Is There a Link Between Transformational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence?

With an analysis based on contemporary literature it can be found weather there is a link between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence. Leban and Zulauf (2004) have found in their studies that a link between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence does exist. The study conducted has shown that emotional intelligence and the capability to understand emotions are a component of transformational leadership. Furthermore this link offers organisations and their managers with proficient progress opportunities. Firstly this text will look at leadership, then one of the types of leadership; transformational leadership and finally emotional intelligence independently and how they individually have an impact upon leaders; then an analysis backed up with evidence will give an idea if a link between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership exists and how the theories link to today’s managers and leaders and how they accentuate leaders in being successful.

Leadership enables leaders to achieve organisational goals by motivating and inspiring followers. Leadership deals with change, inspiration, motivation and influence. Additionally leadership involves having a vision of the organisation and its future as well as producing change. There are four leadership styles autocratic, laissez-faire, visionary and democratic. The text will focus upon the visionary leadership style which highly relates to transformational leadership due to visionary leaders being inspiring, energetic, convincing and spontaneous. These characteristics are similar to the characteristics found to recognise a transformational leader (Dubrin, Dalglish & Miller 2006).

Transformational leaders inspire workers to excel their goals for the organisation’s benefit. This theory is also known as “the cutting edge leadership theory”. This style of leadership has five dimensions (Bodla & Nawaz 2010).

The first is idealised influence, which is divided in two, the...