The missing link in system transformation: Why emotional intelligence is the hardest skill of all
The missing link in system transformation: Why emotional intelligence is the hardest skill of all
Dr Iwan Syahril is a global education leader and policy scholar. He previously served as Director General in Indonesia’s Ministry of Education for more than 53 million learners, and chaired the G20 Education Working Group in 2022. A former Education Dean at Sampoerna University, he now advises international organisations, governments, and education networks on AI leadership, systems transformation, and future-ready learning systems.
Here, he shares his reflections on one of the core themes of our ‘Humans at the heart of education’ report.
If you ask any leader in government, business, or education why transformation is so difficult, they rarely say, "We didn’t have a good plan." They almost always say, "We couldn’t get the people to move.”
We live in an era of obsession with technical infrastructure. We spend billions upgrading our digital platforms, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), and refining our policy blueprints. Yet, as the recent Humans at the heart of education report from Cambridge rightly highlights, the greatest possibilities lie not in technology alone, but in what humans and technology can achieve together.
This points to a critical blind spot in how we approach systems transformation globally. We are over-investing in the hardware of change—policy, budget, and tech—and critically under-investing in the "operating system" required to run it: Emotional Intelligence (EQ). In a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) world, the differentiator between a reform that sticks and one that fails is not IQ. It is EQ.
We must learn to speak to the human need for safety, dignity, and belonging.
The two speeds of change
To understand why resistance happens, we must look at how the human mind processes change. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman distinguishes between 'System 1' (fast, intuitive, emotional) and ‘System 2’ (slow, deliberate, logical) thinking.
As policymakers, we often design reforms using System 2. We build logical frameworks, analyse data, and construct rational arguments for efficiency. But when these reforms land on the desk of a teacher or school leader, they can be received by System 1. The brain perceives rapid change not as an exciting opportunity, but as a threat to stability, competence, or autonomy.
This creates friction. If we want to build change with people across the system, we must stop trying to force System 2 logic onto System 1 emotions. We must learn to speak to the human need for safety, dignity, and belonging.
Lessons from the laboratory: the gift of choice
I learned this lesson in the crucible of leading one of the world's largest education systems. We were tasked with reaching 53 million students and 3.3 million teachers spread across an archipelago of 17,000 islands. During our Merdeka Belajar (Emancipated Learning) movement in Indonesia, we developed a digital platform for teachers. It was designed to be helpful, reducing administrative burdens and offering high-quality training.
We learned that change only happens at the speed of trust.
When the platform was voluntary, adoption soared. Teachers formed organic learning communities, sharing resources and celebrating their growth. It was a triumph of "pull" over “push.” But then, in an effort to accelerate progress, we made a critical error: we mandated its use for administrative performance. Overnight, the tool changed from a gift into a burden. Resistance spiked. We had inadvertently stripped away the most essential ingredient for buy-in: the gift of choice.
We realised that when you force people to move before they are ready, you do not create momentum; you create chaos. We had to pivot back, remembering that real transformation cannot be commanded; it must be co-created. We learned that change only happens at the speed of trust.
The 'hard' work of soft skills
What we often call soft skills are actually the hardest skills in system transformation. Emotional intelligence is not an accessory to reform. It functions as the operating system that enables people to connect, trust, and change together.
In my own leadership practice, I often relied on a personal framework built around three anchors: Purpose, Leadership, and Culture. It reminded me that meaningful change grows from a clear sense of purpose, thoughtful leadership, and a culture where people feel respected and involved. At the centre of this practice is empathy, applied not as sentiment but as deliberate discipline.
During one of my field visits to a remote island community in eastern Indonesia, I met a principal facing a long-standing challenge. Many parents hesitated to send their daughters to school because of distance and safety concerns. Rather than beginning with new rules, the principal began with listening. He went door to door, meeting families one by one, hearing their worries without judgment, and acknowledging their reality.
Listening is not a passive gesture. It is a strategic capability. It reveals the conditions people need to move forward and turns hesitation into meaningful partnership.
That act changed everything. Parents felt respected. Within months, attendance improved because families trusted the school’s intentions. Only after trust was restored could the school begin to introduce new teaching approaches and leadership practices.This is what Cambridge’s report points to. Listening is not a passive gesture. It is a strategic capability. It reveals the conditions people need to move forward and turns hesitation into meaningful partnership.
High tech requires high touch
As we look to the future, the rise of AI makes this human-centric approach even more urgent. The Humans at the heart of education report notes that while AI can lower workloads and personalise pathways, it cannot replace the nuance of human connection.
In fact, as machines take over the cognitive heavy lifting—data processing, information retrieval, and routine administration—the premium on human skills like empathy, collaboration, and ethical judgement will skyrocket.
Future-ready leadership, therefore, is not just about digital literacy. It is about "high tech" enabled by "high touch." The government or organisation of the future must be the most adaptive force in society. But adaptation requires resilience, and resilience is fuelled by relationships. If we want teachers to embrace AI in the classroom, we must first ensure they feel supported, trusted, and heard by the system.
When we treat people as co-creators rather than targets of policy, we unlock a reservoir of energy that no mandate can match.
Investing in the soul of the system
We must challenge ourselves to rethink our budgets and our priorities. We know how to invest in servers and software. But are we investing enough in trust? Are we training our leaders in empathy as rigorously as we train them in project management?
Systems do not have souls, but the people who run them do. When we treat people as co-creators rather than targets of policy, we unlock a reservoir of energy that no mandate can match.
This is my invitation to you. I encourage you to join this global conversation and together we will build systems that are not only smart but also deeply, resiliently human.
What do you think?
Add your thoughts to the discussion and help prompt the future of education.
Add your thoughts to the discussion and help prompt the future of education.
