The Intermediary – February 2026 - Flipbook - Page 86
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
ooking back at 2025, a
year characterised by a
challenging economic
climate, restructuring,
and large-scale
technological shis, one
thing is clear: emotional intelligence
(EI) is no longer optional for advisers
and brokers.
As we continue in 2026 to ride
the waves of volatility across
markets and adapt to fast evolving
artificial intelligence (AI), clients
will be looking for advice from
professionals who can understand
the pressure they’re under and offer a
human element that AI cannot. In a
profession built by numbers, it will be
an adviser’s response to emotions that
sets them apart.
Recent findings confirm just
how much financial and emotional
pressure many people are under. A
2025 study by Zellis found that 92% of
UK employees experienced financial
worry in the past year. What’s more,
according to Royal London, 81% of
advisers reported noticing increased
client anxiety ahead of the 2025
Autumn Budget announcement.
This background of uncertainty
and irregularity proves that technical
know-how alone is no longer sufficient
to support clients and employees
effectively. Businesses have to be able
to recognise and respond to emotions,
and it’s EI that makes the difference.
In fact, professionals with higher EI
oen perform beer.
L
The EI advantage
One of the most common challenges
I see advisers face is the instinct to
respond to emotion with explanation.
While well-intentioned, jumping
straight into facts and figures can feel
dismissive to a client who is already
under pressure.
Those with high EI will know that
acknowledging emotion first, before
offering solutions, oen leads to more
productive and trusting conversations
– showing that simply changing one’s
approach to clients can make a big
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The Intermediary | February 2026
difference in the long run. As clients
gain easier access to information,
they have the potential to be more
informed, beer able to manage their
own investments and make decisions
about what to do financially.
However, when people are worried
about the future, fearful of making
a wrong decision, or time-poor, they
will still seek – and need – advice from
professionals.
This is where EI comes in, providing
the ability to connect with clients,
build relationships, and increase
retention because clients feel heard
and understood. The real client value
is in the human side of advice.
Clients will be
looking for advice from
professionals who can
understand the pressure
they’re under and offer
a human element that
AI cannot”
Data from Talent Smart also
indicates that EI accounts for
approximately 58% of a leader’s
effectiveness, speaking to the
advantage that EI can also provide
for professionals when it comes
to skills such as reading the room,
securing relationships, and
developing one’s team.
Furthermore, as AI and automation
begin to take over more routine tasks,
even global CEOs such as Microso
CEO Satya Nadella are acknowledging
that empathy and social intelligence
are essential skills, and not just
“nice-to-haves.” With the future
looking less admin focused thanks
to technology an adviser’s time and
value should shi towards delivering
support with the emotional outcomes
clients are seeking.
JAMES WOODFALL
is founder of Raise Your EI
So, what steps can companies and
advisers take to embed emotional
intelligence into their 2026 strategy?
Here are three steps I would
recommend implementing to make
the most of this human advantage:
Investing in EI training, embedding
EI in culture and leadership, and
leveraging EI as a business asset.
Developing EI across all levels of
an organisation leads to measurable
benefits in communication,
collaboration, and client
relationships. Bring on board
consultants and coaches to offer
practical EI training and equip
employees with the right skills to
build relationships, spot changes in
client behaviour, and support them
through challenging times.
In my experience, EI training only
delivers real value when it’s practical,
evidence-based, and not a one-off
workshop with good intentions.
Focus on developing self-awareness,
emotional regulation, and empathy,
as this not only equips advisers and
brokers to recognise subtle shis in
client behaviour and respond more
effectively, but also to recognise their
own stress responses, biases, and
communication skills under pressure.
A particularly useful set of skills
during times of volatility.
Leaders set the tone in their
organisation. The most effective
