Thought Leadership News

Neil Hughes explains how mastering emotional intelligence can empower leaders to build trust, improve communication and enhance team performance One of the most critical factors shaping leadership today is the capacity to manage one’s own emotions while also understanding and responding to the emotions of others – also known as emotional intelligence (EI). Daniel Goleman, one of the pioneers of the concept of EI at work states: “technical skills will only take you so far. EI will take you farther”. Goleman identifies five components of EI that can help individuals navigate and maximise their personal and professional relationships effectively:  Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognise and understand your emotions and how they affect others.  Self-regulation is the ability to manage or redirect disruptive emotions and adapt to change. Motivation is about a leader’s drive to achieve meaningful goals for reasons beyond external rewards.  Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of others by recognising and considering others’ perspectives. Social skills refer to proficiency in managing relationships and having the ability to inspire and influence others positively. Much has been written about Satya Nadella’s success as the CEO of Microsoft. His approach to leadership is grounded in EI, with a strong emphasis on empathy, building relationships and developing a collaborative work culture. With his leadership, Microsoft has experienced a profound transformation with its share price growing an impressive 969 percent since Nadella took over. So, what can leaders learn from this? By fostering EI in themselves and their organisations, leaders can cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves and their teams. An emotionally intelligent leader can build trust within their teams by applying behaviours and practices which are rooted in Goleman’s components of emotional intelligence.  Leaders who possess social skills, practice empathy and understand motivational drivers can set a foundation for building strong relationships. These qualities enable leaders to understand, connect and support their employees. Emotionally intelligent leaders who are effective at managing their emotions and understanding the emotions of others excel in areas such as communication and decision-making. They are adept at expressing themselves clearly and tailoring their communication styles to suit individuals and situations, which cultivates open dialogue and reduces misunderstandings. They remain calm under pressure and take a holistic view of situations, leading to rational and empathetic decision-making.  Leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence also tend to practice self-regulation, which means they avoid impulse reactions, making them better equipped to manage conflict. By remaining composed during disputes, they fully understand different perspectives and lead their teams towards constructive solutions and growth opportunities.  By focusing on these components of EI, leaders can establish lasting trust within their teams driving higher performance. The Journal of Organisational Behaviour has found that high levels of trust can increase team performance by up to 20 percent.  Leaders who invest in understanding and developing their emotional intelligence are much better equipped to handle their own emotions and those of others, which makes them more capable of leading their teams to success.  What steps will you take to harness the power of EI to transform your leadership, build trust and increase performance within your team? Neil Hughes is Director of People and Change Consulting at Grant Thornton

As some companies pivot back to full-time office work, Mark Fallon examines the sustainability of remote work and its impact on business culture and talent retention The first few months of the year changed the landscape of the professional working week. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic up until 2022, office workers were predominantly ‘working from home’ (WFH). Then came the shift to a hybrid working model, with professionals working part-time in the office and part-time at home. Today, in thew fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024 and trending into 2025, the dynamic is changing once again with many companies doing a U-turn on their WFH policies, demanding their employees to return to the office five days a week. Resurfacing culture concerns In 2020, Coopman Search and Selection ran a survey of more than 400 professionals in Ireland about working from home in the first winter of COVID-19. Out of several interesting findings in this survey, the biggest fear from corporations at this time was the ‘lack of collaboration’ and ‘loss of culture’ with employees not being present in the office environment. Fast-forward to Q4 2024 and this concern has come to fruition, with business leaders ‘feeling’ that employees need to be in the office more , as stated by Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon, in September 2024, “to be better set up to invent, collaborate and be connected to each other”. There is mixed data on the advantages and disadvantages of WFH. Some claim productivity has dropped since its introduction, while employees who benefit from hybrid working feel more empowered, better at balancing personal and professional responsibilities. Flexibility remains key to talent attraction Flexible remote work policies can significantly impact the quality of talent they attract. Companies based in major cities might miss out on top talent by requiring full-time office attendance, as many skilled workers are located outside of the commuter area. Offering hybrid or remote work options can help businesses remain competitive in the talent market. While studies have shown mixed results on productivity, some report up to a 13 percent increase in output from remote workers, though others suggest a drop in collaboration and engagement. Looking ahead to 2025, many large companies are expected to increase mandatory office days, while smaller businesses may stick to hybrid models. Employees unhappy with stricter office requirements will likely seek more flexible employers, giving those companies a chance to secure top talent. Fully remote workers may face more challenges securing roles as the trend shifts toward in-office work. A future of retention and growth As the debate over remote work continues, companies that balance flexibility with in-office collaboration will likely be best positioned to attract top talent and meet employee needs in Ireland for talent attraction and retention. Organisations must carefully assess their policies to foster environments that encourage both individual efficiency and collective creativity, ensuring a sustainable future in the evolving work landscape. Mark Fallon is Director and Co-Founder at Coopman Search and Selection

AI is reshaping the workforce, blending human creativity with technology. Tim Bergin explores how organisations can leverage generative AI to unlock potential and drive transformation Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) may be perceived as a risk to human employment, but it can also be viewed as a catalyst for redefining the contribution of individuals in the professional environment. Increased access to Gen AI is allowing workers to fill capability gaps in creativity, team dynamics and content generation with a new technology-driven assistant. The challenge now lies in encouraging our organisations to embrace the advantages while unlocking the potential for workforce workplace restructuring. Unlocking human potential Gen AI provides the ability to rethink how work is organised at operating model, functional level an team level. How can employers unlock the full potential of their workforce at these levels? Team AI is a proven catalyst for better communication, how we interact with colleagues and customers, and how we collaborate and get work done. For example, virtual and augmented reality allow real-time collaboration with people across the globe, facilitating richer conversations, skill sharing and exposure to other areas of the organisation. According to the EY Workforce Reimaged 2023 survey, there is a 33 percent net positive sentiment of employers and employees who believe Gen AI will boost productivity and new ways of working, and an even greater 44 percent net positive of those who expect the technology to enable greater flexible working. Aside from additional capacity, AI systems can provide insights into team performance, sentiment and connection by tracking and analysing data. This could give employers insight into how their team is feeling through survey feedback. This can help promote a more productive, collaborative environment, enabling employers to proactively address employee issues. Organisation The adoption of AI at an organisational level can revolutionise current ways of working from front-line customer-facing functions, to operations and corporate functions such as finance and HR. The transformative impact can be seen on all fronts, demonstrating the potential to improve not only efficiency and effectiveness but also employee experience. For example, using Gen AI to predict consumer needs can help organisations refine their stock systems and supply chain to ensure products are ready at the point of need, rather than stockpiling and incurring unnecessary storage costs. This use case can also free up time for consumer-facing staff to have more considered conversations with their customers about potential future purchasing needs, and demonstrates the rounded positive impact we can expect to see if Gen AI is used responsibly, and thoughtful consideration is given to the workforce impact and opportunity. It is clear from a team and organisational perspective that AI’s role is pivotal in the evolution of the workforce and the increasing requirement for upskilling and reskilling. Success lies in the coming together of emerging technologies and vital human interventions; releasing the power of technology while emphasising the importance of what makes work human. Collaborative partnership While AI's rapid proliferation might trigger fear of unprecedented changes in the working environment, organisations must remember that by embracing AI and investing in the upskilling of their workforce, they are fostering a collaborative partnership between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Tim Bergin is Partner of People Consulting at EY