EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS: A STUDY OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DISTRICT GUJRAT

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate a correlation between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness in educational leaders working in the Tehsil Sialkot in the public secondary schools. Data were gathered via a quantitative correlational research design using a sample of educational leaders (n=86) and teachers (n=344) in the form of structured questionnaires, one of which was Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Genos EII), and another was a researcher-administered Leadership Effectiveness Scale (LES). According to descriptive statistics, educational leaders reflected high emotional intelligence on all the variables assessed, especially emotional reasoning, self-control, and the ability to manage the emotions of others. Equally, the leaders were effective leaders particularly in fostering collaboration, vision of purpose and passion. Correlation analyses indicated that all sub-factors of emotional intelligence had a positive and significant relationship between overall leadership effectiveness, and there was a moderate positive relationship between overall emotional intelligence of leaders and their leadership effectiveness. These results indicate that emotional intelligence can be a major predictor of leadership efficacy in schools, and the training of emotional capabilities should be guided to improve the leadership performance in schools. The paper gives a policy implication to the policy-makers and education administrators to prioritize emotional intelligence training as a policy to enhance educational leadership and school performance.