A bride and mother locked in a disagreement over the wedding bouquet. A venue setup delayed by missing tables and linens. Boutonnieres falling apart moments before a ceremony. 

These are real-world pressure points that test more than a florist’s design skills — they test emotional intelligence. In the May/June issue of Floral Management, florists share how empathy, self-regulation and strong leadership helped them navigate challenging situations without sacrificing client relationships, team morale or business results.  

Emotional intelligence directly affects performance, says leadership development expert Jackie Bruce, Ph.D., a professor at North Carolina State University who spoke at the Society of American Florists’ Next Gen LIVE! conference in February. 

“Research shows job satisfaction increases, organizational commitment rises, and turnover drops,” Bruce says. “And in customer-facing businesses like floral, the impact is even stronger.” 

At Botamer Florist & More in Elyria, Ohio, emotional intelligence meant knowing when not to push. When a venue setup was delayed and tensions were rising, the team chose to step away rather than add to the stress — a real-world example of the self-regulation and leadership skills. 

Read “Keep Your Cool” in the May/June issue of Floral Management to learn how emotional intelligence can help you manage difficult clients, navigate unexpected event challenges, motivate your team and turn high-pressure moments into opportunities for success.  

Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.