Emotional intelligence and board governance: leadership lessons from the public sector

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and effective board governance.Design/methodology/approachThis study applied a model of emotional intelligence competencies to the practice domains of school boards. A board self‐assessment questionnaire measured board practice domains for the presence or absence of 18 emotional intelligence competencies defined in an emotional competence inventory. Inter‐rater reliabilities were established and confirmed. Current and former school board members in two urban areas rank‐ordered the most critical emotional intelligence competencies for effective board governance and offered explanations for their most highly‐rated competencies.FindingsEmotional intelligence is a critical factor for effective school boards. A set of six core competencies are universal across the six board practice domains: transparency; achievement; initiative; organizational awareness; conflict management; and teamwork and collaboration. Each board practice domain is also characterized by one or two key emotional intelligence competencies.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, one model of school board leadership was used. Future studies should examine additional models of effective board practice for their relationships with emotional intelligence in order to extend the generalizability of these results. Second, there has been some debate regarding the substantive nature of the emotional intelligence construct.Practical implicationsThe six practice domains in the school board effectiveness model are fundamental elements for all boards to develop in order to become more effective governing bodies.Originality/valueThis paper identifies a novel application of emotional intelligence leadership competencies to the work of effective governance boards.