section that follows offers resultant contributions to and recommendations for research,
theory, and practice.
Contributions and Recommendations
The purpose of this study was to understand and discover the experiences of
effective Federal government leaders in developing their emotional intelligence (EI).
This section discusses the contributions made to theory on developing EI, implications
for practice, and recommendations for future research.
Contributions to theory. This qualitative study makes contributions to the field.
Specifically, findings demonstrate the importance of (a) understanding how EI is
developed within leaders, (b) insight into the reality of effective Federal government
leaders, to include building EI, (c) attending to culture as a phenomenon impacting EI
and leadership development, (d) the evolving relationship between EI, adult learning, and
leadership, and (e) qualitative research.
- Importance of understanding how EI is developed within leaders. In their
transformative EI learning model, Nelson and Low (2011) identified social awareness,
personal leadership, decision making, and empathy as crucial EI attributes for leaders to
possess. The research findings appear to indicate that all four attributes are indeed
important leadership skills. Where this study makes a contribution is in terms of not only
identifying what needs to be developed, but how those skills are developed. For instance,
the mechanics for developing empathy and for inculcating emotional considerations
towards productive decisions have not been widely researched. This study revealed that
leaders connecting with people through a variety of challenges helps build empathy, and
that actively building constructive alliances fosters positive decision making.