Leading with Emotional Intelligence in Uncertain Times: Lessons from Chelsea Elliott

How one entrepreneur is revolutionizing mental health support through community care and authentic leadership

In an era where mental health challenges are reaching unprecedented levels and traditional support systems are strained, innovative leaders are stepping up to fill critical gaps in community care. One such leader is Chelsea Elliott, founder and CEO of Somocom Lab (Social Emotional Communication Lab), whose approach to emotional intelligence is transforming how we think about mental health support in our communities.

The Crisis of Community Care

The statistics paint a sobering picture of our current mental health landscape. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, while 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.1 Recent data shows that 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 241, highlighting the critical importance of early intervention.

The economic impact is staggering. New research from Yale University and Columbia Business School reveals that mental illness costs the U.S. economy $282 billion annually, equal to 1.7 percent of the country's annual consumption.2  Globally, the situation is equally dire, with lost productivity as a result of anxiety and depression costing the global economy US$1 trillion each year.3

Yet access to professional mental health services remains limited, with many communities relying on informal support networks: friends, family members, and community leaders who often lack formal training in mental health support. This gap is precisely what Chelsea Elliott identified and decided to address through her innovative approach to emotional intelligence education.

As she explained in a recent interview on the ALC ChangeMakers Podcast, "I'm sure the people that are listening to this are often the go-to person for their people. They're the strong friends, the ones that are always looked to."4

Redefining Emotional Intelligence

Elliott's work challenges common misconceptions about emotional intelligence (EQ). Research from Harvard Business School shows that 71 percent of employers value emotional intelligence more than technical skills when evaluating candidates.5 Studies indicate that 90 percent of top performers are high in emotional intelligence6, making it a more reliable predictor of workplace success than IQ alone.

However, many people misunderstand what emotional intelligence actually means. "When people hear emotional intelligence, they think, 'Oh, you don't have emotions, or you're not showing them.' And that's not true at all," Elliott explains.4 True emotional intelligence includes:

• Self-awareness: Recognizing your emotional triggers and patterns
• Self-regulation: Having healthy coping mechanisms (including expressing emotions appropriately)
• Social awareness: Being able to identify emotions in others
• Relationship management: Using emotional information to guide interactions

Research from Harvard Medical School emphasizes that 95 percent of participants gave themselves high marks in self-awareness. However, using more empirical measures of self-awareness, the study found that only 10-15 percent of the cohort was truly self-aware.7 This gap underscores the importance of evidence-based emotional intelligence training.

The Power of Lived Experience in Leadership

What sets Elliott's approach apart is her commitment to "living the work" she teaches. Research on authentic leadership emphasizes the importance of leaders being genuine and transparent about their own experiences and vulnerabilities. Studies published in academic journals have shown that leader vulnerability can increase team psychological safety and performance.8

Elliott embodies this principle by openly sharing her own mental health journey, including her experiences with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation that began in childhood. This transparency isn't just personal, it's strategic and creates the foundation for psychological safety that her programs require.

Innovation in Mental Health Education

Elliott's flagship product, the EQ Kids Crew card game, addresses a critical need in childhood emotional development. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), there's an 11 to 1 return on investment, so for every dollar invested in programming around social and emotional learning, we see that they're saving 11 dollars.9 The game teaches children about 130 recognizable emotions, helping them develop emotional vocabulary and self-regulation skills.

CASEL's latest research shows that students' academic performance increased by 11% when they received SEL instruction compared to students who did not.10 This evidence base supports Elliott's approach of integrating emotional intelligence education throughout development.

But Elliott's innovation extends beyond children. Her Community Care Collective represents a groundbreaking approach to community mental health support. This four-week training program provides evidence-based mental health knowledge to informal community supporters, those who naturally serve as emotional resources for others but lack formal training.

The Science of Community Support

Research consistently shows the importance of social support for mental health outcomes. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on human happiness, has tracked participants for over 85 years and reached a clear conclusion: Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives.11

Study director Robert Waldinger notes that those who kept warm relationships got to live longer and happier, and the loners often died earlier. "Loneliness kills," he said. "It's as powerful as smoking or alcoholism."11 The research found that people's level of satisfaction with their relationships at age 50 was a better predictor of physical health than their cholesterol levels were.12

Elliott's work recognizes this reality while addressing its challenges. "There are a lot of people that are kind of being pushed back down to the basics," she observes, referencing Maslow's hierarchy of needs.4 Her approach meets people where they are while building their capacity to support others effectively.

