Leadership: The Power of Emotions

Work climate, team engagement, and an organization’s ability to adapt depend in part on an underestimated competency: emotional intelligence. In an era of remote work and rapid change, being able to decode emotions becomes a real asset for managers.

When people describe the key qualities of a leader, words such as authenticity, empathy, self-control, and listening are often mentioned, notes Estelle M. Morin, psychologist and full professor in the Department of Management at HEC Montréal. “All of these competencies are grounded in very concrete emotional skills tied to self-management and relationship management—such as the ability to perceive emotions, understand them, and regulate them,” she explains.

Emotional intelligence therefore begins with the ability to read what is happening inside oneself—an exercise that is less simple than it may seem. “Most people have a very limited vocabulary to describe their emotions, even though there are hundreds of nuances,” the psychologist observes. This is in fact part of the foundations of her teaching, including in the training sessions she offers on the topic through Executive Education HEC Montréal.

That precision is essential: each emotion has its own meaning and guides action. For example, jealousy points to the fear of losing something, whereas envy reflects more the desire to possess what we lack. The same goes for frustration, anger, or impatience, which do not have the same source. “Emotions are adaptive responses to demands from the environment: they draw our attention to a priority and prepare us to act,” says Estelle M. Morin.

In other words, each emotion is information—a signal—that managers benefit from integrating into their analysis, while putting it into perspective with the facts. “The ability to read emotional states—our own and those of others—therefore tells us what is happening, here and now,” she summarizes. “It improves the quality of our decisions and, as a result, our actions.”

This introspection also helps us manage our reactions, demonstrate empathy, and positively influence our relationships—another dimension of emotional intelligence

The Digital Challenge

The rise of remote work makes this reading more complex, the professor emphasizes. “Behind a screen, we don’t have access to all the sensory cues that inform us about what is going on in the group.” In addition, some expressions—such as disappointment, anger, and frustration—can look very similar, making them difficult to interpret. As a result, leaders must pay even closer attention to perceive and interpret the emotions experienced within their team.

Virtual relationships also come with another pitfall: idealization—or, conversely, demonization. “Virtual relationships are built on foundations that are not fully real, which leads us to fill in the gaps by completing the information one way or another, but rarely in a neutral way,” explains Estelle M. Morin.

To limit these biases, it is best to meet in person from time to time. That said, even at a distance, it is possible to build strong ties, she adds. “Relationships rest on two main factors: the frequency of interactions and the warmth of exchanges.”

Restoring Meaning, Strengthening Engagement

Emotional intelligence also helps decode a team’s mindset, detect discomfort, identify tensions, and respond appropriately. “It leads us to pause the action to understand what is playing out, and then to take the right steps,” the professor illustrates.

This ability is especially valuable during periods of transformation. The psychologist mentions, for example, a team whose work might be threatened by artificial intelligence. In such a context, the goal is not to deny emotions such as fear, but to acknowledge them.

“You need to take the time to listen to members of your team with empathy to truly understand their concerns. What do you need? How do you see the situation? Then we can look at the means available to help,” she says. Such an approach helps reduce uncertainty and strengthen solidarity within the team. Employees feel heard, respected, and supported.

“If the manager shows genuine care and truly invests in supporting the team—even in a difficult situation—employees will respond in kind,” she adds. “We tend to treat others the way they treat us.” This dynamic rests on the quality of relationships.

Empathy and care also help create a climate of psychological safety, where employees feel more comfortable speaking up, asking questions, and sharing ideas. These attitudes also foster engagement and creativity. Indeed, teams often innovate when faced with a dead-end situation, notes Estelle M. Morin. “Managing the negative emotions that come with it and channelling them into a creative drive is also part of emotional intelligence.”

In transforming environments, emotions become a real navigation tool. And through training and coaching, it is possible to learn how to mobilize them constructively, Estelle M. Morin reminds us. “On your own, you often learn the hard way!”