1.

Follower Personality Traits: While there is research on the influence of a leader’s emotional
intelligence (EI) on their authentic leadership12, there seems to be less focus on how the
personality traits of followers might interact with this relationship. For example, certain
personality traits in followers, such as openness or agreeableness, might make them more
receptive to leaders with high EI, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of authentic leadership.

2. Follower Cultural Backgrounds: Cultural backgrounds can significantly influence individuals’

values, behaviors, and expectations of leadership. Therefore, the cultural backgrounds of
followers could potentially interact with a leader’s EI and their authentic leadership. For
example, in cultures that value collectivism, a leader’s EI might be particularly important for
demonstrating authentic leadership. Conversely, in cultures that value individualism, followers
might place less emphasis on a leader’s EI when assessing their authentic leadership.

3. Emotional Congruence: There is some research hinting that a leader’s EI directly influences
follower’s satisfaction at work3. However, the concept of emotional congruence, which refers to
the alignment or similarity of emotional experiences between leaders and followers, could be an
interesting angle to explore. For instance, does a higher level of emotional congruence lead to
stronger perceptions of authentic leadership? And how does this emotional congruence interact
with the aforementioned follower features?

1. Mahatma Gandhi: Gandhi is often cited as a leader who demonstrated high emotional
intelligence. He understood and managed his own emotions and those of others, promoting
nonviolence and fostering unity among people from various backgrounds and religions. His
leadership style was also authentic, as he lived in a manner that reflected the lives of the people
he was leading

2. Oprah Winfrey: Oprah Winfrey is known for her tremendous ability to use emotional intelligence
when interacting with people, which is one of her major qualities in maintaining long-term
relationships. She is also seen as an authentic leader who makes a strong connection with her
audience

3. Martin Luther King Jr.: Dr. King used emotionally intelligent techniques to persuade and inspire
people of all colors to join him7. He guided his audience through the strong negative emotions
that injustice brings and laid out emotional regulation strategies for his followers. His leadership
was also authentic, as evidenced by his focus on the emotions, values, ethics, standards, and
long-term goals of his followers
Table of contents

Abstract

1. Introduction
1.1. General overview (hook and thesis statement)
1.2. Statement of the problem
1.3. Purpose of the study
1.4. Significance of the study
1.5. Conclusion
2. Literature review (synthesis)
3. Methodology
4. Findings and discussions
5. Conclusion
6. Reference

Saving it from sspiralling out of control

1. The significance of emotional intelligence in leadership

Emotionally intelligent leaders practice self-awareness, regulate

their emotions and clearly express how they’re feeling to others.
They can effectively gauge the needs, wants and expectations of
their co-workers and team members.

Leadership is the process of leading others to achieve a goal. To

get a better outcome, leaders need to understand themselves and
their employees through emotional intelligence.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: What It Looks Like

Indeed

Jamie birt

2023
 1. If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to
manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships,
then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.

-Daniel Goleman

Anyone can be angry--that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at
the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way--that is not easy.

-Aristotle

It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.

-Fyodor Dostoyevsky

A leader is a dealer in hope.

-Napoleon Bonaparte

https://www.inc.com/gordon-tredgold/55-inspiring-quotes-that-show-the-importance-of-
emotional-intelligence.html

Inc.

55 Inspiring Quotes That Show the Power of Emotional Intelligence

GORDON TREDGOL
2016

Popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence is defined

as our capacity to be aware of, to control, and to express emotions.

Emotional intelligence enables us as leaders to handle interpersonal relationships

judiciously and empathetically.

For me, the managers who have had the strongest impact on my job satisfaction had
high levels of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. They brought out
the best in me because they were strong communicators, they were empathetic, and they
made me feel appreciated

When organizations go through challenging times like the recent pandemic,

employers depend upon employees to help the organization come through strong
and equipped for the future. If employees are committed and engaged, they’re
more productive, which positively impacts organizational profitability.
The reverse is also true. When I think back to my manager who lacked emotional
intelligence and people skills, I remember a time in my life that included daily
stress, dissatisfaction, and lack of engagement from the types of assignments I’m
normally passionate about.

Managers who show more empathy toward direct reports are viewed by their bosses
as better performers in their jobs.

