Emotional Intelligence and Positive Organizational Leadership: A Conceptual Model for Positive Emotional Influence

While the relevance of emotional intelligence to leadership and management has been studied and written about for over a decade, most practical models of emotional intelligence still focus primarily on the personal management of negative emotions within the leader. While valuable, this approach delimits the utility of emotional intelligence in relational leadership. Furthermore, it does not take into consideration the significance of positive emotions in leadership. This article provides a review of the literature related to emotional intelligence, leadership, and positive psychology/leadership. It also presents an alternative model for engaging in emotionally intelligent leadership that focuses on the relational nature of emotion and the role of positive emotional influence.