Emotional intelligence (EQ) is key to the success of any professional, no matter their job description. In particular, Project managers (PMs) who show high EQ tend to have a competitive advantage over others. Why? Simply put, managing a project, no matter the complexity, really boils down to leading a team (people) to work well together in order to get something done on time, on budget and with quality. The key word here is "people". A great PM would be someone who mainly knows how to read people, communicate with them, solve conflicts and get the best out of them in a relationship where trust thrives.
Here's one example (among a multitude of others) where a EQ is highly beneficial:
One of the most essential aspects for a successful project is selecting proper project stakeholders, according to several criteria such as their availability, personality, competencies, etc. Overlooking your resources (team) at hand and only counting on a powerful project plan, your execution & control process will likely deliver unsatisfactory project results.
How many PMs take time to carefully select human resources, on board & train their project team on their tasks (rather than quickly jumping on implementation)?
How many PMs take time to build healthy working relationships before or during a project? Most of the time, this far outweighs the importance and effectiveness of business processes, policies & procedures. Someone who likes and trusts you will likely perform much better than someone who simply has a PM that only follows processes and rules.
An EQ-focused PM builds relationship, aims to build a great project team where trust & empathy thrive and seeks to deliver both a quality project and satisfied team upon closing.