Digital Emotional Intelligence – a Critical Skill for Future Leaders

What does emotional intelligence (EI) mean in today’s highly digitalized landscape? With such a large chunk of our interactions mediated by technology, we need a new understanding of EI to make sense of today’s emotional nuances in the virtual world. The future of intelligent, human-centric leadership depends upon it.

Why Digital Emotional Intelligence Matters in Virtual Interactions

Imagine this situation: it is Monday, you are short-staffed and you receive this text message from one of your co-workers: “Sorry boss, can’t come in today, I’m sick”. How do you interpret this? How do you perceive your co-worker’s emotions, are they genuinely sad to be unable to come to work? How do you make sense of your own emotions and how do you react? Do you send a passive-aggressive text like: “Oh, on a Monday, how surprising…..”? Or rather do you show some understanding and reply with: “Oh no, very sad to hear! I hope you get better soon”? Your analysis of the situation and the type of answer you choose will typically reflect your level of digital emotional intelligence.

As more and more of our interactions happen online, digital emotional intelligence is becoming a vital factor in the workplace. Emotional intelligence is the oil that lubricates the machine of human connection, especially online where in-presence proximity is missing.

The tools for virtual exchanges come with their own nuances and sensitivities, e.g., what feels right via email might not be so appropriate via WhatsApp. It’s important to be aware of these subtleties or you might miss (or twist) a whole part of the story.

Understanding this will have a huge impact on performance and productivity since work outcomes are hugely dependent on how virtual messages are sent and perceived.

Leaders need to be aware that, even in the virtual world, team members are all different. Awareness of these differences should impact the choice of messages and how they are delivered. In turn, the interpretation of messages will equally hang on the sender and the tool.

How it Differs From ‘Traditional’ Emotional Intelligence

Digital emotional intelligence can be seen as the combination of digital skills and emotional intelligence. Digital skills are what enable you to navigate the online world, from technical skills (e.g., operating a laptop or a mobile phone) to critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills (e.g., debunking fake news or finding a solution to a problem online).

Emotional intelligence is the ability to accurately perceive, understand and manage emotions in oneself and in others. Digital emotional intelligence thus consists of the ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions in the digital world, facilitated by one’s digital skills.

The Role of Communication Tools

The digital realm, where digital emotional intelligence takes place, is marked by a great variety of communication tools and practices, from e-mail to instant messaging, to audio and video conferencing. All these tools and practices have their own specificities that we can basically characterize in two dimensions, that of richness and that of synchronicity.

Richness suggests that communication tools and practices vary in the volume of cues that can be exchanged. Email will mostly allow to share text and is in that respect pretty lean; instant messaging often integrates more enriched cues with emojis, stickers and GIFs, as well as audio notes; video conferencing is the most similar to face-to-face communication as image and sound are shared and is, in that respect, the richest. The volume of cues that can be shared plays an important role in digital emotional intelligence as more cues mean more possibilities to share varied emotional nuances and, respectively, to decipher and understand them.

Synchronicity suggests that communication tools and practices vary in that they are more or less instantaneous. Synchronous media offer live exchanges and immediate feedback, whereas less synchronous media are marked by a delay in the way the communication is shared, which allows for rehearsal on the encoding side, and repetition on the decoding side.

Synchronicity plays a crucial role for emotional intelligence: instantaneity gives access to more genuine emotions and the possibility to ask for clarifications, whereas asynchronicity makes it possible to better regulate the emotions displayed (e.g., by re-writing the same message over and over, and making sure that we adopt the right tone), but also to better analyze the emotions presented in a message (e.g., by re-reading it over again to analyze its content and the emotions at stake).

A Must-Have Skill for Future Leaders

Digital emotional intelligence is required for each of our online interactions, especially in dynamic and heavily connected environments such as modern workplaces. Digitally emotionally intelligent people are those who master several abilities.

• First, they can pick up the variety of emotional cues (punctuation, emojis, GIFs, tone, pauses and facial expressions) in digital environments.
• Second, they can make sense of these cues, by understanding their contextualized meaning.
• Third, they can regulate their own emotions and those of others, for example, by choosing the right communication tool to avoid escalation or to de-escalate an emotionally laden situation.

