In the country, there are business training programs from training centers and entities that support entrepreneurs that have incorporated emotional intelligence as a key competency for team management and business development
SANTO DOMINGO. – In the Dominican business world, more and more leaders are discovering that success is not only built on positive financial balances, expansion strategies, or good real estate locations, but also on something less visible, yet crucial: the management of emotions.
In an environment where pressure for results is constant, emotional intelligence has become a key factor in maintaining healthy companies and productive teams. This is the view of leadership and organizational psychology specialists, who warn that the ability to recognize, regulate, and channel emotions directly impacts decision-making, the work environment, and business sustainability.
In the last decade, business leadership has ceased to be defined solely by the ability to generate financial results. Increasingly, scientific evidence suggests that emotional intelligence directly influences the effectiveness of leaders, the quality of decisions, and the sustainability of organizations.
In other words, business success is also played out in the emotional arena.
The scientific basis of emotional leadership
One of the most cited works in the field is the meta-analysis published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior by Harms and Credé (2010). This study analyzed multiple previous investigations on emotional intelligence and leadership, concluding that there is a significant relationship between the two variables.
The central finding is that leaders with higher emotional intelligence tend to be rated as more effective, especially in managing interpersonal relationships, communication, and the ability to influence their teams.
Psychologist Daniel Goleman, a world-renowned expert in this field, has argued that professional success depends not only on IQ, but largely on skills such as empathy, self-regulation, and the ability to relate effectively with others.
In his article “What Makes a Leader?”, published in Harvard Business Review (1998), he argues that emotional competencies can be even more decisive than technical skills or IQ in leadership performance.
Goleman has also estimated that between 80% and 90% of the competencies that distinguish outstanding leaders are linked to emotional intelligence.
From global knowledge to business practice
In the Dominican Republic, this approach has been progressively incorporated into business training through soft skills development programs taught by institutions such as INFOTEP, universities, BARNA, and other business training centers.
In these spaces, self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and assertive communication are developed as key skills for team management and decision-making.
Although there are no large-scale local studies published on emotional intelligence and business leadership in the country, the incorporation of the topic into training programs reveals that the regional trend is being followed and the professionalization of leadership is not limited to the technical aspects.
The personal dimension of leadership
Behind every company, there is also a human story. Entrepreneurs and executives agree that leadership is not separate from personal life: stress, loss, anxiety, or even euphoria influence how decisions are made.
Therefore, emotional management isn't just something that happens in the office. It includes self-care habits, time for reflection, and, in many cases, professional support. Research in organizational psychology indicates that employee well-being indirectly translates into better performance, lower turnover, and greater job satisfaction.
In the real estate sector, where decisions often involve high investments, constant negotiation and pressure for results, emotional management becomes a strategic asset.
Impulsiveness in a negotiation, the inability to manage stress, or difficulty in managing conflicts can directly affect the closing of deals and professional reputation.
Conversely, leaders with greater emotional regulation tend to maintain more stable relationships, negotiate more clearly, and reduce team turnover.
Scientific evidence agrees on one point: leadership is not disconnected from personal life.
Accumulated stress, anxiety, and emotional overload affect the quality of business decisions. Therefore, emotional management is not limited to the corporate environment but extends to personal habits of self-care, rest, and reflection.
In this sense, emotional intelligence is not only a business management tool, but also a mechanism for personal sustainability.
The available evidence, from the studies of Harms and Credé to the contributions of Daniel Goleman, suggests the same direction: emotions are not an accessory element of leadership, but a structural component of business success.
Leadership experts point out that emotional intelligence allows for more than just "staying calm": it facilitates reading others, improves negotiation, and helps sustain long-term relationships, a critical element in markets where trust is key.
The ability to manage emotions has become a critical skill for sustaining businesses, teams, and career paths.
Recommendations for managing emotional intelligence in leadership
The following practices are derived from the literature on emotional intelligence developed by Daniel Goleman, as well as from research in organizational psychology published in media such as Harvard Business Review and leadership studies applied in business environments:
- Recognizing emotions in real time. Identifying the emotional state before responding in stressful situations, a skill associated with self-regulation described by Goleman.
- Pause, think, and analyze before making critical decisions. This is a recommended practice in emotional leadership literature to avoid impulsive responses in negotiation or conflict situations.
- Separating emotion from analysis in decision-making. In organizational psychology, it is considered key to distinguish between immediate emotional reaction and rational evaluation of scenarios.
- Develop active listening skills within work teams. A key skill in relational leadership models promoted by research in applied emotional intelligence.
- Promoting emotionally healthy work environments. In line with organizational well-being approaches promoted by leadership programs in academic and business institutions.
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