BONUS: A Four-Week Online Compassion and Gratitude Training Programme to Enhance Emotion Regulation Among Leaders

Abstract Background: Emotional intelligence (EI), particularly the
ability to regulate one’s emotions, is a key protective factor
against stress and burnout in high-demand occupations, including
leadership and healthcare. Compassion and gratitude practices have
been proposed as brief, scalable methods to strengthen emotion
regulation, yet empirical evidence from randomised controlled
trials remains limited. Objective: This study evaluated whether a
four-week, self-directed online programme combining daily
loving-kindness meditation and gratitude journaling improves EI
among leaders. Methods: Forty-five leaders in Germany from diverse
occupational sectors were recruited via LinkedIn and Xing and were
randomised using a computer-generated random sequence to an
intervention or wait-list control group. EI was measured pre- and
post-intervention with the Emotional Competence Questionnaire
(EKF), comprising recognising one’s own feelings (RU), recognising
others’ feelings (RO), regulating one’s own feelings (RC; primary
outcome), and expressing feelings (RE). Adherence was reported in
categorical form (e.g., daily, 3–5×/week, 1–2×/week). Treatment
effects were tested using mixed-design ANOVAs. Results: A
significant Group × Time interaction emerged for emotion regulation
(RC), indicating greater improvement in the intervention group
compared with the control group. No significant interaction effects
were found for RU, RO, or RE. Adherence data did not permit
dose–response analysis. Conclusions: A brief, self-directed online
compassion and gratitude programme selectively improved emotion
regulation—the EI facet most strongly linked to stress buffering
and resilience. Although effects did not extend to other EI
dimensions, findings suggest that low-threshold digital practices
may strengthen a core emotional skill relevant to psychological
well-being in leadership roles. Because the sample did not
primarily comprise healthcare professionals, implications for
healthcare settings re-main conceptual; targeted trials in clinical
populations are warranted.