Vulnerable Leadership in Practice

Elliott's leadership style exemplifies what researchers call "vulnerable leadership." This approach aligns with research from Google's Project Aristotle, which found that psychological safety, the belief that you can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation, was the most important factor in team effectiveness. 13

Recently, during a panic attack, Elliott posted on social media: "I'm not doing well today. I need prayer." The response was an outpouring of community support, demonstrating the power of authentic leadership to create connection and care. As she shared, "The amount of love and support that came through from that and people are still checking on me...it was so beautiful to get support."4

Current Research and Workplace Applications

Recent NAMI workplace research from 2025 reveals ongoing challenges in workplace mental health. Three in four American workers feel it is appropriate to talk about mental health concerns at work. However, similar to 2024, two in five respondents worry they would be judged if they shared about their mental health at work.14

The data shows that just over 20% of respondents receive training about mental health conditions or symptoms, indicating a need for more knowledge in order to reduce stigma.14 This gap reinforces the need for programs like Elliott's Community Care Collective.

Implications for Organizations and Communities

Elliott's work has significant implications for how organizations and communities approach mental health and emotional wellbeing:

For Workplace Leaders:

• Emotional intelligence training should be a priority, with Harvard research showing it's more valued than technical skills
• Leaders must model vulnerability and authenticity to create psychological safety
• Creating emotionally intelligent environments requires intentional effort and skill-building

For Community Organizations:

• Informal support networks need formal training and resources
• Mental health education should be accessible and practical
• Community care requires systematic approaches, not just individual goodwill

For Educational Settings:

• Social-emotional learning should be integrated throughout curricula, with proven 11:1 ROI
• Adults in children's lives need their own emotional intelligence development
• Prevention and early intervention are more effective than crisis response alone

The Future of Community Mental Health

As traditional mental health systems struggle to meet growing demand, innovative approaches like Elliott's become increasingly vital. The World Economic Forum reports that one out of every two people in the world will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime15, while governments allocate only about 2% of their health budgets to mental health care.

Community-based emotional intelligence education offers a scalable, cost-effective complement to clinical services. Elliott's vision extends beyond individual healing to community transformation. "It's okay to cry. It's okay to have feelings. We are human and they are needed, and more people need to share them so others know that it's okay too," she explained.4

Conclusion: Building Emotionally Intelligent Communities

Chelsea Elliott's work at Somocom Lab represents a paradigm shift in how we approach mental health and emotional well-being. By combining evidence-based practices with authentic leadership and community-centered approaches, she's creating models that other leaders and organizations can adapt and implement.

The lesson for leaders is clear: emotional intelligence isn't a soft skill; it's a critical competency for creating thriving communities and organizations. As Elliott demonstrates, the most effective leaders are those who combine professional expertise with personal authenticity, creating spaces where vulnerability is safe and emotions are valued.

In our interconnected world, the ability to create emotionally safe spaces isn't just beneficial, it's essential for sustainable leadership and community resilience. The evidence is overwhelming: strong relationships and emotional intelligence are not just pathways to happiness, but fundamental requirements for individual and collective well-being.

Learn More

• Somocom Lab: somocomlab.com
• ALC ChangeMakers Podcast: jennifersconyers.com
• Follow Chelsea Elliott: @somocomlab on social media platforms

Citations

1National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2024). Mental Health by the Numbers. NAMI.org.

2 Columbia Business School. (2024). Mental Health and the Economy -- It's Costing Us Billions. Columbia Business School.

3 The Lancet Global Health. (2020). Mental health matters. The Lancet Global Health.

4Elliott, C. (2024). Interview with Jennifer Sconyers. ALC ChangeMakers Podcast. Available at: jennifersconyers.com

5Harvard Business School Online. (2024). Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Why It's Important. HBS Online.

6Harvard Business School Online. (2019). How to Develop Emotional Intelligence Skills. HBS Online.

7Harvard Division of Continuing Education. (2025). How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence. Harvard DCE.

8 Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383.

9Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2024). CASEL Homepage. CASEL.org.

10Reid, T. (2020). The ROI of Social-Emotional Learning. LinkedIn.

11Harvard Gazette. (2024). Over nearly 80 years, Harvard study has been showing how to live a healthy and happy life. Harvard Gazette.

12Liebertpub. (2023). Harvard Study of Adult Development: Human Connection is Key to Health and Well-Being. Integrative and Complementary Therapies.

13Google re:Work. (2016). The Five Keys to a Successful Google Team. Google re:Work.

14National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2025). The 2025 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll. NAMI.org.

15World Economic Forum. (2025). 4 imperatives for improving mental health care in 2025. World Economic Forum.