Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training in Male

Programme Overview

Leadership in ministries, public agencies and project teams is increasingly judged on how well managers handle people: how they hold difficult conversations, keep teams steady under pressure, give feedback that changes performance and build trust across departments. These are the everyday situations in which emotional intelligence, the ability to perceive, understand and regulate emotions in oneself and others, shows up as a practical management skill.

The evidence base is now strong enough to treat emotional intelligence as a learnable competence rather than a fixed trait. A meta-analysis by Mattingly and Kraiger (2019), drawing on 58 training studies, found a moderate positive effect of formal training on emotional intelligence, and exploratory results suggested that training works better when it relies on practice and feedback rather than lectures. This programme is built on that finding: most of the time is spent on rehearsal, structured feedback and real cases from participants’ own workplaces.

Research also shows where the skill matters most. Joseph and Newman’s integrative meta-analysis (2010) describes a cascade in which emotion perception supports emotion understanding, which supports deliberate emotion regulation, which in turn relates to job performance, with the clearest link in roles that carry high emotional demands. Public-facing services, hospitality, health, frontline regulation and project teams working with communities all fit this description.

The programme is held in Male, the capital of the Maldives, where the government is investing in senior leadership development through an Executive Development Programme for 2025–2027 delivered with the Civil Service Training Institute and the Foreign Service Institute of Maldives, with service excellence as a stated theme. This makes Male a relevant setting for leaders who want to connect personal skills with institutional service culture.

Over five days, participants move from self-awareness to team leadership, conflict, wellbeing and influence, and finish with a personal leadership development plan they can apply in their own organisation.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Evidence-based understanding of emotional intelligence models and measures
• Leadership self-awareness and reflective practice
• Emotion regulation under pressure and in public scrutiny
• Empathy and perspective-taking in service delivery
• Constructive feedback and performance conversations
• Managing underperformance with fairness and clarity
• Conflict prevention and resolution within and between teams
• Psychological safety and open reporting of problems
• Manager support for staff wellbeing and stress prevention
• Trust-building with stakeholders, communities and partners
• Influence and persuasion grounded in integrity
• Delegation and coaching conversations
• Leading change and uncertainty
• Inclusive leadership across diverse teams
• Values-driven public service leadership
• Personal leadership development planning and follow-up

The emphasis throughout is practical: each concept is translated into behaviours a manager can practise, observe in others and build into routine team processes.

The Growing Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Public sector reform has moved people leadership closer to the centre of performance. The OECD Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability, adopted in January 2019, organises its 14 principles under three pillars, the first of which is a values-driven culture and leadership. It asks governments to build leadership capability and to foster inclusive and safe workplaces, which places the interpersonal skills of managers firmly on the reform agenda.

Workplace wellbeing is the second driver. In 2022 the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization estimated that about 12 billion working days are lost each year to depression and anxiety, at a cost of nearly US$1 trillion to the global economy. The WHO guidelines on mental health at work recommended manager training for the first time, so that managers can recognise and respond to staff in distress and prevent stressful working conditions.

The third driver is retention and commitment. Meta-analytic work summarised in a 2024 editorial in Frontiers in Psychology links emotional intelligence with job satisfaction and organisational commitment, and inversely with intentions to leave. For agencies and project units that struggle to retain skilled staff, the quality of day-to-day management is one of the few levers fully under their own control.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Reading the emotional climate of a team and acting early
• Staying composed in high-stakes meetings and public settings
• Separating facts, interpretations and emotions in difficult situations
• Giving specific, timely and respectful feedback
• Holding accountability conversations without damaging relationships
• Resolving conflict between colleagues, units or partners
• Recognising signs of stress and directing staff to support
• Building trust with citizens, clients and communities
• Influencing without formal authority across agencies
• Coaching staff to solve problems themselves
• Leading teams through restructuring or reform
• Modelling integrity and consistency under pressure
• Making decisions that balance empathy with fairness

Strong emotional intelligence systems help organisations:

• Reduce avoidable conflict and grievances
• Improve the quality of service interactions
• Retain capable staff and reduce turnover costs
• Raise the honesty of upward reporting on risks and problems
• Strengthen cooperation between departments
• Support staff wellbeing and reduce absence
• Make performance management fairer and more consistent
• Build leadership pipelines with clear behavioural standards
• Sustain morale during change

Emotional intelligence is not a substitute for technical skill, clear rules or sound systems. The research is clear that its effect on performance depends on the role and on how it is measured. The programme therefore treats it as one part of effective leadership and links every skill to concrete management tasks.

