Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

that they lead” (James & Arroba, 2005, p. 299). Shuck and Herd (2012) offered that “if a
leader cannot control their emotions, their emotions will control them” (p. 167). Being a
wise leader in today’s complex environment necessitates a deep understanding of
dynamics, to include emotional undercurrents (Hall, 2004; James & Arroba, 2005).
However, reflecting on emotional experiences is where the most resistance to further
learning about emotions and emotionality occurs (James & Arroba, 2005). Emotions can
inhibit participant learning, due to the very emotional triggers that the learning may
reveal (Bierema, 2008). EI-related skills are, according to Hogan and Warrenfeltz
(2003), a higher order of learning. Elements of EI discussed earlier herein are found in
the leadership, interpersonal and intrapersonal skill domains, which require a greater
degree of difficulty to develop (Hogan & Warrenfeltz, 2003) and which may require
leaders to endure some emotional risk in order to learn (Nesbit, 2012). “Helping learners
understand and make sense of these emotion-laden experiences ... represents one of the
most important and most challenging tasks for adult educators” (Dirkx, 2008, p. 9).
Perhaps for the reasons just cited, as well as the relatively nascent existence of EI,
empirical research on the impact of EI on leadership shows mixed results (Carmeli, 2003;
Caruso, Salovey, & Mayer, 2003; Mayer & Salovey, 1997). For example, Goleman
(1995, 1998, 2004) assigned EI as the most important aspect of leadership. Weinberger
(2009), however, deduced alternate findings when she explored the relationship between
(a) EI of leaders and their leadership style and (b) EI of leaders and their leadership
effectiveness. The Weinberger study was undertaken to test theories articulating the
impact EI has on transformational and transactional leadership styles. Weinberger (2009)
noted: