Poll reveals 76% of leaders fail due to lack of emotional intelligence and people skills.

We often hear great stories of leaders and managers who succeed. But what about the other side of the story — the leaders and managers who don’t succeed, the companies that fail, the teams that become dysfunctional, and the people who leave organisations as a result. This causes so much distress to so many people, and is preventable.

$166 billion is spent annually on leadership training in the US alone (Forbes), and yet 60% of new managers fail within 2 years (CEB). This poll from HappierMe offers clues as to the reasons why.

We recently ran a poll in different leadership groups, asking a simple question: Why do leaders fail?

Out of 2,289 respondents, here’s how people voted:

• 40% said it was because of a lack of emotional intelligence (EQ)
• 36% cited inadequate people skills
• 16% pointed to poor decision-making
• 7% said not enough resilience

That’s 76% of people saying leadership failure has more to do with emotional regulation and relationships than with strategy or competence. That’s worth paying attention to.

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters More Than Ever

When leaders lack emotional intelligence, it shows — in how they handle stress, how they speak to their teams, and how they navigate setbacks.

The effects ripple outward:

• Lower morale: People become disengaged and lose motivation to excel at work.
• Poor communication: Small issues turn into big ones because leaders do not know how to listen deeply, speak with care, or talk about difficult issues in an intelligent way.
• Increased attrition: People don’t leave companies — they leave poor leaders and managers.
• Poor decision making: Without emotional clarity leaders make poor decisions, because they do not understand their ego or the strong emotions that influence decision making.
• Lack of emotional self-regulation: Leadership is hard and without EQ you cannot remain cool under pressure. Burnout is common and this chronic stress spills over into the people they manage.

A leader with strong EQ can regulate their emotions, stay cool under pressure, make better decisions and bring out the best in their teams. A leader without it? They may never even realise they’re the problem.

Why People Skills Still Matter

36% of respondents highlighted a lack of people skills — and this goes beyond friendliness or being “approachable.”

Real people skills include:

• Listening deeply — understanding what people are not able to say
• Giving feedback with empathy
• Building trust through consistency
• Not allowing your own ego to get in the way of your job

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about helping others find theirs — and that requires connection, not control.

Decision-Making and Resilience Still Count

Only 16% of people blamed poor decision-making, and 7% pointed to low resilience. That doesn’t mean they’re not important. But here’s the deeper truth:

Leaders who make poor decisions often do so because they’re emotionally overwhelmed or unaware.

Leaders who lack resilience usually don’t have the inner tools to deal with stress or failure constructively.

Emotional intelligence underpins both.

The HappierMe Approach to Better Leadership

At HappierMe, we believe leadership starts with self-awareness. You can’t lead others well if you don’t understand your own mind or can manage your own emotions.

That’s why our work and leadership section focuses on emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and relationship-building, giving leaders the skills they often missed in traditional leadership training.

Emotional intelligence and self-awareness are not skills you can pick up in a lecture or workshop — but ones that you need to work on every day. That is why the HappierMe app is so useful.

Here’s how HappierMe helps:

• Self-awareness training: Understand your thought patterns, triggers, and reactions.
• Communication tools: Learn how to listen deeply and speak with clarity and care.
• Guided journaling: Self-reflection leads to fresh insights that bring deeper change.
• Emotional intelligence: Understand and manage your emotions. Stay cool under pressure.
Mindfulness practices: Build presence and clarity before making key decisions. Relationship strategies: Build stronger relationships through self-understanding. Decision making: We help leaders make better decisions by understanding their values and hidden emotional drivers that influence them.

Podcast on self-awareness and leadership

Leadership Isn’t Just About Vision — It’s About Inner Work

With the right tools, like those provided by It’s time to shift the narrative around leadership. Being a great leader isn’t about being the smartest in the room. It’s about being the most emotionally grounded, aware, and connected person in the team.

Leadership failure is often a symptom of emotional disconnection — from ourselves and from others. But that can change.

At HappierMe, we’re on a mission to help leaders do the inner work that leads to wider organisational impact.

Because great leadership starts from within.

Want to learn more about our tools for successful leadership? Download the Happierme app and explore it for free.

Find out more:

• HappierMe website
• Work and Leadership section in app
• Healing strained relationships