Who Should Attend This Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Permanent secretaries, directors general and senior executives
• Directors and heads of department in ministries and agencies
• Project directors and managers of project implementation units
• Team leaders and supervisors in public services
• Human resource and organisational development managers
• Learning and development officers and internal trainers
• Managers in state-owned enterprises
• Hospitality, tourism and guest-services managers
• Health service and hospital managers
• Customer service and frontline service managers
• Community engagement and stakeholder relations officers
• Programme managers in NGOs and development partners
• Newly promoted managers moving into people leadership
• Technical specialists who lead multi-disciplinary teams
• Executive assistants and chiefs of staff supporting senior leaders

Participants benefit most when they bring one or two real leadership situations from their own work. Mixed groups from public, private and development organisations are encouraged, since many challenges are shared across sectors.

Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the main models of emotional intelligence and what the research does and does not show
• Assess their own emotional patterns, triggers and leadership habits
• Apply practical techniques to regulate emotions under pressure
• Read verbal and non-verbal signals accurately in meetings and service settings
• Use empathy to understand stakeholder positions without losing objectivity
• Give and receive feedback using a structured, behaviour-based approach
• Conduct accountability conversations about underperformance
• Diagnose and de-escalate conflict within and between teams
• Recognise signs of stress and respond in line with good manager practice
• Build psychological safety so staff raise problems early
• Influence decisions ethically across organisational boundaries
• Prepare a personal leadership development plan with measurable actions

Each objective is linked to a session, a practice exercise and a tool in the participant manual, so progress can be checked during and after the programme.

Programme Contents and Structure

Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training Methodology

The design follows the evidence that emotional intelligence training is more effective when participants practise skills and receive feedback, rather than listening to long lectures. Input sessions are kept short, and most time is spent applying ideas to real situations.

The programme combines:

• Short evidence-based input sessions
• Validated self-assessment and reflection tools
• Structured peer observation with behaviour checklists
• Role plays based on participants’ own cases
• Scenario simulations under time pressure
• Feedback clinics in trios
• Group case analysis
• Facilitated discussion of research findings
• Daily reflection journals
• Action learning sets
• Personal development planning
• Peer coaching pairs that continue after the programme

Facilitators are experienced in leadership development for public institutions and development projects. Confidentiality is agreed at the start, so participants can discuss real situations openly.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training, participants will be able to:

• Describe their own leadership patterns and triggers with greater accuracy
• Stay composed and decisive in pressured situations
• Conduct feedback and performance conversations with confidence
• De-escalate and resolve conflict before it escalates
• Support staff wellbeing within the manager’s role
• Build team practices that encourage early reporting of problems
• Influence colleagues and partners ethically
• Apply a clear 90-day plan for continued development
• Use practical tools to coach their own teams

Participants leave with a tested set of conversation plans, tools and a peer network that supports continued practice.

Institutional Application of Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Leadership competency frameworks with observable behaviours
• Performance management and appraisal conversations
• Manager induction and promotion preparation
• Staff wellbeing and stress prevention measures
• Grievance prevention and early conflict resolution
• Inter-departmental coordination
• Service quality and complaint handling
• Internal coaching and mentoring
• Change management communication
• Retention of skilled staff
• Values and integrity culture

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Feedback conversation planning
• Conflict mapping and mediation
• Team agreements and meeting norms
• Stress recognition and referral
• Stakeholder engagement planning
• Delegation and coaching routines
• Personal reflection and learning logs
• Behaviour-based progress tracking

Organisations can start with a short training needs assessment to see which leadership skills need most attention, and use the institutional capacity assessment to connect individual development with wider organisational goals.

Regional Relevance & Application

Asia

Across South Asia, governments are investing in senior civil service development, including cooperation between India’s National Centre for Good Governance and the Maldives Civil Service Commission on training for senior officials. Managers in these systems often lead large, hierarchical teams where respectful feedback and conflict handling are essential.

Middle East

Government modernisation agendas in the Gulf emphasise customer-focused services and leadership development. Emotional intelligence skills support the shift from rule-based administration towards service-oriented public management.

Africa

Ministries and project implementation units often work with multiple financiers, communities and contractors at once. Managing stakeholder tension and keeping teams motivated through long implementation periods are recurring leadership needs.

Europe

Public employers in OECD countries are applying the 2019 Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability, with attention to inclusive, safe workplaces and leadership capability. Participants from Europe can compare these approaches with practice elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island administrations operate with small teams in which each manager carries many roles. Relationships matter greatly, and the ability to handle conflict without lasting damage is critical for service continuity.

