Why emotional intelligence is becoming the most important skill of the decade
If you’d asked people 10 years ago what the most valuable skill was for getting ahead at work or building a good life, the answers would’ve probably included things like tech expertise, strategic thinking, or being highly organised. While those things still matter, something else has quietly been climbing the ranks: emotional intelligence. It’s not just being smart, but knowing how to read a room, stay calm under pressure, deal with people without drama, and handle your own emotions without shutting down or blowing up.
We’ve reached a point where emotional intelligence isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s become a make-or-break skill. In workplaces, in relationships, in politics, in parenting—literally everywhere. And the people who’ve developed it? They’re not just coping better. They’re thriving in a world that seems increasingly chaotic and unpredictable.
People want more than competence—they want connection.
Being good at your job matters. But in most roles, especially ones involving teams or clients, it’s no longer enough to just be technically capable. People also want to work with someone who understands tone, timing, and how to handle tension without making everything worse. Someone who listens. Someone who doesn’t bring their bad mood into every room they walk into.
According to a 2023 report by the World Economic Forum, emotional intelligence is now considered one of the top ten job skills globally, not just for leadership, but across the board. Employers are paying more attention to how people manage relationships, not just tasks. And that shift isn’t going anywhere.
People are burnt out, and emotional awareness is part of the fix.
The past few years have pushed people to the edge. The pandemic, cost of living pressures, instability—it’s all left people feeling stretched and exhausted. And in that kind of climate, people don’t just need motivation. They need empathy.
Emotionally intelligent people can spot when a colleague is running on empty, or when someone’s frustration is coming from stress rather than laziness. They know how to respond without snapping, dismissing, or blaming. That kind of awareness doesn’t just make workplaces nicer, it helps prevent things from falling apart.
A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that higher emotional intelligence is linked with better stress regulation and lower burnout. It’s not just about managing other people; it’s about knowing how to keep yourself steady, too.
We’re finally talking more openly about mental health.
Emotional intelligence isn’t therapy, but there’s a strong overlap. It means being able to notice your own patterns, sit with discomfort, and communicate clearly, all of which are essential when it comes to mental health. And as more people open up about anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, the need for emotionally intelligent responses becomes clearer.
Nobody wants to talk about their mental health with someone who’s cold, reactive, or impatient. Whether it’s a manager checking in on a team member or a partner having a difficult conversation at home, emotional intelligence is what makes those moments feel safe rather than awkward or dismissive.
According to Mind, 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. And those numbers don’t include the people struggling quietly. So having people around who know how to handle emotions with care, without shutting the conversation down, is more important than ever.
AI is getting smarter, but it still can’t do this.
With AI doing more of the technical and repetitive work, the skills that are hardest to automate are becoming the most valuable. Empathy, adaptability, emotional nuance—these aren’t things a chatbot can fake properly. People still want to feel understood by a real person. They still want human warmth, even in the middle of tech-driven environments.
LinkedIn’s 2023 workplace learning report identified emotional intelligence as one of the most in-demand soft skills, particularly in industries going through digital transformation. In other words, as the robots take over the spreadsheets, it’s emotional skills that are helping people stand out.
Conflict resolution is becoming a daily skill.
We’re living in a time of polarised opinions, clashing values, and frayed nerves. Whether it’s at work, online, or around the dinner table, people are finding themselves in more tense situations. And emotional intelligence is what stops those moments from turning into blow-ups.
It’s not about always agreeing or avoiding tension; it’s about knowing how to respond without escalating things. Reading the room. Knowing when to pause. Knowing how to step away when needed. Emotionally intelligent people aren’t perfect, but they recover from conflict more quickly, and they’re better at repairing trust when things go sideways.
The Harvard Business Review has written extensively on this, highlighting that leaders with high emotional intelligence tend to have more loyal teams and lower turnover. The same applies at home, with friends, and anywhere relationships matter, which is everywhere.
It’s one of the few skills that actually makes life feel easier.
Emotional intelligence doesn’t mean you never feel anxious or upset. It just means you’re better equipped to handle those emotions when they arrive, and that you’re less likely to pass them on to someone else.
It’s about self-awareness, yes, but also about emotional boundaries, patience, and the ability to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. The more of that you have, the fewer messes you have to clean up, the fewer regrets you carry around, and the more peaceful your relationships tend to be.
In a world that feels overstimulated and overwhelmed, that kind of skill isn’t just useful—it’s a survival tool.
So what now?
The good news is emotional intelligence isn’t a fixed trait. It’s something you can build. And it starts with slowing down, listening more, asking better questions, both to yourself and to other people.
Notice how you respond under stress. Pay attention to the tone you use when you’re frustrated. Practise pausing before you reply. Learn how to sit with someone else’s discomfort without trying to fix it too quickly. These aren’t massive changes, but they make a massive difference.
And if you’re already doing these things? You’re ahead of the curve. Because in the decade ahead, emotional intelligence won’t just be something nice to have on your CV; it’ll be the thing that makes people want to work with you, live with you, and trust you.
