The New EQ: Why Emotional Intelligence Needs an Upgrade
Drawing on advances in psychology, neuroscience, and the realities of modern work, The New EQ challenges the assumptions behind traditional emotional intelligence. This keynote introduces a compassionate upgrade to EQ, and what people leaders need to understand in a new era of sustained pressure.
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key topics:
1
The Limits of Traditional Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence didn’t fail us — the context changed. Classic EQ models assumed people had sufficient internal capacity to thrive under pressure. Today, we understand how trauma, neurodivergence, and low psychological safety fundamentally change how humans function at work. People don’t struggle because they lack EQ skills, but because their capacity has already been exceeded.
2
Redefining EQ with Six Core Competencies
The New EQ expands emotional intelligence beyond knowing and managing ourselves and others. It introduces six core competencies — Reflection, Connection, Direction, Regulation, Communication, and Motivation — organised around knowing and managing our own capacity, as well as the capacity of others. This shift reflects how people actually function at work when demands are high and resources are limited.
3
Why the Future of Work Is About Capacity
When capacity isn’t recognised or respected, burnout isn’t a surprise — it’s inevitable. The New EQ offers a more honest foundation for leadership and wellbeing, helping people and organisations manage limits before hitting their breaking point. It gives organisations a shared language to increase emotional attunement and understand where psychological safety truly begins.