#114 Sales & Pepper Podcast | #1 Leadership Skill in 2026: Emotional Intelligence

#1 Leadership Skill in 2026: Emotional
Intelligence


In this episode of Sales & Pepper, Dominic
Klingberg sits down with Stephanie
Herre, leader at EcoVadis, to discuss
what will truly differentiate great leaders in the coming years:
Emotional Intelligence.





As AI takes over more operational tasks and organizations face
increasing pressure, leadership is no longer about authority or
control. Stephanie shares why emotional intelligence is becoming
a decisive performance factor — especially in high-growth,
high-stress environments — and what leaders must unlearn to stay
effective.





This episode is a must-listen for founders, executives, and
managers who want to lead people, not just processes.





In this episode, you’ll learn:







Why emotional intelligence is the most important leadership
skill for the future




How pressure and uncertainty expose weak leadership




The difference between empathy and effective leadership




Why trust and psychological safety drive performance




How emotionally intelligent leaders handle conflict and
feedback




What leadership needs to look like in the AI era







Key Insights / Hot Takes:







“Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill — it’s a
leadership multiplier.”




“Pressure doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”




“People don’t leave companies, they leave leaders.”




“Leadership without emotional intelligence doesn’t scale.”







Who should listen to this episode?







Founders & Co-Founders




Executives & Senior Leaders




Sales & Revenue Leaders




Managers building and scaling teams




Anyone preparing for leadership in 2026 and beyond




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Connect with Stephanie on Linkedin


Connect with Dominic on Linkedin





Bonus: Get 50 free Kickscale meeting analyses


Kickscale automatically records, analyzes, and pushes insights
from sales calls directly into your CRM — enabling better
coaching, forecasting, and leadership decisions.


https://www.kickscale.com/lp/partnership-sales-and-pepper





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Transparency Notice / Ad Disclosure:


This episode contains paid partnerships.


Our partners Kickscale and
HubSpot support the Sales & Pepper podcast.


All opinions shared are independent; partner mentions are part of
the collaboration.