Emotional Intelligence In Leadership

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way." by John C. Maxwell. A good leader doesn 't only have guts and the strength to preside but also he has the intelligence on how to build a strong foundation with his co-workers. It is not only having a good decision that can lead to the betterment of the organization but also the interpersonal relationship you will encompass towards each other. He does not only think about the position he carries but also the passion within him. He must be the epitome of being a good follower to show them off what a good organization will be. Thus, the emotional intelligence of leaders must be tested for the better results of good leadership.

Developing student leaders at the tertiary level

According to Goleman (1995), emotional intelligence focuses on understanding emotions in order to attain a desired goal and adapt in various situations. There are four essential traits underlying it which can be learned: self- awareness, social awareness, self- management and relationship management. According to Bennis and Clearfield (1999), emotional intelligence is one of the five important aspects that shape leadership quality. It is in accordance with the study of Goleman, who concluded that great leaders exhibit high level of emotional intelligence.

The study is mainly supported by on one of the earliest theories regarding leadership called the trait approach. According to this approach, understanding the traits of leaders is an important tool in the selection of leaders in any setting. It also identifies the stable and enduring character a leader possesses that make him/ her distinct from non-leaders (Griffin & Moorhead (2010).

Statement of the problem

This study entitled “Emotional Intelligence as a determinant of leadership effectiveness among student leaders in De La Salle Lipa” aims to answer the following questions:

1. How does emotional intelligence predict leadership effectiveness among student leaders?

2. How can gender difference determine the level of Emotional intelligence in accordance with leadership skills?

3. How can organizational involvement

Gender difference is a factor in determining the level of emotional intelligence in accordance with leadership skills.

3. Organizational involvement increases the emotional intelligence of student leaders.

Scope and Delimitations

The study mainly focuses on the emotional intelligence of the student leaders at De La Salle Lipa. It will only discuss the four aspects of emotional intelligence which were enumerated by Goleman who first popularized the said concept. In addition, it will also explore the relationship between gender disparity and emotional intelligence. The importance of involvement in school organizations will also be tackled. Other traits, behaviors and characteristics underlying leadership skills such as standard intelligence (IQ) will be excluded. The kinds of leadership were not also be elaborated. Sources used as references for some of the content have been limited to second-hand sources. The study was restricted to De La Salle Lipa due to financial constraints and limited time.

Definition of Terms

The following definition of terms applies throughout this paper.

1. Emotional Intelligence

Conceptual: Goleman’s (1995) definition of emotional intelligence is used. He defined emotional intelligence as “intelligence which deals more broadly with building social relationships and controlling one’s