Matrix management—where employees report to multiple leaders—can be a recipe for confusion. Competing priorities, unclear direction, and the need to influence without formal authority make it one of the most challenging organizational structures. Add AI-driven transformation and rapid market change, and the complexity skyrockets.

So, what’s the solution? According to Beth Hoban, Vice President of Talent Management at LMI, the answer isn’t another soft-skills workshop. It’s embedding emotional intelligence—or “power skills”—directly into daily operations. Done right, this approach strengthens collaboration, sharpens decision-making, and reduces friction in even the most tangled reporting lines.

Embedding Emotional Intelligence into Daily Work

Instead of pulling managers away for multi-day seminars, Hoban’s team weaves development opportunities into the rhythm of work. Weekly forums allow program managers to ask questions, practice difficult conversations, and pick up both technical and relationship-building skills. When teams face contract losses or high-stakes challenges, Hoban provides one-on-one coaching—ensuring emotional intelligence is practiced where it matters most.

This shift toward “learning in the flow of work” creates frequent touchpoints, so leaders are constantly reinforcing and applying EQ principles rather than treating them as one-off events.

Simple, Consistent Feedback Systems

Performance management at LMI is refreshingly straightforward. Every career conversation revolves around three core questions:

1. What went well?

2. Where could I improve?

3. Where should I focus going forward?

Repeating these questions across the year keeps expectations visible and goals actionable. It also taps into a universal truth: people come to work to succeed. By making feedback simple and continuous, Hoban helps leaders and teams build trust, clarity, and alignment.

Scaling with Systems Thinking

The real power of LMI’s approach lies in its systems design. Hoban uses a “menu” of tools—from emotional intelligence assessments to senior team leadership programs—choosing resources based on the specific challenge at hand. This flexibility makes the program scalable across teams and adaptable to changing needs.

Crucially, every initiative connects back to the organization’s mission—whether that’s national security, veteran healthcare, or other high-impact work. This mission-first mindset gives employees a sense of purpose and a stable reference point, even in constant change.

Why Emotional Intelligence is the Competitive Edge

In matrix organizations, technical expertise alone isn’t enough. As AI takes over routine tasks, the organizations that win will be those that excel at human connection—communicating across silos, building trust, and collaborating under pressure. Hoban’s results prove the point: during a period when most companies see higher attrition, LMI actually reduced turnover.

In a fast-moving, AI-powered world, emotional intelligence is more than a “nice-to-have.” It’s the only sustainable competitive advantage for leaders navigating the complexity of matrix management.