Within the contemporary leadership environment, the convergence of creativity and strategic thinking is essential for driving innovation. However, we often concentrate on the hard skills and acquisition of them over our careers and understate the 'soft skills' such as emotional intelligence (EI). It equips leaders to navigate complex organisational dynamics, cultivate psychological safety, and ultimately drive meaningful progress that resonates with people's core needs and motivations. Further, it allows leaders to guide their teams, interact with stakeholders, and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration.

Daniel Goleman, the psychologist who popularised the concept of emotional intelligence, defines it as the ability to recognise, understand, and manage one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. While applicable across various fields, the design disciplines offer particularly insightful perspectives on cultivating and valuing emotional intelligence. At its core, design is an inherently human-centred industry that seeks to deeply understand and address people's needs, desires, and emotional drivers they do this by cultivating empathy, promoting creative ideation, and translating abstract problems and concepts into tangible solutions that resonate emotionally.

At IDEO, the global design and innovation company, emotional intelligence is deeply ingrained in their culture and processes. David Kelley, co-founder, emphasises the importance of empathy and human-centred design, recognising that truly innovative solutions emerge from a deep understanding of people's needs and emotions.

Design thinking prioritises practices like deep listening, iterative problem-solving, and collaborative co-creation - all of which require a high level of emotional intelligence. The ability to regulate one's own emotions, while remaining attuned to the perspectives and emotional drivers of others, is critical for fostering psychological safety and unlocking innovative thinking.

Jacinda Ardern former Prime Minister of New Zealand was noted for her a-typical approach to leadership which centred on empathy, compassion, kindness and consensus building. Ardern stated that "It takes courage and strength to be empathetic, and I'm very proudly an empathetic and compassionate leader. I am trying to chart a different path, and that will attract criticism, but I can only be true to myself and the form of leadership I believe in."

For some, the core tenets of good leadership come naturally, while for others, these skills must be actively learned and practiced. Building emotional intelligence is a continuous journey that requires intentional effort and practice.

So, what leadership strategies and characteristics should you focus on first to grow or develop effective emotional intelligence?

•Cultivating self-awareness: Regularly reflecting on your emotional responses, biases, and decision-making processes. You can do this through techniques like journaling, mindfulness exercises and seeking out new experiences or learning challenges.

•Seeking feedback: Actively seeking authentic feedback from team members, peers, and mentors to identify areas for improvement and blind spots.

•Active listening: Practising sitting still and truly listening to understand others' perspectives, motivations, and concerns.

•Emotional regulation: Observing your own emotions by naming them, identifying personal triggers (whether positive or negative), and consciously choosing how to respond in those moments.

•Empathy: Recognising the value of other people's experiences and fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued.

•Adaptability: Strengthening your ability to navigate ambiguity and pivot strategies or opportunities as needed.

By cultivating empathy and self-awareness, design teams can gain deeper insights into user needs, collaborate more effectively, and create solutions that resonate emotionally with their audiences. However, the principles exemplified so well in the design field hold valuable lessons for leadership across all sectors.

But it's not enough to just name these characteristics that support development of emotional intelligence, we must invest in cultivating and practicing it. But how should we go about achieving it?

You can apply a structured approach such as the "Search Inside Yourself" program that originated at Google. Chade-Meng Tan the engineer who created the program stated ‘Thoughts and emotions are like clouds—some beautiful, some dark—while our core being is like the sky. Clouds are not the sky; they are phenomena in the sky that come and go. Similarly, thoughts and emotions are not who we are; they are simply phenomena in mind and body that come and go’. This program takes principles of neuroscience and mindfulness to teach skills for self-awareness, self-management, motivation, and relationship-building, ultimately helping people to manage stress, boost creativity, and foster stronger communication within teams.

For those wanting a more personalised and curated approach, coaching can be an incredibly powerful tool to utilise in your life and business. Experienced coaches can provide valuable guidance, perspective, and support in navigating complex interpersonal dynamics and emotional challenges. Additionally, coaches can model effective emotional intelligence in action and provide a safe space for leaders to vulnerably explore their emotional growth areas.

Despite its significance, cultivating emotional intelligence can be challenging, particularly in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. Some common obstacles include:

•Resistance to vulnerability: Expressing emotions or admitting mistakes can be perceived as a sign of weakness or create concern that you may open yourself to perceived 'attack', hindering self-awareness and growth.

•Cognitive biases: Unconscious biases can distort our perceptions and decision-making, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.

•Time constraints: The demands of tight deadlines and competing priorities can make it difficult to prioritise personal development and self-reflection.

Leaders can learn from these human-centred design approaches by embedding emotional intelligence into their own practices. Whether guiding a product team, implementing organisational change, or navigating complex stakeholder dynamics, emotionally intelligent leadership inspires, aligns and motivates through empathy, vulnerable idea exploration, and translating abstract challenges into tangible, emotionally resonant solutions.

To integrate emotional intelligence more fully, leaders should consider emotional intelligence training, engaging an executive coach, or committing to regular self-reflection through journaling, mindfulness or other self-awareness practices. Emotional intelligence is not a fixed state, but a capacity that can be purposefully developed and refined over time.

As Jacinda Ardern stated, "It takes courage and strength to be empathetic." By modeling vulnerability, leaders can model emotional intelligence as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration and positive cultural change within their organisations.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how you can introduce or strengthen these principles into your own practices then reach out via info@dialecticalconsulting.com.au or contact me via LinkedIn.