EMOTIONAL intelligence has become a familiar concept in leadership and organisational development. Ideas such as emotional regulation, self-motivation and self-awareness are now widely regarded as essential capabilities for effective leadership.
Yet this language is relatively recent. When I began working in the 1980s, emotional intelligence had not yet entered leadership vocabulary. It gained prominence in the 1990s and became mainstream in the 2000s.
As these ideas developed, I found much to appreciate in modern psychology. It helped leaders recognise the role emotions play in judgement, relationships and performance. At the same time, I sensed that a deeper foundation already existed, waiting to be rediscovered rather than newly invented.
That clarity emerged through the work of Muhammad Javed, whose exploration of emotional intelligence through the Prophetic tradition offered coherence and depth.
His work demonstrates that principles now associated with emotional intelligence were already embedded in Islamic teachings, especially in the practice of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) long before they were labelled as such.
This rediscovery carries important implications for leadership today.
Emotional Regulation as Moral Alignment
One of the central elements of emotional intelligence is emotional regulation. In leadership settings, this involves managing reactions, maintaining composure and responding with deliberation, especially under pressure.
Within the Prophetic tradition, emotional regulation is understood as alignment with a moral and spiritual framework that is already established.
The Quran and the Sunnah (“habit,” “tradition” or “path,” referring to the way of life, teachings, actions and approvals of Prophet Muhammad) provide guidance on how emotions are to be recognised, disciplined and expressed.
Anger, fear, hope and desire are acknowledged as part of human experience and leaders are taught how to direct them with wisdom.
This perspective brings clarity to leadership practice. Regulation becomes an act of returning to values that are clearly defined rather than searching endlessly for new behavioural formulas. Leaders are guided by a stable reference point that anchors their responses during moments of stress or uncertainty.
In organisational life, such anchoring produces steadiness. Leaders who regulate emotions through values and faith offer consistency, especially when teams face volatility and change.
As the year unfolds, leaders should pause for self-examination, reflecting on the habits, assumptions and inner beliefs that shape their decisions, so that new goals are pursued with clarity, steadiness and purpose
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Appeared in print edition of TMR (The Malaysian Reserve) on 29th December 2025.
We review strategies, budgets and calendars. This ritual is familiar and necessary. Yet experience suggests that renewal rarely succeeds when it begins with plans alone.
Sustainable renewal begins with a shift in paradigm.
A paradigm is an assumption or mental model through which we see ourselves, others and the world around us.
It shapes what we notice, how we interpret events and what we believe is possible. In leadership, paradigms quietly influence decisions, energy and behaviour long before any strategy is written down.
In my work as a CEO coach, I often meet capable leaders who feel stuck despite having skills, experience and good intentions.
The obstacle is rarely a lack of knowledge or effort. More often, it is an unexamined paradigm that keeps them operating within invisible limits.
That paradigm does not live in spreadsheets or frameworks. It lives in the heart.
Why the Heart Matters in Leadership Renewal
When we speak about the heart, we do not mean only the physical organ, though my own triple bypass surgery earlier this year certainly brought fresh appreciation for it.
In this context, the heart refers to the inner centre of perception, intention and meaning. It is where beliefs settle, where fears and hopes coexist and where trust or hesitation quietly form.
In the Islamic tradition, the heart (qalb) is central to human consciousness and moral orientation. It is described as the seat of understanding and discernment. When left unattended, distortions form gradually and become normalised.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound. If it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Truly, it is the heart.”
For leaders, this insight has practical consequences. Without inner clarity, outer change becomes short-lived or exhausting. Renewal that bypasses the heart eventually loses momentum.
Muhasabah: The Gateway to Paradigm Shifting
A powerful practice for inner renewal is muhasabah, or honest self-examination. It is a form of personal stocktaking that looks inward with truthfulness and compassion. It involves recognising patterns without self-attack, guilt or shame.
Muhasabah helps surface what is already shaping our actions, especially the habits and assumptions we have normalised.
For leaders, renewal requires asking a deeper question beneath performance metrics: How do I limit myself, and how can I stop? This question opens three layers of reflection.
Layer 1: Limiting Behaviours
Begin by identifying areas where results fall short of potential. These may involve leadership presence, health, relationships, confidence, consistency or courage.
Then observe behaviours that show up repeatedly under pressure. Write them down clearly, using verbs:
Avoiding difficult conversations
Overthinking instead of deciding
Staying busy to avoid reflection
Delaying action
Seeking approval without clarity
These behaviours are visible signs. They point toward something deeper.
Layer 2: Limiting Explanations
Behind repeated behaviour lies an internal narrative. These explanations often sound reasonable and protective:
“This is just how I am.”
