632. Expert Interview: How to Navigate the Complexities of a Fractured Future with Emotional Intelligence

Caroline Stokes

Caroline Stokes is an executive headhunter, certified executive coach, and certified EQ.2.0 trainer, for leaders in global technology and entertainment innovation. Her clients have included Microsoft, Disney, Amazon and Google. She has written more than 70 articles for Forbes, VentureBeat and Undercover Recruiter, and regularly blogs in The Huffington Post, Thrive Global, LinkedIn and Medium.

In 2013, she founded FORWARD, the first executive search and coaching firm to incorporate executive coaching into her work with talent seeking new work or leadership development, along with coaching for the first 100 days to all talent placements, as a means of expediting success, both for the new employee and the organization.

In 2017, Caroline founded The Emotionally Intelligent Recruiter training platform and hosts the podcast to help recruiters, leaders who hire and HR evolve their human strategies to the new age of artificial intelligence (AI).

How to Navigate the Complexities of a Fractured Future with Emotional Intelligence

“The good news is that emotional intelligence, also known as EQ, is now in the mainstream. The World Economic Forum says that emotional intelligence is one of the top 10 skills needed in the workforce by the year 2020. It’s clear that the world is changing, that you need to have emotional intelligence in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Knowing how to work and play with others well is going to be particularly important.”

Why Is This Important?

“There is a growing understanding that huge chunks of the workforce will see their jobs taken away and their work repackaged so it can be handled by robots, by artificial intelligence. That is why humans need to develop their emotional intelligence, so they can excel when it comes to working with others, leading teams and understanding what new opportunities are there. This will enable them to navigate a fractured future rather than dwell in the past and resent the changes. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is much deeper work to be done.”

What Are the Key Lessons Learned Here?

“It’s no longer just a case of saying, ‘I want to get this job. I’ve got the skills.’ You need to have a culture fit, and demonstrate on a regular basis that you are a student of emotional intelligence. EQ has five composites: self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal, decision making, and stress management. Then there are 15 subscales related to them, and they are all interconnected. The workplace will require more than technical skills, it will require people with strong emotional intelligence.”