This paper examines the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership effectiveness within multigenerational workplaces. Drawing on contemporary theoretical models of EI (ability, trait, and mixed approaches) and leadership frameworks (transformational, transactional and emergent leadership), the study synthesizes recent empirical and meta-analytic evidence to specify the mechanisms through which leaders’ emotional competencies influence communication, conflict resolution, team cohesion, and performance across generational cohorts (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z). The review highlights how differential values, communication preferences and work expectations across cohorts interact with leader emotional competencies to produce variable outcomes in follower engagement, job satisfaction and perceived leader effectiveness. Practical implications include targeted EI development, assessment choices that match organizational aims (ability-based vs. self-report), and tailored leadership development strategies that acknowledge generational preferences while reinforcing inclusive and adaptive leader behaviors. The paper concludes by proposing an integrated conceptual model that links leader EI dimensions to proximal leader behaviors and distal organizational outcomes in multigenerational contexts, and by identifying key avenues for empirical validation (longitudinal, multi-source measurement, and cross-cultural replication).
Bazmi et al. (Tue,) studied this question.