Figure 2. 3
Leadership and EI
Note: Adapted from “Emotions in Management and the Management of Emotions: The Impact of^
Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Politics on Public Sector Employees” by E. Vigodaand G. Meisler, Public Administration Review, 2010, pp. 72-86. Copyright 2010 by Blackwell- Gadot
Publishing Limited.
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
For as much congruency that exists in perceptions on emotions, there appears to
be an equally robust divergence in discussing EI (Lincoln, 2009). Myriad definitions and
perspectives on EI exist (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 2000). EI has been defined as “the
ability to accurately identify and understand one’s own emotional reactions and those of
others” (Muyia & Kacirek, 2009, p. 704). EI consists of self-awareness, self-regulation,
motivation, empathy, and social skills (Phipps & Prieto, 2011). Cooper and Sawaf
(1997) defined EI as capitalizing on the power and acumen of emotions in human energy,
information, connection, and influence contexts. Lane (2000) succinctly defined EI as
“the ability to use emotional information in a constructive and adaptive manner” (p. 171).
In light of these perspectives, though, Table 2.1 connotes seminal contributions in
defining EI, its variables, and resultant models. These foundational works are often cited
in EI literature (Alston, 2009; Carmeli, 2003; Hatfield, 2009; Ozbun, 2011; Phipps &