At some point in our lives—whether in business, leadership, or personal relationships—we’ve all met a
“Judas.” The friend who backstabbed. The team member who switched sides. The investor who bailed
right before the breakthrough. But before we point fingers, let’s pause.
Because sometimes, we are the Judas in our own story—betraying our values, compromising our
vision, or making emotionally irrational decisions that sabotage our progress.
This article isn’t just a reflection on the infamous betrayal. It’s a leadership audit, a psychological deep
dive, and yes—a satirical case study—on how emotional intelligence (EI) could have rewritten one of
history’s most tragic choices.
So buckle up, champions. We’re going back 2,000 years to extract modern lessons from an ancient
mistake.
Lesson 1: Emotionally intelligent people don’t trade long-term legacy for short-term relief.
Let’s talk about ROI—or in this case, return on betrayal.
Judas Iscariot, one of the original twelve disciples, handed over Jesus Christ for the cost of a used
goat. Adjusted for inflation, 30 silver coins might amount to about $200 to $300 today. Not quite startup
funding.
Why did Judas do it?
Greed? Maybe.
Disillusionment? Possibly.
Ego? Highly likely.
Poor emotional regulation? Definitely.
In recent years, the business world has seen this lesson play out again and again.
One example that easily comes to mind is Adam Neumann (WeWork). Neumann had it all—funding,
cult-like following, and media buzz. But a lack of self-awareness and poor impulse control led to an
implosion of the company’s IPO dreams in 2019. Investors were furious. Employees were disillusioned.
The board ousted him. Like Judas, Adam traded impact for indulgence—proof that emotional
intelligence trumps charisma.
Lesson 2: Proximity without emotional regulation can turn trust into treachery.
Judas wasn’t a stranger. He was in the inner circle. He broke bread with Jesus. They were
colleagues—friends, even. But here’s the trap: familiarity can blind you to greatness.
We see this often in leadership teams. You mentor someone, invest in them, give them access—and
one day, they undermine your authority in a board meeting or quit to launch a rival company with your
client list.
OpenAI’s Leadership Turmoil is recent parrallel to this.In 2023, CEO Sam Altman was abruptly fired by
the board, only to be reinstated within days due to backlash from staff and investors. The story smelled
of poor emotional management at the highest level—a classic case of ego clashing with vision. Had
those board members used EI skills like empathy, conflict management, and situational awareness, a
public mess might have been avoided.
Lesson 3: Emotionally intelligent people know how to pause before reacting.
After Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray Him, Judas still went through with it.
However with Emotional intelligence, he would have created space to pause and reflect.
Ever written a scathing email, hit “send,” and immediately felt regret? That’s Judas energy. High-EI
individuals take 24 hours, check with a coach or mentor, and ask: “Will this move me forward or fuel
destruction?”
According to a Harvard Business Review study, 90% of top performers have high emotional
intelligence—and one of their greatest strengths is delayed gratification and response.
Lesson 4: Emotional intelligence empowers you to seek redemption, not retreat.
Here’s what’s wild—Judas never had a reconciliation moment. He returned the money and chose death
over dialogue.
If you have met me in once of our closed leadership sessions, you will be familiar with the way we use
Will Smith at the Oscars (2022) as case study. After the infamous slap, Smith’s journey included a
public apology, therapy, and deep reflection. Was it perfect? No. But it was something. He didn’t
disappear—he processed.
Emotional intelligence doesn’t prevent mistakes—it equips you to recover from them.
Lesson 5: Emotional intelligence helps manage shame and failure without self-destruction.
Judas’s final mistake wasn’t the betrayal—it was how he responded to his own guilt. Overwhelmed with
shame, he died by suicide. A tragic reminder that inner emotional chaos can destroy even the strongest
personas.
In entrepreneurship, failure is inevitable. Startups crash. Teams collapse. Deals die. What makes or
breaks a founder is not the failure—it’s the emotional response to it.
A study by UC Berkeley found that emotionally intelligent entrepreneurs bounce back 50% faster from
business failure than others, largely due to better emotional processing, resilience, and perspective.
Emotional intelligence isn’t just about tears—it’s about timing, tact, and tone.
A quick model to remember your emotional intelligence goals:
J – Just pause before reacting
U – Understand your emotional patterns
D – Develop empathy daily
A – Ask for feedback often
S – Stand in truth with grace
Conclusion
Judas had proximity to greatness—but lacked the emotional strength to steward it.
You, on the other hand, have access to more tools, knowledge, coaches, therapists, retreats, apps,
journals, mentors, and leadership courses than Judas ever dreamed of.
Let his story be a mirror, not a mockery.
If you want to level up on emotional intelligence for your leadership team, contact us
today on +2347026668008 or hello@abiolachamp.com
About Dr. Abiola Salami
Dr. Abiola Salami is the Convener of Dr Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp ; The Peak PerformerTM Festival Made4More Accelerator Program and The New Year Kickoff Summit. He is the Principal Performance Strategist at CHAMP – a full scale professional services firm trusted by high performing business leaders for providing Executive Coaching, Workforce Development & Advisory Services to improve performance. You can reach his team on hello@abiolachamp.com and connect with him @abiolachamp on all social media platforms.