4 Key Components of Emotional Intelligence

Want to lead with a higher emotional intelligence quotient? That’s great! But first, make sure you
understand that emotional intelligence has the following 4 key components.

Self-Awareness: The ability to know emotions, as well as your strengths and weaknesses, and recognize
their impact on performance and relationships.

Self-Management: The ability to control both positive and negative emotions and impulses and be
flexible and adaptive as situations warrant.

Social Awareness: The ability to have empathy for others, navigate politically, and network proactively.

Relationship Management: The ability to inspire through persuasive communication, motivation,

building bonds, and disarming conflict among individuals.

How to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence and

Leadership Effectiveness
4 Tips for Leading With Emotional Intelligence

To be more empathetic, and to drive higher engagement in the workplace, you will
want to increase your emotional intelligence quotient. Taking the following actions
will help you build your emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness.

1. Listen closely and withhold judgement.

It all starts with having strong active listening skills, and striving to try to see the
world as others see it. Really listen to, and consider, their perspective, keeping
your attitude as open as possible to create a safe space for sharing and a sense
of psychological safety at work.

Work to understand the other person’s feelings and reflect them back to the
person. As you listen, pay close attention to the values and emotions behind the
facts themselves. Communicate your understanding of that person’s feelings to
assure people that their feelings and values are really understood.

2. Connect with employees on a personal level.

When you demonstrate a willingness to help your employees and to recognize

their efforts, you are leading with emotional intelligence, showing that you care
about them as individuals. This act of caring builds trust between leaders and their
employees.

Empathy has long been a soft skill that’s overlooked as a performance indicator.
Our research, however, has shown that today’s successful leaders are
showing kindness in the workplace and are more “person-focused,” making them
better able to work well with people from varying teams, departments, countries,
cultures, and backgrounds.

3. Unlock motivations.

As important as compensation and benefits are, we know they are not the only
things that matter when it comes to keeping employees productive and engaged.
These benefits are a part of a larger motivation equation.

Most of the time, understanding what motivates your employees is as easy as

asking them — and really listening to their responses. Once you understand your
employees’ motives, you can boost employee engagement and motivation,
increase job satisfaction, and improve retention.

4. Seek to understand more about others and yourself.

Leading with emotional intelligence requires managers to harness the power of

their employees’ diverse experiences and consider people’s different lived
experiences to help their teams achieve their full potential.

Your ability to understand where your employees are coming from — including
their social identity and how their experiences may have informed their
perspectives — demonstrates a willingness to see the world as others see it,
without standing in judgment.

Even if you have high emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness, it’s not
easy to get to know every employee below the surface. It’s challenging to see the
world as others see it and to accept a variety of perspectives in a nonjudgmental
way.

Building those skills requires understanding how aspects of identity can affect the
way you lead, and a willingness to learn and recognize your own emotional
triggers and weaknesses. Leader effectiveness is constrained or amplified based
on how well leaders understand themselves, their awareness of how others view
them, and how they navigate the resulting interactions.

So, intentionally increasing your self-awareness is sure to help you improve your
emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness.

August 28, 2023

Shelley Thompkins

Center for creative leadership

https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/emotional-intelligence-and-leadership-
effectiveness/

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness: Bringing Out the Best

As the workplace becomes increasingly collaborative and virtual,

leaders do best if they cultivate genuine connections and rapport. This
takes what’s being called “authentic leadership.” It turns out there’s a
strong overlap between emotional intelligence (EI) and authentic
leadership

Both EI and authentic leadership depend on a foundation

of emotional self-awareness. To effectively manage others, you do
better if you accurately understand your strengths, weaknesses, and,
especially, values. This creates clarity around your purpose and lets
you speak candidly about your vision. Self-awareness also makes it
easier to develop emotional balance. While authentic leadership is
often characterized by transparency, it’s important to balance
openness with self-control. When stressful situations inevitability arise,
the ability to remain calm and clear-headed is critical—everyone looks
to the leader in a crisis to see how worried they need to be.
Authentic leaders are empathic leaders who have the ability to sense
others’ feelings and how they see things. With empathy, you can listen
attentively to understand the person’s perspective. Leaders who
welcome opposing viewpoints and give them fair consideration imbue
their leadership with authenticity. Empathy, along with self-awareness,
feeds the moral aspects of authentic leadership. Adhering to a positive
ethical foundation as you make decisions shows moral maturity.
Authentic leaders are comfortable being vulnerable, which
includes treating others with compassion and being accountable for
their actions. They share their perspective honestly and encourage
productive debate on their team. And they foster an environment that
supports learning, growth, and mentorship.

