An evidence-based assessment of the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership

This paper reports the results of a structured content-based review of the published literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership (TL). Twenty-four empirical studies were identified in this review, fourteen of which reported findings in support of the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership, and ten of which found either mixed or no support for the relationship. A detailed content analysis of each study was conducted to determine the relative robustness of the research design in each case. This review reveals that while research design may explain some of the conflicting results, it is the variety of EI instruments utilised that renders investigations into the EI-TL relationship problematic. Suggestions for advancing future research into the hypothesized relationship between EI and TL are posited.