In December 2025, Forbes published a timely piece on emotional intelligence (EQ) that directly validates the direction ConsentPlace has been championing. The article explains that EQ is now a core qualification for executives, not an optional “soft skill.”
According to Forbes, emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize and regulate your own emotions, read others accurately, and build healthy relationships — and it has emerged as the #1 leadership skill for executives entering 2026.
This matters deeply for the world of marketing and customer relationships. Because brands don’t interact with data — they interact with people.
“EQ is Non-Negotiable” — Forbes Says It, Now We Build It
From the article:
There is no time to bottleneck decisions, hoard information, rely on hierarchy, or waste the unique talents of smart people while they wait for decisions from on high. … Collaboration versus control. EQ is how humans build trust and process uncertainty…”
This insight from Forbes cuts to the core of what’s wrong with most digital engagement today:
📍 Traditional systems assume rational decisions.
📍 They optimize for behavior, not emotion.
📍 They deliver messages, not understanding.
Forbes argues that emotional intelligence lets leaders interpret nuance, build trust and respond appropriately — especially under uncertainty.
ConsentPlace operationalizes this at scale.
We don’t just measure clicks or form submissions.
We interpret emotional context — indicators like hesitation, curiosity, confidence, stress — and help brands respond humanely and strategically.
Leadership Needs EQ — So Does Customer Engagement
For executives, Forbes highlights three practical ways to develop EQ:
- Practice self-awareness
- Schedule empathy intentionally
- Lead with empathy and accountability in high-stakes moments
These are not abstract leadership concepts.
They are exactly the behaviors digital customer experiences must reflect to build trust:
- Self-awareness → systems that recognize emotional states in users
- Scheduled empathy → interfaces that adapt tone and pacing
- Empathy in high stakes → messaging that guides instead of pushing
ConsentPlace mirrors this transformation.
We systematically embed emotional intelligence into digital conversations, not just in leadership training but in daily brand–user engagement.
EQ Is Learnable — And So Is Emotional Precision in Digital UX
Forbes makes an important point: while some leadership traits are innate, emotional intelligence is trainable and actionable.
That’s exactly the philosophy behind ConsentPlace:
- We don’t leave emotional interpretation to chance.
- We don’t rely on static rules or manual tagging.
- We actively model and adapt conversation based on emotional signals.
This elevates digital consent from a checkbox to a relationship milestone. Users are not just clicking “accept” — they are being understood and respected.
In a world where leaders must balance empathy and accountability, the same principle must apply to every brand interaction.
From C-Suite Leadership to C-Level Marketing Strategy
As Forbes points out, leaders with high EQ outperform others in engagement, retention, and productivity.
Translate that business wisdom into marketing:
- Engagement becomes emotional alignment
- Retention becomes long-term trust
- Productivity becomes sustainable interaction
Brands that adopt emotional intelligence in how they communicate and request consent will outperform those that rely solely on data logic and behavioral triggers.
ConsentPlace is not simply another technology tool.
It is a practical execution of emotional intelligence — operationalized through:
- conversational empathy engines
- real-time emotional adaptation
- consent that is earned, not extracted
- insights grounded in human context
Conclusion: Forbes + ConsentPlace — A Strategic Convergence
Forbes’s message is clear: emotional intelligence is no longer optional — it’s a strategic necessity for modern leaders.
ConsentPlace takes that leadership principle and applies it to the customer-facing digital world — where emotional context determines whether someone trusts, engages, converts, returns.
In 2026, brands will not win by being the loudest or the most automated.
They will win by being the most emotionally precise.
Because people don’t convert when they are processed.
They convert when they are understood.
Got Questions?
That’s fantastic news! It’s so great to see Forbes recognizing the importance of emotional intelligence – ConsentPlace is truly setting a new standard.