| An abundance of research studies have been published that suggest some of today's business leaders do not understand the integral position emotional intelligence holds in successfully leading organizations and nurturing employees that make up those organizations. Studies also exist that provides data regarding what characteristics leaders possess, how leaders conduct themselves, and how leaders make crucial business decisions. Few studies exist however, that have explored into the relationship between emotional intelligence and effective leadership. Although there are numerous ways effective leadership can be gauged, one sign of effective leadership can be seen in the way a leader chooses a leadership style with which to lead a team. This study integrated two ideas and looked at managers in a top tier company that provides web based simulation and training solutions to examine the relationship between their emotional intelligence and their perceived individual leadership styles. Their level of emotional intelligence was measured with the Hay Group, Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI), and their leadership style was measured using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X) short questionnaire. Although most of the hypotheses of this study were not statistically supported by the data, the results from this study will add to the existing knowledge base of emotional intelligence and its relationship to leadership. This study also provides suggestions and information regarding future research possibilities. |
