Interrelationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Business Leadership and The Role of Business Education in Developing Emotional Intelligence: A Study on Managerial Perceptions

Abstract

Leadership deals with human traits in a collaborative way with an intention
to get the most effective results. This study aims at exploring the intertwining
connections between emotional intelligence (EI) and successful leadership by
setting forth to find answers to six research questions. Data for the research have
been collected from both primary and secondary sources, with 100 business
professionals from top management levels of organizations in Bangladesh
participating in a survey consisting of thirteen Likert-scale questions and one
open ended question. The study revealed that EI is strongly associated with
successful leadership – as portrayed in the correlation test results, is sometimes
valued more than IQ by employers, can be taught or learned and if integrated
into formal business education curricula, can assist universities produce
more well-rounded and effective leaders. In relation to EI’s contribution to
successful leadership and its influence on decision-making, correlation of EI
with performance and productivity, contribution of EI to organizational success,
and management of employee relationship are factors of crucial importance.
This study also identified the fact that the higher the EI is the higher the
likelihood of evolving as an experienced leader. The gravity of incorporating EI
component in business curriculum is imperative in this regard. To incorporate
EI in business curricula, content development along the lines of self-awareness,
emotion management, motivation, empathy, and social skills is crucial. In
future, organizations can base their measurement of leadership performance on
the findings of the study, concentrating more on the EI skills of leaders and less
on their technical knowledge.