Is emotional intelligence an effective EBITDA leakage prevention mechanism?

When growing my own emotional intelligence skills transformed my life, it made me wonder, “what if the workforce developed these skills more intentionally?”

Emotional intelligence was revolutionary for me. It awakened an entire part of me I didn’t know existed. Well, I did know it existed, but I wasn’t acquainted with it. It’s like that person you have seen around for years but never spoke to — turns out to be one of the most interesting, compelling and likable guys you’ve ever met. You become friends and eventually, you wonder how you ever lived your life apart.

Could emotional intelligence (“EI”) be a game changer for businesses? Could the transformation it brought me on an individual level materially give businesses a competitive advantage? And in an age where AI is the focus, increasing human capability may be the true sleeper advantage.

While many influential business leaders such as Hormozi and Musk seem to downplay the importance of EI in the workforce, many others sing its praise.

Satya Nadella said that “IQ without EQ is just a waste”, stressing that empathy and emotional intelligence are essential business skills, especially as AI handles more technical tasks.

Jack Welch said “No doubt emotional intelligence is more rare than book smarts, but my experience says it is actually more important in the making of a leader. You just can’t ignore it.”

My premise is that increasing the highly transferrable skills underpinning emotional intelligence is directly correlated with an increase in human capability. Building EI in your people leaders creates a multiplicative effect in your company as leadership behaviors cascade through the organization.