Emotionally Intelligent 
                             Leadership 
                                  
                             -  A Qualitative Exploration of the Sub Concepts that 
                                 Contextualize the Leadership Style that Comes from 
                                 Emotional Intelligence 
                
                
               Author: Christoffer Welén                 Tutor:                Prof. Philippe Daudi 
                                                         Program:              Master's in Leadership and 
                                                                               Management in International  
                                                                               Context 
                                                         Subject:              Emotional Intelligence 
                                                         Level and semester:   Master-level, Spring 2010 
         ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
          
         I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation to people who have partly inspired and 
         motivated me throughout the paper, but also to thank them for the support and help they provided me, 
         especially in crucial times. It is because of these people that this study was possible, that it developed and 
         progressed, and that I managed to follow through with élan.  
          
         For his time, effort and support in the initial phase, as well as during the process, I would like to thank  
         Head of the Program; Master's in Leadership and Management in International Context at Linnaeus School of 
         Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Professor Philippe Daudi. He made it possible for me to 
         do my entire thesis in the United States, where my wife lives. Furthermore, Professor Daudi helped me 
         to  develop  the  specific  study  area  and  contributed  with  suggestions  that  positively  shaped  this 
         dissertation. 
          
         For his meaningful feedback sessions and instrumental input, I would like to thank Professor and Chair 
         of the Department of Business, Accounting and Economics, Don Eskew at Otterbein College. 
          
         For her inspirational guidance in crucial times, brainstorming walks with the dogs and for always being 
         there for me, regardless of her schedule, I would like to thank Adjunct Professor Candy Canzoneri at 
         Otterbein College. 
          
         For countless hours of correcting and contribution with new ideas and approaches to the thesis, (along 
         with always mentally and physically supporting and motivating me), I am deeply appreciative of my in-
         laws, Ron and Terri Carpenter.  
          
         Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for encouraging and supporting me throughout the 
         project. In particular, I would like to thank my wife, Chelsea Belle Welén. Without her love, presence, 
         extreme  patience  and  encouragement  during  the  whole  paper,  this  thesis  would  not  have  been 
         completed.  
          
          
          
                                    II 
                                      
       ABSTRACT 
        
       The aim of this study was to understand, clarify, and explain emotional intelligence, as well as possible 
       sub concepts that are correlated to, and might also influence and shape, the leadership style that comes 
       from emotional intelligence. Through Daniel Goleman’s (1995) bestseller: Emotional Intelligence, the topic 
       has emerged rapidly during the last two decades and has been implemented in various settings, and 
       among them as a leadership style. Now, even though emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL) has been 
       touched upon in research to a certain level, there is no established map that explains the leadership style 
       or its context. That is the gap this thesis is trying to close. By analyzing five books (from representatives 
       of both the ability model and the mixed model) concerning strictly emotionally intelligent leadership, I 
       wanted to discover what contextual perception these authors had of the leadership style and its context. 
       The empirical study showed that the authors discussed a total of nine sub concepts which could be 
       placed in the surrounding of EIL. After the analysis, the nine concepts were narrowed down to seven, 
       which  shape  and  influence  this  leadership  style.  Those  seven  concepts  are  acting,  communication, 
       gender,  humor,  mood,  symbolic  management  and  training  and  development.  The  development  of 
       emotional  intelligence,  emotionally  intelligent  leadership  and  its  contextual  concepts  have  also  been 
       presented through a model called: Linnaeus Model of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership and its Contextual Sub 
       Concepts. This paper is a first effort at mapping the terrain of this emotional way of leading, and I hope 
       that scholars and researchers within the study area, as well as practitioners and consultants (especially 
       within leadership, management and HR) will find this paper useful.  
        
       Key words: Emotional Intelligence, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Linnaeus model, Leadership  
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
                            III 
                              
       LIST OF FIGURES 
        
       FIGURE 3. 1 - EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL VARIABLES AND OUTCOMES  .............. 14 
        
       FIGURE 3. 2 - A MODEL OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS  ............ 17 
        
       FIGURE 4. 1 - THE FOUR CORNERSTONES OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE  ................................................. 31 
        
       FIGURE 4. 2 - BOYATZIS’S THEORY OF SELF DIRECTED LEARNING  .......................................................... 37 
        
       FIGURE 4. 3 - EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPETENCIES  ................................................... 39 
        
       FIGURE 4. 4 - EMOTIONAL BLUEPRINT  ....................................................................................................... 42 
        
       FIGURE 4. 5 - EMOTIONAL BLUEPRINT IN ACTION  ..................................................................................... 42 
        
       FIGURE 4. 6 - BUILDING AN EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT LEADER  ........................................................... 42 
        
       FIGURE 6. 1 - LINNAEUS MODEL OF EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT LEADERSHIP AND ITS CONTEXTUAL SUB 
         CONCEPTS ........................................................................................................................................... 54 
        
                            IV