Across all regions, the same evidence applies: leadership skills improve through practice and feedback, and they matter most in roles with high emotional demands.

Host Country Profile – Maldives

Male is the capital and main administrative centre of the Maldives, a nation of low-lying coral islands in the Indian Ocean. Government ministries, the Civil Service Commission, state-owned enterprises and the country’s main business community are concentrated in and around the city, which is linked by bridge to Hulhule, home of Velana International Airport, and to Hulhumale.

The Maldives offers a useful benchmark for service-oriented leadership. Tourism is the core of the economy: by 10 December 2025 the country had recorded more than 2.08 million tourist arrivals for the year, already above the 2024 record of about 2.05 million, with China, Russia and the United Kingdom as leading markets. A service economy of this kind depends on frontline staff and managers who handle demanding guests and colleagues calmly every day. In the public sector, the Executive Development Programme 2025–2027, launched by the President’s Office with the Civil Service Training Institute and the Foreign Service Institute of Maldives, focuses on managerial skills, inter-agency coordination and a service excellence culture.

Velana International Airport opened its new passenger terminal on 26 July 2025, designed to handle 7.5 million passengers per year. Official Maldivian mission guidance states that tourists of all nationalities receive a free 30-day visa on arrival, subject to a valid machine-readable passport, an onward ticket, proof of funds or a confirmed hotel booking, and an IMUGA traveller declaration submitted within 96 hours before travel. Participants should confirm current requirements before booking; Risalat provides visa advice to registered participants.

Emotional Intelligence for Leaders Training Deliverables

Every participant receives a full set of learning materials and support before, during and after the programme.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Emotional Intelligence Readiness Assessment
• Emotional Intelligence Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Emotional Intelligence Training Manual
• Leadership Self-Assessment Workbook
• Feedback Conversation Planner
• Conflict Mapping Template
• Stress Recognition and Referral Checklist
• Team Agreement Template
• Stakeholder Influence Map
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• 90-Day Leadership Development Plan
• Peer Coaching Guide
• Follow-Up Self-Assessment
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions that wish to train a leadership team together can request a tailored in-house version adapted to their own cases, competency framework and schedule through our request a proposal form.

Common Challenges in Emotional Intelligence for Leaders, And How This Training Helps

How can we know whether emotional intelligence training actually works?

Day 1 reviews what meta-analyses show, including the moderate positive training effect reported across 58 studies, and the limits of the evidence. Day 5 adds simple behaviour-based indicators so participants can track their own change.

How do managers stay calm when under public or political pressure?

Day 2 teaches evidence-based regulation techniques and tests them in the Pressure Test Simulation, with observer feedback on what worked.

How can supervisors address underperformance without damaging relationships?

Day 3 covers accountability conversations, and the Feedback Practice Clinic lets each participant rehearse a real case before using it at work.

How do we stop conflict between units from slowing down delivery?

Day 4 covers sources of conflict, mediation steps and the Inter-Agency Coordination case, giving managers a meeting design they can reuse.

How can managers support staff wellbeing without acting as counsellors?

Day 2 sets out the manager role described in WHO guidance: recognising distress, responding respectfully and referring staff to appropriate support.

How do we encourage staff to report problems early?

Day 4 explains psychological safety and helps teams agree practical meeting and reporting norms.

How can leaders influence partners they do not control?

Day 5 covers stakeholder mapping and ethical persuasion, applied to participants’ current coordination challenges.

How can learning be sustained after the programme ends?

The 90-Day Leadership Plan, peer coaching pairs and follow-up self-assessment keep practice going once participants return to work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can emotional intelligence really be trained?

Yes. A meta-analysis of 58 studies by Mattingly and Kraiger (2019) found a moderate positive effect of training, and suggested that practice and feedback work better than lectures. The programme is designed around that finding.

Is this programme only for senior executives?

No. It suits senior leaders, middle managers, project managers and newly promoted supervisors in public, private and development organisations.

Do participants take a psychometric test?

Participants complete self-assessment and peer observation exercises for reflection. These are used for development only and results stay with the participant.

What do participants take away?

A 90-day leadership development plan, conversation planners, conflict and stakeholder tools, a training manual and a peer coaching guide.

Do I need a visa to attend in Male?

Official Maldivian guidance states that tourists of all nationalities receive a free 30-day visa on arrival, subject to passport, onward ticket, funds or booking and IMUGA declaration requirements. Please confirm current rules before travel.

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