Emotion has often been viewed as something to be controlled with will or regulated for longer-term goals. The message has been clear - emotion is to be restrained, constrained. More recently, neuroscientists (e.g., Helion & Ochsner, 2015) have reframed the relationship between cognition and emotion as, "a smooth dance between equal and inseparable partners—when one shifts the other moves accordingly, and though one may take the lead, it takes two to tango."

Leaders of organizations are navigating an unbelievable complex and dynamic system of cognitive and emotional experiences within and between themselves and others. Further, much of this occurs below the level of conscious attention. Recent research (Eurich, 2018) noted that, "95% of people think they’re self-aware, but the real number is closer to 10% to 15%".

Emotional intelligence, the collection of social and emotional competencies with which we navigate relationships, is a critical leadership characteristic. However, the reason is far deeper than Daniel Goleman and other writers have posited. At the core of Emotional Intelligence is love. And love – for self and others – has profound consequences for the physical, psychological, and professional well-being of anyone in a leadership relationship.