Left Hand vs Right Hand: Leading with Emotional Intelligence in Times of Change

After more than 20 years observing team management in different companies, I have witnessed a wide variety of leadership styles. Some brilliant, others disastrous. And if I have learned anything from this journey, it is that in people management, the right hand, that is, authority, imposition, and punishment, has ceased to be effective as a primary tool. Or as a phrase that emerged from my personal experience: those who tend to routinely use the right hand usually do so due to a lack of left hand.

The difference between the two is not minor. The right hand imposes, orders, pushes. The left listens, observes, connects. And in a world where work models have changed, where younger generations do not conceive hierarchy as before, leading with empathy and judgment is much more profitable than doing so with rigidity.

Many people in positions of responsibility continue to manage with the old school approach, convinced that what worked 30 years ago is still valid today. Phrases like "this didn't happen before" or "we are facing a fragile generation" are nothing more than defense mechanisms against change. In reality, we are not facing a worse or better generation, but a different generation, more demanding in consistency, purpose, and human treatment.

And this is where many leaders fail: they confuse demanding with harshness, authority with imposition, experience with being right. The consequence is evident: demotivated employees, constant turnover, lack of commitment, and an organizational culture based on fear or distrust.

One of the most underestimated elements in team management is judgment. And its absence is one of the most common sources of internal demotivation. It is not just about having clear rules, but about applying them with consistency and fairness. If it is stated that family members are not allowed to work in the same company, but then exceptions are made, the message that reaches the rest of the team is that the rules are not the same for everyone. If there are people with the same role, the same functions, and different salaries without reasonable justification, discontent is guaranteed. And if workers are lied to, in a hyperconnected world where everything eventually becomes known, the credibility of leadership suffers.

A team can accept difficult decisions, but not inconsistency or lack of judgment. Trust is built with examples, not with speeches.

Managing with the left hand is not about avoiding conflicts or trying to please everyone. It is about having the ability to communicate with empathy, uphold decisions with firmness but with respect, and motivate from understanding the other person. It is understanding that each person on your team is different, and that a good leader is not one who treats everyone equally, but one who knows how to treat each person as they need to be treated.

Today, the challenge in organizations is not only economic or technological. It is human. Companies that manage to integrate leadership based on judgment, empathy, and emotional intelligence will not only attract talent, but will retain it and help it grow. Because in such a changing environment, people do not leave companies: they leave their leaders.