“Now is not the right time.”
“Others wouldn’t understand.”
“I need to be realistic.”
Such stories preserve identity and reduce discomfort. Over time, they solidify into limiting beliefs. In coaching conversations, this is often where insight emerges. Leaders recognise that what appears as realism may actually be fear expressed in logical language.
Layer 3: The Core Paradigm
When we examine several limiting beliefs together, a pattern begins to appear. One dominant paradigm often holds them all together:
“I must not disappoint others.”
“I am responsible for everything.”
“If I slow down, I will fall behind.”
“My worth comes from performance.”
This core paradigm influences decisions, emotional tone and energy. It may have served a purpose earlier in life, helping someone succeed or survive. Yet what once protected us may now constrain us.
Renewal requires surfacing this paradigm with honesty and gentleness.
Discovering the New Paradigm
Paradigm shifting begins internally. New behaviour follows naturally once the inner shift settles.
The key question becomes: What needs to shift inside the heart?
A new paradigm is usually a simple, grounding statement aligned with faith, responsibility and trust. It reframes how a leader relates to effort, control and outcomes.
Examples include:
“From control to trust”
“From proving to serving”
“From fear-driven effort to intention-led action”
“From self-reliance to reliance on god alongside effort”
When leaders articulate and internalise a new paradigm, something changes. Energy lightens. Decisions feel calmer. Presence strengthens.
The Qur’an reminds us: “And whoever places their trust in Allah, then He is sufficient for him.” (65:3)
Renewal Before the New Year
As a new year approaches, it may be wise to pause before setting new goals. Clearing space in the heart first allows goals to be owned rather than forced, pursued with clarity rather than strain.
Muhasabah helps leaders see clearly. Paradigm shifting helps them move forward with steadiness. When the heart realigns, effort feels different and leadership becomes more grounded.
This is renewal that lasts.
You may wish to reflect quietly on these questions:
“Where am I underachieving relative to my potential?”
“What behaviours appear there consistently?”
“What explanations do I give myself?”
“What core paradigm is operating beneath them?”
“What new paradigm would better align with trust, responsibility and faith?”
A new year does not only require new plans. It requires a clearer heart. When the paradigm shifts within, results follow without force. Renewal begins there. InshaAllah.
Hasannudin Saidin, CEO Coach, Rubah Associates and can be reached at hasan@rubah.my
Slowing down becomes a moment of strengthening as leaders rewire with intention (Pic: AFP)
LEADERSHIP is often measured by results, but long-term effectiveness depends on a leader’s ability to renew strength, clarity and purpose. Without renewal, there is a feeling of same-old same old.
Then performance eventually dips, decision-making dulls and leaders drift away from the connection between their responsibilities and their inner compass.
Earlier this year, I underwent bypass surgery. It was a harrowing period that disrupted my routine and momentum. It really tested my resilience as I faced pain and total weakness.
At first I saw it as a medical interruption. It then became a period of deep reflection on what sustains a leader through painful trials and tribulations.
IN MY previous article, I challenged us to unlearn defaults entrenched by coloniality and to generate autonomous knowledge rooted in Quranic guidance and Prophetic practice.
Today, I pick up that thread through the lens of strategy frameworks which already exist in the secular world and explore how they might be re-interpreted and re-grounded for faith-conscious leaders.
Lately, I’ve been reading the book Venture Meets Mission by Arun Gupta, Gerard George and Thomas Fewer. It argues that capitalism itself is shifting: From pure profit-seeking to purpose-seeking.
Organisations now talk about aligning people, purpose and profit to create societal transformation. That’s appealing to me. For us Muslim professionals, the question becomes: How do we translate that alignment into strategy that honours Allah, serves mankind and ensures sustainable impact? That is when mission truly meets deen.
Alhamdulillah. I am grateful to share a meaningful milestone in my leadership journey.
Starting this month (November 2025), I am contributing fortnightly to The Malaysian Reserve (TMR), one of Malaysia’s respected business and financial newspapers. My articles appear in the print edition every other Monday, followed by the online version a few days later. (The print edition is weekly.)
This opportunity emerged naturally and unexpectedly, through conversations and sharings over the past months, especially after my bypass surgery earlier this year. That difficult period reshaped how I viewed purpose, resilience and the inner foundations of leadership. It also deepened my intention to write regularly and offer meaningful reflections to leaders navigating today’s complexities.
TMR’s readership consists of business leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, executives and professionals. I hope to bring value to them through practical insights shaped by lived experience, reflection, and the frameworks I have developed over the years.
