Emotional Intelligence Assessment: 5 Proven Ways the TEIQue Helps Your Leaders

An emotional intelligence assessment is one of the most valuable tools an organisation can use to support its leaders. Most leaders are promoted because they are good at their job. They know the work, they deliver results and they are trusted to get things done. Yet when they step into a leadership role, many find that the hardest part is not the technical side of the work. It is the people side.

Why technical ability is no longer enough

Managing pressure, handling difficult conversations, motivating a team through change and staying calm when things go wrong all depend on something a CV rarely shows: emotional intelligence.

Across Ireland, the organisations I work with are asking more of their leaders than ever. Teams are stretched, hybrid working has changed how people connect, and wellbeing and engagement are firmly on the agenda. In that environment, how a leader manages themselves and others matters as much as what they know.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is about how we perceive, understand, manage and use emotions, both our own and other people’s. It shapes how we respond to stress, how we build relationships, how we influence others and how we adapt when things change.

Emotional intelligence can be developed. With the right insight and support, leaders can build greater self awareness and learn practical ways to strengthen the areas that matter most in their role. The ARC Healthy Living Centre example below shows what that looks like in practice.

What is the TEIQue emotional intelligence assessment?

The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) is one of the most thoroughly researched measures of emotional intelligence available. It was developed by Professor K. V. Petrides at University College London, and it is offered through Thomas International.

The TEIQue looks at emotional intelligence across four broad areas:

Wellbeing: a person’s overall sense of happiness, optimism and confidence in themselves.

Self control: how well they manage stress, regulate their emotions and control impulses.

Emotionality: how well they perceive and express emotions, show empathy and build close relationships.

Sociability: how they influence others, assert themselves and handle social situations.

Beneath these sit 15 more detailed facets, which give a rich and practical picture of how someone is likely to behave, particularly under pressure. The full questionnaire takes around 30 minutes to complete.

5 ways an emotional intelligence assessment helps leaders and organisations

1. It builds self awareness. Many leaders have never had a clear, objective view of their emotional strengths and blind spots. The TEIQue report gives them a language for understanding why they respond the way they do.

2. It shows how someone handles pressure. The areas that matter most in demanding roles, such as stress management, adaptability and emotion regulation, are measured directly. This helps leaders prepare for the moments that test them most.

3. It targets development where it counts. Instead of generic leadership training, the results point to specific areas to build on. That makes coaching and development more focused and far more likely to make a lasting difference.

4. It supports better selection and succession. For senior appointments and promotions, the TEIQue adds valuable insight alongside interviews, experience and other assessments. It helps you understand not just whether someone can do the job, but how they are likely to lead people through it.

5. It strengthens wellbeing and resilience. Leaders with greater emotional intelligence tend to cope better with pressure and create healthier environments for their teams. Investing in this area supports both the individual and the people around them.

The TEIQue in practice: ARC Healthy Living Centre

ARC Healthy Living Centre is a multifunctional charitable organisation that delivers health and social care across a large rural area, with a focus on reducing health inequality. It employs more than 60 people.

After an organisational review and restructure, ARC engaged Julie Allen Consulting at the end of 2021 to strengthen leadership capability, with a particular focus on emotional intelligence.

Thirteen managers and Board members completed the TEIQue, followed by a 90 minute feedback session to explore their strengths and development areas. Each person then took part in three one to one coaching sessions and two group workshops.

In 2024, eight of those managers completed the TEIQue again to reflect on their progress. When we compared their 2022 and 2024 results, there were significant improvements in the specific areas each person had targeted through coaching.

The wider organisation benefited too. ARC has seen:

• greater insight into behaviours and emotional responses
• stronger collective problem solving, moving from an “I can fix it” mindset to a “Why is it broken?” culture
• a more strategic and less operational approach within the management team
• a psychologically safer environment, with more openness to discuss uncomfortable thoughts and feelings

You can read the full ARC HLC case study here.

Where the TEIQue fits alongside the Thomas PPA

Many clients ask how the TEIQue differs from the Thomas Personal Profile Analysis (PPA). The two complement each other well.

The PPA shows how a person prefers to work, for example how they approach problems, communicate and respond to rules and routine. The TEIQue shows how they understand and manage emotions, both their own and other people’s.

Together, they give a well rounded view of how a leader is likely to perform, communicate and cope when the pressure is on.

How the TEIQue emotional intelligence assessment works

When you work with me on the TEIQue, the process is simple:

1. The participant completes the questionnaire online, which takes around 30 minutes.

2. I review the detailed report and prepare for a personal feedback session.

3. In the feedback session, we explore the results together, look at strengths and development areas, and agree practical next steps.

TEIQue assessments start from £425 plus VAT, including the full report and a feedback session. The TEIQue can be used for an individual leader, a leadership team or as part of a wider development programme that includes coaching and workshops, as ARC did.

You may also like: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Why Your Leaders May Be the Loneliest People in Your Organisation

Invest in the skill that shapes every conversation

Emotional intelligence influences every meeting, every decision and every difficult conversation a leader has. An emotional intelligence assessment is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your leaders and in the teams they lead.

Book your free 15 minute consultation to talk about how the TEIQue could support you or your leadership team, with no obligation.

Julie Allen is a Leadership Development and Organisational Wellbeing Consultant based in Northern Ireland. She is the only Certified ACT and ProSocial Matrix Facilitator on the Island of Ireland, and is an Internationally Certified user of Thomas International’s Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). She works with leaders and organisations across the private, voluntary and community sectors to build emotional intelligence, psychological flexibility, and genuine team connection.