Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Insights from IHHP Experts Greer Campbell and Marcie Stern
At IHHP, we believe that emotional intelligence (EI) is at the heart of effective leadership. In a conversation between Greer Campbell, a Senior Leadership Consultant at IHHP, and Marcie Stern, one of IHHP’s experienced facilitators, they discussed how emotional intelligence transforms leaders and organizations. Drawing from their background in Learning and Development and their own personal experiences, Greer and Marcie shed light on the practical applications of EI, why EI is so crucial for L&D strategies, and the ways in which EI has impacted their own lives.
You can watch their full discussion on YouTube:
Introducing Emotional Intelligence to Leadership
Marcie Stern’s journey with IHHP began when she was a client and first participated in IHHP’s Science of Emotional Intelligence program. “I was working at a Fortune 100 company when we brought in IHHP’s emotional intelligence program to help leaders build conversation skills, especially for difficult conversations,” she recalls.
At the time, her organization was struggling with a “nice culture,” where constructive feedback was often avoided. At IHHP, we call this a “Family Culture,” which is characterized by high connection and low courage. When teams prioritize niceness over candid feedback and open communication, critical issues often go unaddressed. This avoidance can lead to stagnation, as teams become complacent, failing to challenge the status quo or push boundaries. You can read more about the pitfalls of a family culture here. At Marcie’s organization, the introduction of emotional intelligence provided a much-needed framework for addressing those challenges.
Greer noted how there can sometimes be a certain assumption when it comes to Emotional Intelligence in the workplace that can become an obstacle for many organizations: the fear of EI being perceived as too “soft” or “touchy-feely.” Greer remarked, “When I first started at [IHHP], anything with ‘emotions’ in the title became a trigger for leaders.” Yet, over time, leaders begin to see the value of EI: they become more comfortable with tackling difficult moments, they feel a stronger sense of connectedness with their team members, and they can inspire those around them to be their best selves. Marcie’s experience at her organization reflects this shift, where leaders came to appreciate the practical impact of EI in navigating complex leadership situations and fostering accountability on their teams.
Research from Daniel Goleman, one of the leading voices in the field of emotional intelligence, reinforces the importance of EI in leadership. Goleman’s research shows that emotional intelligence is responsible for nearly 90% of the difference between high-performing leaders and average ones. As organizations continue to face unprecedented challenges, emotional intelligence will only become more essential in guiding leaders to success.
Creating a High-Performing Culture of Accountability Through Shared Language
In IHHP’s Science of Emotional Intelligence program, there are several concepts and strategies introduced to help demonstrate the importance of emotions and emotional intelligence in our day-to-day interactions. A fan favorite is the concept of “dropping markers,” which illustrates how, as we continue to become emotionally triggered, our ability for complex thinking is diminished, leaving us with less options for navigating situations – in this case, 4 markers represent the number of “options” we have when faced with a situation, and the fewer the number of markers we have, the fewer the number of options we consider in the moment.
When asked about whether the concepts made waves in her organization, Marcie laughed, “You can guess which concept I heard most repeated in the hallways – it was the dropping of markers!” She explained, “The common language was so valuable because people got it. They understood, they appreciated it, but it also became an opportunity to hold colleagues accountable.” This shared understanding helps leaders and team members alike to address and tackle challenges more openly, especially when difficult conversations are needed.
Greer emphasizes that this common language fosters a culture of accountability, particularly in high-stakes situations. For example, when leaders use terms like “dropping markers,” they refer to moments where someone fails to show up as their best self. By creating these terms, emotional intelligence becomes an everyday tool for leaders and employees, making it easier to have meaningful, growth-focused conversations.
According to Harvard Business Review, accountability is one of the most challenging leadership skills to develop, but it is essential for building high-performing teams. Emotional intelligence provides leaders with the emotional agility to hold their teams accountable without causing conflict or damage to relationships. This combination of empathy and accountability is what ultimately drives team success.
Sustaining Emotional Intelligence: How to Make it Stick
One of the biggest challenges for leadership development strategies is ensuring that the lessons learned in training sessions have a lasting impact. Greer acknowledges this reality: “A one-day training event is not going to shift behaviors in a really significant way.” To address this, IHHP offers long-term solutions such as our proprietary neuroscience-based EI360 assessment, which provides leaders with a detailed look at their emotional intelligence competencies. This tool, combined with follow-up coaching, ensures that leaders have the support they need to integrate EI into their daily practices.
Marcie elaborates on the value of the EI360 assessment: “The debrief conversations that follow the 360 really help leaders move the needle in one area of emotional intelligence at a time,” she says. This sustained approach allows leaders to focus on specific aspects of their own emotional intelligence skills and build on them over time, ensuring that the learning sticks and makes a real impact for them.
The Personal Impact of Emotional Intelligence
While Emotional Intelligence evidently has many benefits for individuals in professional settings, a major takeaway for many participants who go through Emotional Intelligence training is the ways the concepts can be applied in their personal lives. From better connecting to our children, spouses, and relatives, to managing our emotions in the more difficult moments, EI helps equip us to be better to those we care so deeply about. Greer notes, “I just love the program because it’s so applicable across the whole being of a person – at home and at work, you know?”
Marcie noted how, while she was facilitating a program, a participant told her that the content resonated with him and helped him with his marriage. “You know, a lot of people feel like it is more challenging at home – like they can button up and be professional in the work setting. But it is in the home environment where they seem to have the most challenge,” Marcie says.
“And I think it’s because we take those relationships for granted. We know that we’re going to be loved regardless of what comes out of our mouth in those moments when we’re emotionally triggered,” Greer added.
Emotional Intelligence: The Heart of Leadership Development
As the conversation draws to a close, Greer reflects on the broader impact of emotional intelligence in leadership. “I truly believe that leadership development cannot not include some form of emotional intelligence training,” she states. Marcie agrees, noting that emotional intelligence is foundational not only to leadership but also to being a good human.
This sentiment speaks to the core philosophy of IHHP: emotional intelligence is more than just a leadership tool—it’s a way of being that influences both personal and professional relationships. Greer and Marcie’s discussion underscores how emotional intelligence helps leaders navigate complex challenges, build trust, and create cultures of accountability and high performance.
At IHHP, we are dedicated to helping leaders develop the emotional intelligence skills they need to thrive. If you’re ready to take the next step in enhancing your L&D strategy and leadership capabilities, explore our emotional intelligence programs and assessments designed to create lasting, meaningful change within your organization.