Emotional intelligence as a mediator between leadership styles and leadership effectiveness: A theoretical framework

The importance of emotional intelligence as a measure for identifying potentially effective leaders and as a tool for developing effective leadership style is undisputed. The aim of the present paper is to develop a conceptual model that brings together theories, studies and researches on emotional intelligence, leadership styles and leadership effectiveness. The study focuses on the primary relationship between leadership styles and leadership effectiveness and draws on the role of emotional intelligence as a mediator of this relationship. The theoretical framework is formulated based on extant literature with the hope of stimulating more systematic research efforts in future. Additionally, testable propositions are formulated and implications for practice are discussed.