EQ Research Hub
Every month, we publish a new data-backed study exploring a simple question:
How does emotional intelligence (EQ) actually show up at work?
A living library of our monthly research. Each study includes a short summary, the key findings, and practical implications for leaders, HR, and talent development teams.
What the research is already making clear
lifetime earnings lift
EQ drives performance and pay
In a study of 1,499 working professionals, higher EQ aligned with higher self-rated performance and higher salary bands — gains that compound meaningfully over a career.
Relationship Management is the standout
Across the four EQ skill areas, Relationship Management showed the strongest association with both job performance and salary outcomes.
EQ doesn’t predict AI adoption
In a sample of 993 professionals, EQ had essentially no relationship with daily or weekly AI usage — but it likely affects how people use it.
EQ and better decision-making
Higher EQ correlated with using a decision-making process and with more accurately predicting the outcomes of your decisions.
Study index
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Qualitative interviews with dozens of L&D leaders responsible for EQ training at their companies.
EQ & Decision Making
Core question: Does emotional intelligence improve decision-making?
1,393 working professionals
EQ, “Do you use a decision-making process” (5-point scale), “Did your decisions turn out as expected?” (5-point scale)
Higher EQ correlated strongly with both using a decision-making process and accurately predicting the outcomes of your decisions.
What we found
Use of a decision process: Those scoring high in emotional intelligence were significantly more likely to use a decision-making process.
Accurate assessment of decision outcomes: Those scoring high in emotional intelligence were also much more likely to see outcomes that align with their expectations.
Self-management and social awareness: These two skill areas were especially strongly correlated to good decision-making. Self-management likely helps decision-makers regulate their emotions; social awareness likely helps them account for their impact on others.
What it means for leaders and L&D
- Decision-making is a necessary skill right now. Across major reports (World Economic Forum, McKinsey, LinkedIn Learning), decision-making tops the list of skills essential in the AI Era — and so does EQ.
- Improve your people’s EQ and you’ll improve their decision-making. EQ both appears on the list of necessary AI-Era skills and correlates strongly with other skills on that list.
- Already training EQ? If you want to lift decision-making, spend more time on self-management and social awareness — the two areas that drive the most impact.
EQ & AI Adoption: Do Emotionally Intelligent People Use AI More?
Core question: Are people with higher emotional intelligence more likely to use AI at work?
993 working professionals
EQ + whether respondents use AI daily and/or weekly
EQ showed no meaningful relationship with AI adoption frequency.
What we found
correlation near zero
also near zero
In practical terms, AI adoption is likely driven more by role, access, workflow expectations, and organizational norms than by social-emotional skill level alone.
What it means for leaders and L&D
If EQ isn’t driving adoption, the leadership question becomes: what determines whether AI use improves work or creates risk?
Don’t assume adoption = capability: Someone can be a frequent AI user and still be sloppy with judgment, tone, or verification. EQ skills are critical for judgment, communication, and decision-making.
Low EQ + high AI usage creates predictable failure modes: AI can amplify impulsive decisions, weak fact-checking, and poor communication habits if the user isn’t thoughtful about context and impact.
High EQ can function as an “AI force multiplier”: If high-EQ employees are using AI at the same rates as others, the advantage comes from using it more intentionally — knowing when to rely on AI vs. human judgment.
What we want to study next
Because the result was “no relationship,” logical follow-ups test whether EQ predicts:
- Quality of AI outputs (not just usage frequency)
- Judgment and verification behavior
- Communication outcomes (tone, clarity, trust, relationship impact)
EQ, Job Performance & Salary: The Data Shows It’s Worth $500K
Core question: Do EQ scores relate to job performance and earnings?
1,499 working professionals
EQ, self-rated job performance (5-point scale), and salary bands
Higher EQ aligned with higher job performance and higher pay tiers.
What we found
As EQ increased, self-rated job performance increased. A ~10% EQ increase translated to roughly a 0.2–0.3 jump on a 5-point performance scale — often enough to move someone into a higher performance tier.
EQ also correlated with higher salary tiers. A ~10% boost in EQ predicted about a quarter-step movement into the next salary bracket. Because the bands represent large jumps (at least $50,000 each), even modest EQ gains carry meaningful financial weight.
EQ increase (~8 points)
more in annual earnings
compounded over 30 years
When breaking EQ into four core skills (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management), Relationship Management emerged as the most consistently powerful dimension associated with both job performance and salary.
What it means for leaders and L&D
- Position EQ development as performance capability with measurable career impact — not a “nice to have.”
- Need a starting place for training priorities? Relationship Management bundles real workplace behaviors (conflict, feedback, trust, collaboration) that show up in outcomes.
- If you’re measuring leadership development ROI, EQ provides a practical set of trainable behaviors to aim at and re-measure over time.
Four skill areas, one validated assessment
In LEADx’s EQ framework, emotional intelligence is broken into four skill areas. Our assessment is validated by an external group of psychologists.
Self-Awareness
Recognizing your own emotions, triggers, and impact.
Self-Management
Regulating your emotions and staying composed under pressure.
Social Awareness
Reading the emotions and dynamics in people around you.
Relationship Management
Using that awareness to influence, coach, and resolve conflict.