Portuguese
There is much discussion about the importance of Emotional Intelligence and Resilience within a corporate environment, and even more so in innovative organizations, but little attention is given to how controlling emotions directly impacts productivity gains. It is well known that a lack of Emotional Intelligence and Resilience causes obstacles in an organization. Thus, emotionally unstable teams, unable to deal with challenges and with little resilience, can cause delays in productivity and complications in interpersonal relationships, especially when there is no emotionally capable and balanced leader to lead and motivate the team. This perspective highlights the need to address these challenges in order to achieve a more resilient, collaborative, efficient, and productive organization (Goleman 1995).
Emotional Intelligence and Resilience are closely connected, as the ability to manage one’s emotions facilitates more effective adaptation to difficulties, which directly impacts resilience in the face of life’s obstacles. According to Tavares (2001), resilience is the ability of individuals or groups to withstand daily adversities without losing their balance. It is the ability to continuously adapt to life’s difficulties. When developed by managers, it is capable of mobilizing various abilities, especially in innovative organizations, such as being, power, presence, and desire, also encompassing self-regulation and self-esteem. On the other hand, according to Goleman (1999), Emotional Intelligence is formed by self-perception, motivation, self-management, empathy, and social skills. Goleman (1999) suggests that Emotional Intelligence can be a determining factor for a future of great success or defeat in everyday situations, accounting for approximately 85% of the performance of successful leaders in the organizational sphere.
The development of resilience and emotional intelligence is essential for professional and personal success. However, this development represents a complex challenge for professionals, as it requires continuous improvement in self-management, self-awareness, and self-control. The absence of self-awareness hinders the development of resilience and emotional intelligence, therefore “professionals must seek ways to accurately consider their own emotions, how they occur, or what triggers their emotional responses and how this influences their behavior” (Santos, 2023).
Several studies emphasize that happier and more satisfied employees tend to perform more productively. This concept is referenced by Siqueira and Junior (2004), cited by Santos (2021). In the organizational approach, this focus is directed at employees who have greater emotional responsibility, reducing employee tardiness and absenteeism and reducing employee turnover. By focusing on the development and application of emotional intelligence and applying it to leadership, leaders can create a positive and productive work environment that drives continuous individual and collective growth. Therefore, investing in the improvement of emotional intelligence is crucial to becoming a successful leader, and inspiration is fundamental to becoming a successful and inspiring leader (De Lima 2022).
According to Goleman (1999), leaders need to learn to control their emotions in order to be effective leaders. Self-management consists of optimism, initiative, resilience, transparency, and self-control. It is essential that leaders avoid displaying negative emotions, as these emotions directly influence the environment, especially when they come from leadership. Workplaces permeated by rivalries and political disputes result in bad feelings and low productivity. Based on these reflections, it is possible to observe that several organizations have begun to adopt a more employee-centered approach, with the aim of improving professional performance by focusing on physical, mental, and/or social well-being.
In view of the above, after conducting a thorough analysis, it is clear that Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Resilience (R) are now recognized as fundamental skills for a successful organization. In today’s times of great transformation, innovation, and challenges, having the ability to manage and control one’s emotions is a crucial skill, as it becomes a strategic differential for personal development and organizational productivity. Although these competencies are recognized, there is significant variation in their degree of application. Organizations that have adopted means of applying EI and R have seen significant impacts on their teams of leaders and followers, moving towards a healthier, more harmonious, and productive organizational climate.
However, this research presented facts that revealed that despite recognition of EI and R, many companies do not direct investments to promote EI and R implementation projects in the daily lives of employees. In addition, the lack of measurement of the impact of these skills also causes an impasse in assessing the effectiveness of these adopted programs.
Furthermore, it was also possible to recognize that the application of these competencies is not carried out broadly in all companies, but is restricted to hierarchical levels. In order to ensure broad results, this competency must be present everywhere, from corporate culture to daily activities, in order to achieve the desired results, such as efficiency and performance of work performed by employees, a healthier, more pleasant, and resilient professional environment, with employees sufficiently trained to deal with obstacles within the corporate world and their personal relationships.
The research showed that Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Resilience (R) are essential skills for increasing productivity, effectiveness, and organizational efficiency in innovative organizations. Therefore, the development of EI and R should be viewed and adopted as a strategic priority for those seeking business success, because a company that invests in the health and well-being of its employees is also investing in improved productivity, conflict management, more effective and intelligent decision-making, the development of more effective leadership, reduced stress and possible cases of burnout, improved teamwork, and greater job satisfaction, which has an impact on reducing employee turnover.
Prof. Dr. Orlando Roque da Silva
Graduate Program in Administration (PPGA) at the Universidade de Marília
orlandosilva@unimar.br
Further reading:
ALVES, I. R. A inteligência emocional: influência na vida profissional e nas organizações. Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação, v. 7, n. 12, p. 300-307, 2021. Available in: https://periodicorease.pro.br/rease/article/view/3386. Access in: 30 mar. 2025.
SANTOS FILHO, S. B. Resiliência e inteligência emocional, habilidades, desafios e o papel da organização. Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação, 9(4), xx-xx, 2023. doi:10.51891/rease.v9i4.9240. Available in : https://periodicorease.pro.br/rease/article/view/9240/3621. Access in: 30 mar. 2025.
