EQ Research & Insights

Read about the latest trends in emotional intelligence with research and insights from the experts.

TalentSmartEQ Research

Emotional Intelligence: A Comprehensive Overview


This report presents a comprehensive analysis of emotional intelligence research from the past two decades, showcasing its importance in leadership, relationship management, and personal well-being. It tracks ongoing trends and explores the key role emotional intelligence plays in professional and personal success.

Team Emotional Intelligence: Key Research Findings

This report delves into the evolving field of team emotional intelligence, highlighting how emotional intelligence affects team performance, decision-making, and relationships in both virtual and in-person settings. It also provides insights into key research findings that can help teams optimize their emotional intelligence skills.

The Latest Discoveries on Emotional Intelligence Habits


This report explores the latest research on the importance of emotional intelligence in preparing employees for the future of work. It highlights the latest findings on emotional intelligence habits and their impact on individual and organizational outcomes.

Additional Research on EQ

Three Research-Backed Reasons Your Leaders Need EQ Training

A recent review took a close look at the emotional intelligence of leaders. Their goal was to understand if the EQ of a leader impacts their direct reports, and if so, how. In looking at the leader-follower relationships of more than 6300 leaders, three key points came to light:

  1. Employees reporting to high EQ leaders are more likely to perform higher and have greater job satisfaction.
  2. Employees reporting to high EQ leaders engage in more organizational citizenship behaviors (such as showing altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, conscientiousness, and civic virtue.).
  3. Employees rate their leaders’ EQ as highly valuable across cultures and around the world.

EQ for Good or for Evil? The Research Says “Good” All the Way…

Critics of EQ like to make the claim that people high in emotional intelligence can use their social skills in manipulative or inauthentic ways. But, what does the research say? Do emotionally intelligent people manipulate the way critics say they will?

No. In fact, they do the exact opposite. In a review looking at EQ and organizational citizenship behavior with over 16,000 people, researchers found that:

  • Higher EQ is related to greater organizational citizenship behavior.
  • Lower EQ is related to counterproductive work behavior.

EQ is Highly Trainable: A Deep Look at the Trainability of EQ

There are a lot of trainings out there but only a select few are supported by the same breadth and depth of research that supports EQ training. A comprehensive review of 16 years’ worth of EQ training studies (76 studies), shows that emotional intelligence is a highly trainable skill set.

The researchers, Victoria Mattingly and Kurt Kraiger, looked at studies across a wide range of people, jobs, industries, and backgrounds. Across all these studies, they found that people trained in EQ improved significantly compared to those who didn’t train.

The authors noticed one other critical element. Those studies that used a more active and experiential approach to training—they skipped out on boring lecture-style trainings in favor of active approaches such as practice, feedback, and coaching—showed even greater improvements.

Industry Perspectives

EQ in Sales

There is an inherent link between high-performing sales professionals and exceptional emotional intelligence (EQ) skills. Emotional intelligence skills boost sales and your bottom line.

EQ in HR

EQ is the common denominator in recruiting and hiring great candidates, shaping positive culture, developing high-performing employees, and creating organizational efficacy.

EQ in Law Enforcement

EQ skills not only help law enforcement officers handle high-stress situations in the field, but EQ skills also equip them to deal with the difficult emotions that may come thereafter.

EQ in Engineering

Engineering is often stereotyped as an unemotional field, staffed with lone-wolf employees devoid of any emotional intelligence (EQ). The truth is, engineers benefit greatly from EQ training.

EQ in Nursing

The ability to remain calm under extreme stress and to manage emotions effectively in oneself, and as they relate to others are part of EQ skills. Discover the impact of EQ skills in nursing.