Researchers found that the four EI domains (self-awareness, self-

management, social awareness, and relationship management)
closely correspond with the prevailing model of authentic leadership,
which also includes four components (self-awareness, balanced
processing, relational transparency, and internalized moral
perspective). Through a meta-analysis of EI and authentic leadership,
researchers confirmed their hypothesis that “EI is significantly and
positively related to authentic leadership.”

Like EI, authentic leadership has been shown to improve team

performance and build organizational trust. It’s no surprise–people
enjoy working for leaders who take responsibility for their actions and
treat everyone fairly. In addition to liking their leaders–which itself
reduces turnover–employees of authentic leaders feel heard and
inspired. They’re comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions, even if
these might differ from their leader’s, and they find meaning in their
work beyond the day-to-day, thus driving engagement.
Above all, the similarities between emotional intelligence and
authentic leadership make it easier to develop both of these abilities.
By strengthening your own emotional intelligence through self-
reflection, mindfulness, or the guidance of a coach, you can increase
your authenticity as a leader.

The Secret Behind Authentic Leadership

Daniel Goleman

2023
Korn Ferry

https://www.kornferry.com/insights/this-week-in-leadership/authentic-leadership-emotional-
intelligence

A general description of a leader might be someone who is

charismatic and seeks to develop a transformational style of
leadership. Charismatic/transformational leadership is thought to
broaden and elevate the interests of followers, generate awareness
and acceptance among the followers of the purpose and mission of
the group and motivate followers to go beyond their self-interests for
the good of the organization. But different cultural groups may vary
in their conceptions of the most important characteristics of
charismatic/transformational leadership. In some cultures, one
might need to take strong, decisive action in order to be seen as a
leader, while in other cultures consultation and a democratic
approach may be the preferred approach to exercising effective
leadership
https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-cultural-factors-affect-leadership/
A business journal from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

1999

Knowledge at Wharton Staff

What makes a great leader? Although the core ingredients of leadership are universal
(good judgment, integrity, and people skills), the full recipe for successful leadership
requires culture-specific condiments. The main reason for this is that cultures differ in
their implicit theories of leadership, the lay beliefs about the qualities that individuals
need to display to be considered leaders. Depending on the cultural context, your typical
style and behavioral tendencies may be an asset or a weakness. In other words, good
leadership is largely personality in the right place.

Research has shown that leaders’ decision making, communication style, and dark-side
tendencies are influenced by the geographical region in which they operate

To be sure, it is possible for any individual to adjust their leadership style to fit
the relevant context. However, it requires a great deal of effort to go against
one’s natural tendencies and predispositions, and habits are hard to break. It
is also important to take into account the culture of the organization, which
requires a much more granular level of analysis to identify the qualities that
promote and inhibit success. When senior leaders succeed, they often redefine
culture in a way that is a direct reflection of their own personality. Thus
culture is mostly the sum of the values and beliefs of influential past leaders.

Decision Making

The synchronized leader. Follow-through is key to being seen as leadership material

in regions such as Northeast Asia (e.g., Mainland China, South Korea, and Japan),
Indonesia, Thailand, the UAE, and much of Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia,
Chile). In order to ascend the organizational ranks, such leaders must seek consensus on
decisions and drive others through a keen process orientation. Business cycles can take
longer as a result. But once all stakeholders are onboard, the deal needs to close fast or
there is risk of jeopardizing the agreement. Synchronized leaders tend to be prudent and
are more focused on potential threats than rewards.

The opportunistic leader. Leaders who self-initiate and demonstrate flexibility on

how to achieve a goal tend to be more desirable in Germanic and Nordic Europe
(Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway), the UK, Western countries on which
the UK had substantial cultural influence (the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand), and
Asian countries that based their governing and economic institutions on the British
model (India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong). More or less individualistic, these
leaders thrive in ambiguity. However, checking in frequently with team members is
advised to ensure others keep up with changing plans. Opportunistic leaders tend to be
ambitious risk takers.

