Leading with Heart and Mind: the New Key Competency in Senior Management

As a leadership trainer in different sectors and countries, I can assure you that the difference between an ordinary leader and an extraordinary one lies in their ability to manage their emotions with intelligence, awareness, and purpose.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of accompanying executives in processes of profound transformation, where the challenge has not been technical or strategic, but deeply human. Based on that experience, I share with you a deeper reflection on the key axes that build emotional intelligence in senior management.

Clear and Rational Decision-making: Leading without Yielding to the Storm1029

I have seen executives collapse under pressure, make decisions based on anger or fear, and pay a high organizational cost. But I have also seen leaders who, despite the chaos, manage to maintain calm and choose clearly, it is to work precisely on: cultivating emotional self-regulation as a muscle. The true leader does not eliminate stress, he transforms it into clarity. When we master this skill, we move from reacting to responding, from impulsivity to discernment.

Conflict Resolution from Emotional Maturity

Tensions exist in every organization. The point is not to avoid them, but to turn them into opportunities for evolution. I have accompanied processes where seemingly irreconcilable conflicts were resolved when the leader changed their focus from “being right” to “seeking a solution”. Managing emotions allows us to act from justice, not from the wound. An emotionally mature leader does not defend themselves, they take responsibility.

Communication with Purpose: Speaking from Balance, Listening from Empathy

In corporate environments with high pressure, I have observed how poor emotional management can distort even the best message. The tone, the timing, the emotional charge… everything communicates. When we train teams at DIA1, one of the aspects we train the most is emotionally conscious communication. Because it is not enough to speak clearly: you have to speak with truth, without hurting, and with the willingness to listen with an open heart.

Organizational Climate: the Emotional Reflection of the Leader2604

I have said it many times in conferences and mentorships: the organizational climate is an emotional radiography of leadership. Tense, anxious, or scattered teams are not accidental. They are symptoms. When the leader works on their internal stability, the team feels it. And when they don’t, too. Emotions are contagious, especially from the top. Therefore, leading from serenity is an act of collective service.