Making the Most of Emotional Intelligence in Teams
Every team has its technical experts, its planners, its doers. But what often decides whether the group feels energised or drained, united or divided, is emotional intelligence (EI). It’s the unspoken layer of teamwork — the way people pick up on moods, handle stress, and respond to change.
And while at an overall level it’s clear that high EI almost always helps, there is actually more happening under the surface. Research shows that a emotionally intelligent workplace tends to produce better outcomes, leaders are more engaging, and workers are less likely to want to leave. Internal TALY research has shown similar findings too, with links to team cohesion, stronger culture, job satisfaction, career confidence, and confidence using artificial intelligence.
In fact, EI doesn’t look the same in everyone. Some are brilliant at noticing what others feel, some steady the group in tough times, and some know how to turn emotions into fuel for progress. Managing this diversity isn’t about choosing one style over another. It’s about recognising the value each brings, and weaving them together so the team can thrive.
In today’s TALY blog, let’s dive in together to explore this further
Most tools force you to choose: personality, or emotional intelligence, or risk. TALY is the only one that brings them all together—three powerful dimensions in one simple, integrated report.
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What is emotional intelligence
Perceiving & expressing emotions: The ability to notice emotions in yourself and others, and communicate them clearly so people feel understood.
Understanding emotions: The skill of interpreting what emotions mean, spotting patterns, and anticipating how they might change in different situations.
Harnessing emotions: Using feelings as a resource to fuel motivation, problem-solving, creativity, and decision-making.
Managing & controlling emotions: Regulating emotions in yourself and helping others stay calm, balanced, and constructive under pressure.
Together, these four abilities form TALY’s emotional intelligence model, showing how emotions can be recognised, made sense of, used effectively, and guided with control. They work as a cycle, helping people build self-awareness, connect with others, and make thoughtful choices.
Most importantly – unlike personality – they’re skills, which you can develop, round out, and deliberately grow with practice!
The four aspects of Emotional Intelligence
Perceivers & expressers — bringing authenticity
Every team has moments where emotions hang in the air but no one names them. That’s where high scorers on perceiving and expressing shine. They notice the subtle shift in tone during a meeting, the colleague who’s unusually quiet, or the tension that builds when deadlines feel unrealistic. Instead of brushing past it, they give it voice — sometimes with a simple, “It feels like we’re all a bit stretched right now.”
By putting feelings into words, they create a culture where honesty is normal and safe. Others feel permission to open up, and tricky issues can be worked through before they fester. Their gift is bringing an appropriate authenticity that keeps the team real, human, and connected — even when the pressure’s on.
Managers & controllers — steadying the ship
When the waters get choppy, managers and controllers (high scorers on managing & controlling emotions) act like ballast. Deadlines looming? They keep calm and help the group focus on priorities. A conflict brewing? They listen without flaring up, showing by example how to stay composed. Their steadiness helps others regulate, often without anyone realising it’s happening.
Think of the teammate who, in the middle of a tense project review, says, “Let’s pause for a moment and step back — what’s the most important thing we need to solve here?” That pause resets the emotional temperature. These are the anchors in change and crisis — reliable, calming, and a quiet source of confidence for the rest of the team..
Harnessers — turning emotion into insight
Harnessers know that emotions aren’t noise to ignore, but signals to work with. They’re tuned in to how energy flows through a team: when motivation is peaking, when fatigue is creeping in, when frustration is about to spill over. Rather than being swept along, these high scorers on harnessing emotions use those signals to steer.
Picture a harnesser in a brainstorming session: they notice the dip in energy and spark things back up with a fresh prompt, or they sense frustration rising and reframe the problem so momentum isn’t lost. Their strength is turning emotional undercurrents into practical tools — using them to motivate, to redirect, or to bring people together around a shared goal.
Understanders — seeing the patterns behind feelings
Not all emotions show up as they first appear. Someone’s frustration might really be about feeling unheard, or a colleague’s silence might be more about exhaustion than disagreement. This is where strong “understanders” – those who score high on understanding emotions – add real value.
They’re able to connect the dots: noticing how emotions evolve, spotting patterns across situations, and anticipating what might happen next. For example, in a long project they’ll see the early signs of burnout before anyone says a word, or they’ll know that a sudden spike in enthusiasm might fade unless it’s supported with structure.
By interpreting the “why” behind emotions, understanders give teams foresight. They help prevent issues before they escalate, and they guide the group to respond with more empathy, patience, and precision.
Leading with EI diversity
For leaders, the goal isn’t to smooth everyone into the same style — it’s to give each strength its moment to shine. That might look like:
Pairing expressers with managers when tackling sensitive issues, so honesty and steadiness go hand in hand.
Asking harnessers to help design how the team celebrates wins or manages energy through long projects.
Creating short, structured check-ins that let expressers name what’s happening without overwhelming the agenda.
Leaning on understanders to debrief you when things seemed tense or got heated in the room.
Leaders who deliberately weave these roles together don’t just manage emotions — they build resilience, trust, and adaptability into the team itself. Luckily, TALY takes out the guesswork of identifying and nurturing this talent in your team, giving you dedicated, real-time insights into how people’s emotional intelligence looks like and performs in a range of contexts and scenarios!
Closing thought
When you step back, it’s clear that no single EI strength is enough on its own. Teams need authenticity, steadiness, and insight in different moments. Together, these create team harmony and cohesion — increasing the overall capacity to face change, manage pressure, and still stay connected as people.
The best leaders don’t just celebrate these differences; they actively design for them. They give space for expressers to voice what’s real, they lean on managers when calm is needed, and they call on harnessers to channel energy into momentum.
EI diversity isn’t a challenge to smooth out. It’s the advantage that makes a team more adaptable, more human, and ultimately, more effective.
Which of these strengths do you see most in your team — and how can you give it more room to shine?