(And One of the Most Overlooked Ones in Leadership) Let’s Clear Something Up Emotional intelligence is often misunderstood. It gets lumped into: “Soft skills” Personality traits Being nice Avoiding conflict But emotional intelligence isn’t about being agreeable or passive. It’s about regulation, judgment, timing, and respect. And in real life — especially in leadership — the lack of it shows fast. What Emotional Intelligence Looks Like in the Real World Emotional intelligence