Emotional Intelligence at Work: Tips for Surviving Pressure & 12 Phrases to Try
Interesting Statistics on Emotional Intelligence
- Emotional intelligence (EI) makes up around 58 % of job performance across roles.
- If you’ve got high emotional intelligence, you could earn on average US$29,000 more a year.
- 90 % of top performers have high emotional intelligence.
- Leaders with empathy rate more than 40 % higher in team engagement, decision-making, coaching.
- Organisations that lean into EI are said to be 22 times more likely to perform better.
Emotional Intelligence Tools You Can Use
- Start with awareness. Ask yourself: what am I feeling and why? Or ask yourself: Why am I being triggered by this? This stops you being reactionary and more responsive.
- Label it. “I feel frustrated.” Psychologists will often use this technique to help build resilience.
- Pause. Find ways to create space. More importantly slow your breath. Focus on what you can control right now and hold off thinking about the things you cant.
Chris Donnelly, a Business Entrepreneur from the UK came up with these fantastic phrases.
1. Let’s focus on what we can control right now.
↳ Use this Stoic mindset to hone your energy.
2. I need a moment to process this before responding.
↳ Reacting in an emotional state can cause regret later.
3. What do you think is the best approach here?
↳ Make others feel involved in the decision-making process.
4. What’s your biggest concern about this?
↳ It’s important to address the core problem.
5. Let’s break this down into smaller steps.
↳ This makes a daunting task more approachable.
6. How can I support you right now?
↳ Coming from a place of selflessness is highly effective.
7. Let’s revisit this when we have more clarity.
↳ Sometimes you need space and time from the problem to solve it.
8. I understand where you’re coming from.
↳ This is highly useful for disagreements.
9. I appreciate your patience as we work through this.
↳ Being kind during a stressful moment can ease tension.
10. What’s our top priority right now?
↳ Understanding what to focus on immediately is key.
11. How can we turn this around?
↳ Lay out a roadmap to solve the problem at hand.
12. This is tough, but we’ll get through it.
↳ Addressing the severity of the issue is important.
Drop one in when things get heated. You’ll look like you’ve got a calm mind (because you do!).
How Emotional Intelligence Shows Up in Teams
| EI Skill | What It Does | Why It Matters |
| Self-awareness | You catch your mood before it wrecks things | You stay in charge of your reactions |
| Self-regulation | You don’t say the thing you’ll regret | Calm decisions beat emotional outbursts |
| Empathy | You get what others feel | You build trust, not walls |
| Communication skills | You talk with clarity | Teams click, not clash |
Teams high in Emotional Intelligence rebound better. They handle conflict, stay honest, and work smart. Plus, they stick around—75 % of managers say high-EQ people get promotions over high-IQ ones.
Yet EI scores dropped 5.54 % globally from 2019 to 2023. Something’s off. We need more practice.
Quick Checklist for Your Daily EQ
- Notice your mood first.
- Ask yourself: “What’s the feeling behind this?”
- Use a pressure-moment phrase.
- Offer empathy.
- Invite others in: “What’s your biggest concern?”
- Reflect later: “Let’s revisit this when we have more clarity.”
Emotional intelligence isn’t a trend anymore; it’s now become a vital behavioural competence for individual leaders and vital for organisational sustainability. Ultimately, it matters for your career, yourself, your team. When you can shift how you react you become more effective in how you lead and how you connect.
Some food for thought:
- What’s been your toughest emotional moment at work?
- Which pressure line (the 12 phrase) might you try next time?
- What creates a blind spot in your self-awareness?
Let’s chat about what you’ve heard, seen, or tried. Better emotional smarts? You’re ahead already.
Check out our upcoming free MASTERCLASSES that focus on how to Feel Good at Work, how to work Better Together, Talk Smart (communication techniques), Mission Control (leadership techniques), Essential Human Skills, and how to Tame Your Time.
If you want to improve your behavioural skills and master the human side of work, book your free strategy session here.
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