You've probably heard of emotional intelligence (EI). The topic is increasingly relevant in a society full of challenges. Having emotional tools to deal with a wide variety of scenarios in personal life is widely discussed, and equally important is using these resources in the corporate environment.
A survey conducted at HR First Class – one of the largest Human Resources events in Brazil – reveals that 76% of HR leaders want to implement corporate happiness programs in their institutions. However, putting this into practice ends up becoming a major challenge; whether due to a lack of buy-in from leaders or even the scarcity of a genuinely human well-being-focused organizational culture within corporations. Often there is the discourse; a coherent narrative, but in practice, there is no concern for the emotional development of people, and this is a harsh reality in many companies.
Here I would like to highlight a very important factor: we all have emotional intelligence (EI). It's not necessary to acquire this skill, but rather to recognize and develop it. It is an inexhaustible source; an energy that we can always renew and use to our advantage, but there are paths that help us on this journey. This is where companies can step in as facilitators and as an inherent part of human development, and consequently the professional development of their employees, supporting them and offering guidance, support, and conditions for the development of healthy work.
It's important to emphasize that Emotional Intelligence is, above all, the ability to manage emotions. However, when we look at the corporate world and identify a deficit in this intelligence, we encounter numerous problems in the workplace. The leader is fundamental in this context, as they inspire and impact their team. When this professional possesses well-structured emotional skills, they are admired and followed by others through connection, and this definitively gives meaning to the relationship, which becomes prosperous and carries within it a common purpose among the people in that group.
Leaders with EI (Emotional Intelligence) humanize relationships; understanding themselves as a fundamental part of solving problems and growing companies, but it is through their team that they become protagonists. These collaborators are free to propose ideas, suggest ideas, admit mistakes, and ask for help, because they know they will not be judged, but supported for their development in an environment where they feel safe and capable. Note that this doesn't mean a leader doesn't have to achieve results or goals, nor that they can't give negative feedback or even decide on a dismissal, but it means doing all this in a way that respects the potential and individuality of others.
I emphasize that, in addition to everything we've discussed so far, leaders must be the great motivators for their teams to begin this process of self-knowledge. After all, it's an individual journey that precedes Emotional Intelligence. Self-knowledge allows us to know ourselves; as we are; with all the good and bad within us. In this process, one of the most prominent intelligences is EI; we learn to recognize what lies behind our positive and negative emotions, where they come from, and how we behave, feel, and act through them – without even realizing it – that is, how we behave in the world with ourselves and with others. Leaders and those they lead need to pursue these paths to curb, as soon as possible, the absurd number of people with emotional and mental health problems stemming from work. We are all responsible for building an environment both inside and outside of work where insanity is not greater than our capacity to stop it.
