling or what’s on their mind as they begin the day or week. You don’t need to dive deep - even a simple "one word to describe how you’re feeling today" can surface valuable insight and show that emotions are part of the workday, not separate from it.

2. Reflect openly on your own experiences

When things get stressful, talk about it. Say how you felt after a tough project or during a period of uncertainty. You don’t need to overshare, but when you model emotional awareness, you give your team permission to do the same.

This practice can help build trust and make it easier for others to speak up about what they’re experiencing.

3. Pay attention to silence, not just words

Sometimes emotional signals come in what isn’t being said. If someone who usually speaks up has gone quiet, or a normally cheerful colleague seems distant, check in privately.

Ask how they’re doing and let them know you’ve noticed the change. You don’t need to pry. Just let them know you’re present if or when they want to talk.

4. Slow down decision-making when emotions are running high

If your team is facing a conflict, change, or emotionally charged moment, resist the urge to push forward too quickly. Allow time for people to process and talk through how they’re feeling. Even a short pause can lead to clearer thinking and better collaboration.

5. Acknowledge the emotional load of change and uncertainty

During restructures, role changes, or periods of job insecurity, emotions run high. People might not say much, but fear, frustration, or confusion often sit beneath the surface.

Be proactive. Invite honest conversations. Name what you’re seeing. You might say, "I know there’s been a lot of uncertainty lately, and I imagine that’s been difficult. Let’s talk about what’s coming up and what support might help."

6. Create shared rituals that build connection

Rituals don’t have to be formal. It could be a weekly team gratitude round, a five-minute “coffee check-in” before the Monday meeting, or ending the week by sharing one thing everyone’s proud of. These small, predictable moments help people feel grounded, seen, and part of something supportive.

7. Involve your team in shaping the emotional culture

Ask your team what helps them feel safe and supported at work. You might be surprised by what they say.

Co-create team norms around communication, feedback, and support. And revisit them often. When people have a say in how the team works together emotionally, they’re more invested in maintaining that culture.

Final thoughts

Emotional intelligence is something you can build every day, one conversation or reflection at a time. Whether you're a team member or a manager, you have the ability to shape your team’s emotional culture. When you choose to lead with emotional intelligence, even in small ways, others are more likely to follow.

And when emotional intelligence becomes part of how your team works together, it creates a foundation of trust that makes everything else easier to manage.