So, first, what you are describing is not high EQ. EQ (Emotional Quotient) typically is analogous to IQ in that it is about your ability to recognize and handl

So, first, what you are describing is not high EQ. EQ (Emotional Quotient) typically is analogous to IQ in that it is about your ability to recognize and handle emotions. So, you may have high EQ, because you were able to recognize an emotional problem and ask for some advice, but that is not the name of your problem. Classically, you would be described as "sensitive". That's not a bad thing, but it can be a difficult trait to function with as a team lead. I'm rather sensitive too, and it has prevented me from taking appropriate actions when a team member wasn't pulling their weight. So, that's a problem. I find that what helps me is to realize that if you worry too much about hurting one person (the focus of whatever current problem you are managing), that not correcting the issue will result in the hurt of other team members later. Your team trusts you to look ahead and prevent future hurts (that's why you are the leader), so you really shouldn't make that trade. It's not easy to do, but once you've made that mistake once its easy to remember the other hurt team members that will be unhappy if you don't address the immediate issue. In short, experience is a harsh teacher - do you want to learn from the mistakes of others or the hard way? This is also a good way to help distinguish whether you should take action when someone is wrong. Everyone is wrong sometimes, but some kinds of wrong are harmless, and taking it easy is the better thing to do in that case.