Emotional Intelligence is critical for future of work – not “nice to have”
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 is out. Reading between the lines there’s a clear message all business leaders can’t afford to ignore. Success in the future of work is decided not just by the strength of your IQ or your technical skills but by the excellence of your human or people-centric skills. Your emotional intelligence (EQ).
Automation and AI is driving ever more rapid change, and societal or business transformation. To navigate all this change, people are looking to their leaders to own, drive change and support them.
That’s why a top leadership skill that will shape the next five years is Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Understanding your own and your people’s behaviour and emotions is not a “soft” skill on the list of nice-to-have attributes in a leader, it is a power skill.
EQ underpins success in everything. Leadership and collaboration. Supporting teams in building resilience and responding positively to change. Encouraging risk-taking or innovation.
Watch Dr Martyn Newman talk about EQ in the Age of AI at the Pendulum Summit, Dublin
Those leaders (and organisations) that recognise this and work now on improving their EQ, will be the winners in the future of work. Those that continue to dismiss the importance of relationships, empathy and the other core competencies of EQ will fail. Fail as leaders to build teams that embrace change confidently. Fail their organisations as team performance declines.
AI is changing the skills profile of work. You need to be more human.
According to the report, the roles in decline are those that can be automated. AI and the (ro)bots are going after many functions in today’s organisations. But we should see this as an opportunity despite the negative tone of what you might read in the media.
Why can we be positive? We will see a rise in roles that rely on what makes us human and not machines.
The machines may be great at analysing data, but they don’t inspire teams or people. They can optimise workflows, but they can’t mediate conflicts or lead with empathy in times of crisis and change.
Emotional Intelligence supercharges teams
Today’s workplaces are more complex than ever:
This is where emotional intelligence comes in — the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and to recognise and influence the emotions of others.
People with high-EQ foster stronger collaboration and better decision-making, reduce burnout and are more effective leaders. In short: EQ keeps cultures healthy, and people engaged. Happier teams deliver better performance.
AI won’t replace you. Low EQ might
The rise of AI won’t eliminate the need for human workers, but it will change what we do and increase the demand for emotionally intelligent ones.
Leaders who coach rather than command, communicate with clarity and empathy, and foster the critical psychological safety needed for innovation will be the ones who thrive.
Likewise, professionals who can navigate ambiguity, understand and manage their behaviour particularly during change, and bring emotional agility to the table, will become indispensable. Particularly if they can also foster those same skills in those they work with.
In this new era, your EQ becomes your differentiator — from the AI or bot and from colleagues. Your EQ competencies can’t be outsourced, automated, or templated.
Good news: EQ can be learnt and improved
EQ is made up of clear competencies and skills you can learn and improve.
Good news - you are not limited to the EQ score you entered the workforce with. With the right assessment and insight, you can learn your strengths and discover your areas for improvement.
Your EQ is a composite of 12 key competencies . We all have different levels of strength on these.
The first step to better EQ is to know how you perform against the benchmark of great leaders. Armed with this insight you can make the next critical step – build an action plan for success.
With the right coaching you can then improve your EQ – train yourself to be a better leader. Build better teams that share an understanding of their individual and collective EQ and how to use that to their advantage. Then in turn, build a better organisation.
AI is coming. Don’t wait to be better. Act now
Whether you’re an individual contributor, people leader, or executive, now is the time to:
✅ Invest in self-awareness and emotional regulation
✅ Cultivate empathy and active listening
✅ Practice conflict resolution and coaching skills
✅ Create space for honest, human connection
As the WEF report signals, the most in-demand professionals of tomorrow won’t just be tech-savvy or smart — they’ll be in tune with their emotional self.
Let’s build workplaces that don’t just function, but flourish — through the power of what sets us apart from the machines, our emotional intelligence.
Find out more about how the RocheMartin Emotional Capital Report can help you improve your EQ.