Effect of Emotional Intelligence On Leadership Styles in Organizations

Abstract

This project is motivated by the need to study the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on leadership styles in organizations. Having observed the importance of strong and strategic leadership to the success of an organization, there is a need to appraise the impact of EI in the workplace. The objectives of the study are to examine the impact of EI on leadership styles, to identify the impact of the adopted leadership styles on the productivity of the team, to study the various challenges associated with motivating employees, to assess the facilities put in place to monitor employee satisfaction and to evaluate the level of EI within the research sample. Two research hypotheses were formulated in line with the objectives of the study. The survey study method which allows a researcher to use questionnaire or direct interview to gather relevant data was adopted for the study with a sample size of 97. A structured questionnaire was administered and was the main instrument used for data collection. The data collected was subjected to face validity test. The ANOVA and chi – square (x2) techniques were used to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that: the EI level of leaders is a critical success factor for enhanced team performance.

The study showed that a team leader’s EI affects team level emotional competence and team performance through the development of emotionally competent group norms (EGCNs). This study also supports the assertion that the EGCN affect team performance. Majority of the respondents agree that EI influences the success with which leaders interact with colleagues, the strategies they use to manage conflict and stress and overall job performance.