Emotional Intelligence and Leader Outcomes: A Comprehensive Review and Roadmap for Future Inquiry

Abstract

Recent challenges have made the jobs of leaders increasingly complex. A different skillset that includes Emotional Intelligence (EQ) might be required for leaders to not only persevere but also thrive amid today’s challenges. While a range of studies have examined the relationship between EQ and leadership, there have been few recent efforts to review them comprehensively and systematically. With empirical research evolving quickly and the rising popularity of EQ among Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals, there is a need to synthesize past research findings. To address this issue, we systematically reviewed 101 empirical studies published between 1990 and 2021 that investigated the relationship between leader EQ and leader outcomes in terms of leadership styles and behaviors, well-being, and performance. Our findings indicate that leader EQ is positively associated with a range of outcomes beneficial to the leader. These outcomes include not only concepts closely linked to EQ, such as relational leadership styles, but also more task-related outcomes, such as leader effectiveness. While our results do not allow for establishing causal relations, they do suggest that the benefits of EQ might be more far-reaching than previously assumed. Our findings need to be considered in the context of an ongoing debate about the distinctiveness of the EQ concept, valid measurements, and a call for increased inclusion of a potential dark side of EQ. We conclude our review by outlining practical implications for HRD professionals and key directions to further advance this domain of research.