A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to ascertain if there was empirical evidence to support the inclusion of emotional intelligence as a component of effective leadership. It is proposed in this paper that emotional intelligence is a component of transformative leadership that should be evaluated and developed. In order to conduct the study, precise, composite definitions of emotional intelligence and effective leadership were drawn from the respective literature. One hundred and forty-one studies were reviewed for possible analysis with 48 studies meeting the criteria for inclusion. The study concludes that there is a moderately strong relationship between emotional intelligence and effective leadership. This study has implications for candidates of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs and the incorporation of emotional intelligence in the Educational Leadership Preparation Programs curriculum.