Leadership: The role of transformational leadership and emotional intelligence

Abstract

This paper outlines elements of leadership of vision for the achievement, plus raising team performance through transformational leadership, emotional intelligence (EI) and through leaders displaying values. Top leaders have visions for taking the group in a better direction (essentially divergent activity), whereas more junior leaders (first-line supervisors and team leaders) seek to reduce the variation in outputs of the team, which is quality – this is essentially convergent activity. Transformational leadership, which is in contrast to transactional leadership, is raising team members and followers to a higher level of performance by the leader-follower relationship. The key elements of transformational leadership found by research, with high reliability, are idealised influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualised consideration. EI supports transformational leadership. It is composed of perception of emotion in self and others, assimilation of emotions to facilitate thought, understanding or knowledge of emotions, and regulating and managing emotions in self and others. These characteristics have been tested and found to be highly reliable as distinct from other aspects of personality. Both transformational leadership and EI support more effective organisational performance and follower satisfaction. Leadership with values is also supportive of transformational leadership and EI.