Communication Style
The straight-shooting leader. In some regions employees expect their leaders
to confront issues straightforwardly. In Northeast Asia and countries like the
Netherlands, excessive communication is less appealing in the leadership ranks
— people just want you to get to the point. Accordingly, task-oriented leaders are
preferred. Impromptu performance review meetings with direct reports occur more
commonly in these locations, and leaders address undesirable behaviors from team
members as soon as they are observed. Straight-shooting leaders tend to be less
interpersonally sensitive.

The diplomatic leader. In certain countries communication finesse and careful

messaging are important not only to getting along but also to getting ahead. In places
like New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, and much of Latin America, employees prefer to
work for bosses who are able to keep business conversations pleasant and
friendly. Constructive confrontation needs to be handled with empathy. Leaders in these
locations are expected to continuously gauge audience reactions during negotiations and
meetings. These types of managers adjust their messaging to keep the discussion
affable; direct communication is seen as unnecessarily harsh. Diplomatic leaders tend to
be polite and agreeable.

Dark-side tendencies

The “kiss up/kick down” leader. When organizations emphasize rank, emerging
leaders tend to develop unique coping skills. It is a leader’s job to implement mandates
from above with lower-level employees. If overused, this strength can lead to a “kiss
up/kick down” leadership style, characterized by excessive deference or sudden
attention to detail when reporting up, and issuing fiery directives or refusing to
compromise when commanding subordinates. Though never a good thing, this derailer
is tolerated more in certain countries, such as Western Asia (Turkey, India, UAE),
Serbia, Greece, Kenya, and South Korea. “Kiss up/kick down” leaders tend to be diligent
and dutiful with their bosses but intense and dominating with their reports.

The passive-aggressive leader. Some leaders become cynical, mistrusting, and

eventually covertly resistant, particularly under stress. These reactions usually occur
when the individual is forced to pursue an objective or carry out a task without being
won over or in the absence of sound rationale. Though being overtly cooperative while
maintaining a level of skepticism can be beneficial in group settings, these behaviors can
also hinder execution. Leaders with this style are more widely accepted in Indonesia and
Malaysia, where it doesn’t seem to impede their advancement. Passive-aggressive
leaders tend to be critical and resentful. Ironically, their aversion to conflict often
generates a great deal of conflict.

What Leadership Looks Like in Different Cultures

by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Michael Sanger

May 06, 2016

https://hbr.org/2016/05/what-leadership-looks-like-in-different-cultures

Harvard business review

Ronald E. Riggio

Cutting-Edge Leadership

LEADERSHIP

Does Personality Predict

Leadership?
July 1, 2021

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/202107/does-personality-predict-
leadership

psychology today

psychology today

no date

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/big-5-personality-traits

Big 5 Personality Traits

Psychology Today Staff

Sutton, J. (2019). Psychological and physiological factors that affect success in ultra-marathoners
(Doctoral thesis, Ulster University). Retrieved September 16, 2021, from
https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/psychological-and-physiological-factors-that-affect-success-
in-ul
https://medium.com/@humancapitalmagazine10/conscientiousness-a-successful-leadership-trait-
99f1f0238362

Conscientiousness: A Successful Leadership Trait

Human Capital January 22, 2017 medium.com

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/analyzing-effective-
leaders-why-extraverts-are-not-always-the-most-successful-bosses/

knowledge at Wharton podcast

Analyzing Effective Leaders: Why Extraverts Are Not Always the Most Successful Bosses

November 23, 2010

Knowkedge at Wharton staff

https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-on-agreeableness/

the leader maker a blog about leadership and the pursuit of responsibility

Leadership: on Agreeableness
By Douglas R. Satterfield | March 4, 2020

https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/5087/

san jose state university scholarworks

Assessing the Relationship Between Narcissism, Neuroticism, and Leadership Skills

Krista Marie Brooker, San Jose State University

Spring 2020

https://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2017/09/12/there-just-might-be-a-place-for-the-neurotic-in-
leadership/

September 12, 2017

cms41
There Just Might Be a Place for the Neurotic in Leadership!

PennState