We don’t know about you, but the complexity and pace of the world of work seems to be evolving at breakneck speeds, EQ or emotional intelligence has evolved from a “nice to have” into a core leadership capability. Yet, despite its rising importance, many of the leaders who excel in this area remain overlooked.
As a result, organisations are missing out on a powerful source of leadership potential right under their nose.
Leadership Director Lubna Haq explores this dynamic further, shedding light on why emotional intelligence needs greater recognition and how it will reshape the future of leadership.
Emotional intelligence is prized, but it isn’t always recognised.
While men and women score similarly overall on emotional intelligence assessments, research shows that women consistently outperform men in empathy, interpersonal relationships, and social responsibility. In short, the attributes that hold teams together and drive psychological safety. These are critical leadership skills and are often more strongly demonstrated by women.
Despite this, women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership roles. Why?
A meta-analysis conducted by the American Psychological Association revealed that women are rated as more effective leaders than men when evaluated by others. However, when asked to assess their own leadership abilities, men tend to rate themselves more highly than women.
This confidence gap, combined with systemic bias, results in many women with strong emotional intelligence and relational capabilities being overlooked, underpromoted, or underutilised.
Emotional Intelligence isn’t gendered. But it’s gendered in perception
Historically, cultural models of leadership have favoured traits such as assertiveness, control, and decisiveness qualities more commonly encouraged in men. Meanwhile, empathy, collaboration, and relational awareness have often been undervalued or perceived as weaknesses. But the world has changed. Today, leaders who can’t build trust or foster inclusion are being left behind.
A 2024 MIT Sloan study found that organisations led by emotionally intelligent executives had 56% higher revenue growth than those without. Another survey by Catalyst in 2021 showed that employees with empathic leaders were twice as likely to stay with their company.
In other words, the traits women often demonstrate more consistently are now the ones that correlate most closely with business performance. As Lubna Haq, Leadership Director put it “Empathy isn’t a luxury. It’s a leadership muscle. And in today’s world, it’s the one we’ve neglected the most.”
What Needs to Change
- Redefine leadership potential
Include emotional intelligence, not just executive presence or strategic vision. - Address the confidence gap
Create development programs that build women’s self-advocacy and challenge internalised bias. - Elevate relational leadership
Recognise and reward empathy, active listening, and team cohesion as performance criteria. - Champion women leaders openly
Visibility matters. Showcase emotionally intelligent leadership in action and name it when you see it
The Bottom Line
Continuing to define leadership using outdated metrics risks overlooking some of the most capable leaders. Emotional intelligence isn’t gendered. But failing to value it often is. It’s time to close the confidence gap. Not just for the sake of equity, but for the health of our organisations.