An Affair of the Heart: Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership

The importance of emotional engagement in motivation of followers by transformational/charismatic leaders has often been emphasized by leadership scholars. Despite such consideration, little has been espoused regarding the theoretical mechanisms by which emotions and leadership behaviors are related. By presenting a theoretical bridge between the concept of emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1995) and Bass and Avolio's (1994) components of transformational leadership (i.e., idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration), this paper provides a focus on such theoretical issues with the hope of stimulating more systematic research efforts. Implications for future research and organizational management are also discussed.