Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

intrinsic self-awareness dimension of authentic leadership and EI, the tenor of the
DeGeest and Brown research was that goal orientation promotes self-efficacy, which is
aligned with extrinsic achievement.
While DeGeest and Brown (2011) focused on a cognitive approach to goal
orientation, research by Medlin and Green (2009) indicated that the leader can positively
impact EI outcomes such as employee engagement. Their affective-centric hypotheses
are illustrated in Figure 2. 6 , below:
Figure 2. 6

2.6 Hypothesized Goal Setting and EI Relationships

Note: Adapted from “Enhancing Performance Through Goal Setting, Engagement,^

and Optimism” by B. Systems, 2009, pp. 943-956. Copyright 2009 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Medlin and K.W. Green, Industrial Management and Data

All hypotheses in the Medlin and Green (2009) study were supported, leading to
conclusions positively correlating the elements depicted in Figure 2. 6 , above. Despite
these findings, the authors did not indicate that programs should expressly develop
leaders to promote these desirable workplace attributes. Instead, by setting
communicable goals, enhanced EI optimism will ensue, thereby eliciting improved
performance. In summary, although each goal orientation theorist described above
approached their research in different ways, they concluded with the same message:
performance is the primary outcome.

Leader-Follower Relations Example: Leader-Member Exchange Theory

LMX theory is predicated on the dyadic relationship between leader and follower

Goal setting (^) IntelligenceEmotional Healthy Workplace optimism (^) performanceIndividual