Emotional Intelligence as an Innovation Differentiator

As the concepts of mindfulness and emotional intelligence become increasingly common in society, they have slowly been infiltrating the workplace as well.  The forced isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted them to the top of many “must have skills” lists of leadership and employees alike.  While we recognize the importance of strong emotional intelligence (EQ) to facilitate successful relationships its role in innovation is often overlooked.  We all have different strategies to manage innovation processes but the companies that seem to be the most successful are the ones that ensure EQ plays a central role in those processes.  Its one thing to have your finger to your industries pulse but its more beneficial to know and understand your customer’s needs, frustrations, motivators, as well as their long- and short-term goals.  EQ encourages innovators to view clients not as consumers but as partners, giving us the opportunity to create holistic solutions instead of products.