In the digital world, emotions are just as present as in face-to-face interactions, but they can be harder to decipher. The ability to ‘read the room’ in virtual spaces requires not only understanding the content of a message but is also a factor of the medium through which it is delivered. Digital emotional intelligence is about perceiving emotions, our own and those of others, and making sense of them – even when interactions happen through screens.

A common misconception is that digital communication is purely technical or inhuman, reducing everything to binary data. But behind every email, message and video call, there are real people with thoughts and reactions, (even if it’s just boredom!).

Strong leadership in the digital space depends on the ability to interpret these subtleties and respond appropriately. Regulating emotions is just as important online as offline, whether it means pausing before sending a message or writing an email you never end up sending. At its core, digital communication isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about maintaining the human connection that underpins all meaningful interactions. For this reason, as work interactions become more and more virtual, digital emotional intelligence must be at the core of future leadership skills.

How to Develop Your Online EI

Mastering digital emotional intelligence requires a mix of awareness and adaptability to drive an intentional style of communication. Here are three best practices to reflect on and develop this crucial skill:

1. “The Medium Is the Message” – Marshall McLuhan

Choose the right communication channel. Different tools convey emotions differently. Video calls provide richer emotional context, while emails and messages require clarity and nuance. Consider the medium’s richness and synchronicity before responding to sensitive topics.

Use digital cues effectively, e.g., tone can be easily misinterpreted in text-based communication. Make thoughtful use of punctuation, emojis, GIFs – they can add warmth and intent to otherwise vague messages.

Be mindful of context; what works in a casual chat may not be appropriate in a professional setting.

2. There’s a Human Behind the Screen

Get used to always reading between the lines, without falling into overthinking. Digital messages often omit body language and vocal tone, hence, it’s essential to pay attention to subtle cues like phrasing, response time and choice of words. If something feels off, seek clarification rather than making assumptions.

Cultivate empathy and emotional regulation. Behind every message is a human being with unique emotions. Practice empathetic listening in virtual meetings, acknowledge colleagues’ emotions and, above all, be ready to regulate your own reactions.

When in doubt, reframe interactions with curiosity rather than judgment to steer towards a more constructive conversation.

3. You Too Are a Human Behind the Screen

You are not less human just because of a screen. Make sure to acknowledge your emotions, work on understanding them even in online settings and manage them accordingly.

If necessary, pause before responding. Instant messaging has gotten us used to constant chatting and giving fast answers, but that might not be what’s most suited in specific work circumstances. Take a moment to assess your emotions before responding to a message, especially in high-stakes or emotionally charged situations.

A well-crafted response goes a long way in demonstrating understanding and so helps to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Balancing Emotional Intelligence: The Digital vs. Real-World Connection

Emotional intelligence, whether in person or online, is fundamentally about understanding people and responding appropriately. But the digital world presents its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. Some individuals are naturally more adept at reading in-person cues (e.g., body language, facial expressions, tone), while others thrive in digital spaces, understanding the subtle codes of online communication (e.g., phrasing, emojis, response timing, platform-specific etiquette).

Today’s leaders, however, must master both spheres. The ability to seamlessly navigate both real-world and virtual interactions is a defining skill for effective leadership in our increasingly digital-first environment. A key takeaway: just because an interaction happens virtually does not make it any less real.

The impact of words exchanged in emails, messages or video calls carries the same weight as those spoken face-to-face. A thoughtless or harsh message can damage relationships just as much as an abrupt comment in person. Conversely, well-crafted, empathetic communication, whether online or offline, can strengthen engagement and collaboration.

The Role of Digital Emotional Intelligence in the Future of Work

As technology continues to reshape how we work and connect, digital emotional intelligence is becoming an increasingly vital skill. In the workplace, it will determine how leaders instill team cohesion and build productivity across digital platforms. In leadership, it will differentiate those who can inspire and engage effectively across all contexts. In everyday life, it will dictate how we form and maintain relationships in a world where virtual interactions are ever more prevalent.

Ultimately, mastering digital emotional intelligence is not just about navigating the digital world, it’s about ensuring that, even in a digital-first society, we continue to communicate with clarity and human centricity. Those who refine this skill will gain a powerful edge in both their professional and personal lives, having understood that emotional intelligence is just as crucial in a virtual space as it is in the real world.

Bertrand Audrin is an Assistant Professor at EHL Hospitality Business School. Connect with Bertrand on LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on EHL Insights.