“I don’t need a feel-good manager. I need results.”
That’s how many clients express their expectations in interim management. What often goes unnoticed: results don’t stem from expertise and experience alone. They depend just as much on a manager’s ability to connect with people in a short time.
Interim managers typically enter organizations under pressure – in times of growth, transformation, or crisis. Anyone who focuses solely on processes and plans risks overlooking the greatest success factor: people.
Emotional intelligence isn’t a luxury. It is the key to building trust, offering clarity, and creating impact – especially in temporary leadership roles.
What Emotional Intelligence Means in Interim Management
Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, understand, and appropriately respond to one’s own emotions and those of others. In interim management, this means listening, sensing, reflecting, and navigating relationships intentionally.
Three core capabilities stand out:
- Self-awareness: Managers who are conscious of their presence can shape how they are perceived, especially in sensitive situations
- Empathy: Those who notice team dynamics before they’re verbalized can build bridges and ease tensions.
- Communication strength: Clear, calm, and respectful communication builds trust – even without formal authority.
First Impressions Matter – Especially in Interim Roles
Interim managers often have only a few days to be seen as credible leaders. Expertise is essential. But on its own, it rarely leads to team acceptance.
The first conversations in the company are often more decisive than the kickoff meeting.
Interim manager, anonymous, from a turnaround assignment
A confident presence, genuine interest in people, and a clear stance on the situation can make all the difference. Those who gain trust lay the foundation for collaboration. Those who don’t are often perceived as outsiders – even if their advice is spot-on.
EQ as a Success Factor in Critical Assignments
In times of upheaval, emotional intelligence becomes a decisive advantage. It’s not just about executing plans – it’s about providing orientation. People follow those they trust and understand.
Common challenges include:
- Teams feel insecure or suspicious
- Managers view the interim executive as external control
- The company climate is tense or disengaged
PowerPoint won’t help here. What works: trust, conversations, and presence at eye level.
Expertise Alone Is Not Enough
Many assignments are awarded to candidates with strong technical backgrounds. But as projects progress, it becomes clear: methodology alone doesn’t guarantee success.
He could analyze the numbers, but the team withdrew completely after two weeks.
Feedback from a client
What impresses in interviews must translate into real-world impact. Managers with strong emotional intelligence sense tensions early, address issues constructively, and create momentum.
Identifying and Applying Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence doesn’t show up on a CV. It reveals itself in conversations, in a candidate’s attitude, and in how they talk about past challenges.
That’s why selection at HANSE Interim is deliberately a team effort. Our relationship managers create a long list based on the client’s briefing. Together with management, a carefully curated short list follows. The key criterion is not only experience or industry know-how, but also emotional matching – with the company, the context, and the people involved.
Most mandates require more than expertise. Emotional intelligence is almost always a major part of the solution.
Andreas Lau, Managing Director, HANSE Interim
Selection is carried out collaboratively with our relationship managers – fact-based and people-focused. Each team member picks up different nuances and interpersonal signals. Only a shared perspective creates a full picture. And if alignment is missing? Then the project lead may cast a double vote. The goal remains the same: identifying the best fit for each client.
Conclusion: Leading Means Sensing
Interim managers operate in a field of tension between performance expectations and relational dynamics. Those who embrace both become more effective – not despite, but because of emotional intelligence.
Results are delivered by people. And people only follow those who see and understand them. Managers who recognize this don’t just do a good job. They make a difference.
Best regards
Your HANSE Interim Management
Andreas Lau
