Building Emotional Intelligence into a High-Potential Program

The Challenge

A leading communications company saw that its future leaders needed stronger skills to handle the challenges of the workforce after the pandemic. These high-potential leaders were on track to step into important roles soon. The company’s leadership team wanted to help them become better at guiding their teams and leading with confidence.

The Approach

To help their future leaders grow, the company teamed up with SIY Global to add emotional intelligence training to their high-potential program. SIY Global led workshops that taught leaders essential EI skills like empathy, self-management, resilience, team collaboration, and more.

This training built on the program’s focus on personal growth by adding a team-centered perspective. The group of high-potential leaders selected for the program learned how to apply emotional intelligence principles to real-world challenges. These included managing stress, improving team dynamics, and creating psychological safety.

The program aligned with the company’s broader leadership vision of empowering leaders to adapt and thrive in their roles. As their Chief People Officer has stated, modern leadership requires “unique ways of supporting individuals on their teams.” SIY Global’s science-backed approach helped make this goal a reality.

The Impact

Since the partnership began, the program has reached over 100 high-potential leaders. The broader strategy includes equipping 300 rising leaders with the tools needed for emotional intelligence training for leadership development reached 100 high potential leaders success.

Participants reported significant improvements, including:

A shift from self-focused to team-oriented leadership.
Enhanced empathy and collaboration with their teams.
Greater resilience in managing high-stakes projects and stress.

These outcomes reflect the company’s commitment to investing in leadership development as a driver of both employee engagement and organizational performance. By bringing emotional intelligence training, the company has created a sustainable model for cultivating adaptive, empathetic leaders to lead the future of the company.

Why Emotional Intelligence in High-Potential Programs Matters

This case demonstrates how integrating emotional intelligence in high-potential programs accelerates leadership growth and prepares leaders for senior roles. By prioritizing EI development, this communications company prepares its most promising leaders to inspire, support, and retain high-performing teams—fueling meaningful cultural change and driving organizational success.

What Participants Are Saying

"What struck me most was how many of my peers are facing similar work and personal challenges."

"Amazing and transformative experience."

"Do programs like this for more than just senior leaders. Every employee needs these tools."

"This is better than therapy – I am getting support and tools to make myself a better person."

"I actually think this could have been one more day"

Learn more about SIY Global’s full program suite by visiting our programs page.