Leadership beyond Competence: The Interplay of Supervisory Management Skills and Emotional Intelligence of College Deans in Private Heis

In the evolving landscape of higher education, leadership effectiveness increasingly requires the integration of both technical competence and emotional intelligence (EI). This study examined the supervisory management skills and EI of college deans in selected private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Pagadian City, Philippines. Employing a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 68 deans and 165 faculty members using a validated questionnaire that measured supervisory management dimensions (leadership, human relations, group process, personnel management, and evaluation) and EI components (perceiving, managing, using, and understanding emotions). Findings revealed that both supervisory management skills and EI were consistently rated as “always practiced,” with no significant differences between deans’ self-assessments and faculty perceptions. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.82, p < .001) was established between supervisory skills and EI, indicating that higher managerial competence is closely associated with stronger emotional intelligence. These results affirm that emotionally intelligent leadership enhances faculty engagement, psychological safety, and organizational resilience. The study underscores the importance of integrating EI training with supervisory skill development in leadership programs and incorporating emotionally intelligent leadership into administrative selection policies. Beyond its practical implications, this research contributes to the limited Philippine literature on HEI leadership, emphasizing the role of EI in fostering cooperation, innovation, and sustainable institutional success.