S ILE S IA N U N IV E R S IT Y OF T E C H N O LO G Y P U B LIS H IN G H O U S E
SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OF SILESIAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2025
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT SERIES NO. 221
h p://dx.doi.o g/10.29119/1641-3466.2025.221.5 h p://managemen pape s.polsl.pl/
THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
IN LEADERSHIP FOR BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE TEAM
Joanna ĆWIĄKAŁA1, Waldema GAJDA2, Michał ĆWIĄKAŁA3, E nes GÓRKA4,
Da iusz BARAN5, Gab iela WOJAK6, Pio MRZYGŁÓD7, Maciej FRASUNKIEWICZ8,
Pio RĘCZAJSKI9, Jan PIWNIK10
1 I'M B and Ins i u e sp. z o.o.; j.cwiakala@imb andins i u e.pl, ORCID: 0000-0002-4269-9492
2 Wa szawska Szkoła Za ządzania-Szkoła Wyższa; waldema [email protected],
ORCID: 0000-0003-0739-4340
3 Wyższa Szkoła Ksz ałcenia Zawodowego; michal.cwiakal[email p o ec ed], ORCID: 0000-0001-9706-864X
4 WSB - Na ional-Louis Uni e si y, College o Social and Compu e Sciences; ewgo [email protected],
ORCID: 0009-0006-3293-5670
5 WSB - Na ional-Louis Uni e si y, College o Social and Compu e Sciences; dkba [email protected],
ORCID: 0009-0006-8697-5459
6 Jagiellonian Uni e si y, Facul y o Managemen and Social Communica ion; gab iela.[email p o ec ed].edu.pl,
ORCID: 0009-0003-2958-365X
7 Pio M zygłód Sp zedaż-Ma ke ing-Consul ing; pio @ma ke ing-sp zedaz.pl, ORCID: 0009-0006-5269-0359
8 F3-TFS sp. z o.o.; m. asunkie[email p o ec ed], ORCID: 0009-0006-6079-4924
9 MAMASTUDIO Pawlik, Ręczajski, spółka jawna; pio @mamas udio.pl, ORCID: 0009-0000-4745-5940
10 WSB Me i o Uni e si y in Gdańsk, Facul y o Compu e Science and New Technologies;
[email protected], ORCID: 0000-0001-9436-7142
* Co espondence au ho
Pu pose: This s udy in es iga es he ole o emo ional in elligence (EI) in leade ship and i s
impac on building e ec i e eams. I explo es how EI compe encies in luence eam
collabo a ion, mo i a ion, and con lic esolu ion wi hin o ganiza ions.
Design/me hodology/app oach: A su ey o 100 p o essionals assessed leade ship ai s and
EI impac on eams. S a is ical analysis iden i ied key co ela ions.
Findings: Leade s wi h high EI a e mo e empa he ic, e hical, and e ec i e in mo i a ing eams.
S ong co ela ions we e ound be ween EI, social compe ence, and leade ship success.
Resea ch limi a ions/implica ions: The s udy is limi ed o a speci ic demog aphic. Fu u e
esea ch should explo e di e se indus ies and cul u al con ex s.
P ac ical implica ions: De eloping EI in leade ship aining enhances eam cohesion, educes
con lic s, and imp o es mo i a ion.
Social implica ions: EI-d i en leade ship os e s heal hie wo kplace cul u es, educing s ess
and enhancing job sa is ac ion.
O iginali y/ alue: This s udy p o ides empi ical insigh s in o EI’s ole in leade ship, illing
gaps in esea ch by linking EI wi h leade ship e ec i eness.
Keywo ds: Emo ional in elligence, leade ship, eam pe o mance.
Ca ego y o he pape : esea ch pape .
90 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
1. In oduc ion
In oday’s as -e ol ing business landscape, leade ship is no longe de ined solely by
echnical expe ise o s a egic decision-making. The abili y o manage emo ions, build s ong
in e pe sonal ela ionships, and os e a posi i e eam en i onmen has become essen ial o
e ec i e leade ship. Emo ional in elligence (EI), which encompasses sel -awa eness, sel -
egula ion, mo i a ion, empa hy, and social skills, has gained signi ican ecogni ion as a key
de e minan o leade ship success.
The mode n wo kplace p esen s nume ous challenges, including managing di e se eams,
na iga ing o ganiza ional change, and esol ing con lic s e icien ly. Leade s who exhibi high
EI a e be e equipped o handle hese complexi ies by unde s anding hei own emo ions and
hose o hei colleagues. This capaci y allows hem o build us , communica e e ec i ely,
and inspi e eam membe s o achie e common goals. Resea ch has demons a ed ha leade s
wi h s ong EI c ea e en i onmen s whe e employees eel alued, mo i a ed, and engaged,
ul ima ely leading o highe p oduc i i y and o ganiza ional success.
T adi ional leade ship models o en p io i ized au ho i y, con ol, and decision-making
p owess. Howe e , con empo a y pe spec i es emphasize he impo ance o in e pe sonal
e ec i eness and emo ional in elligence in os e ing a esilien and adap i e wo k o ce. Leade s
wi h high EI can na iga e c ises wi h composu e, encou age inno a ion by os e ing
psychological sa e y, and s eng hen wo kplace ela ionships h ough empa hy and emo ional
awa eness. These ac o s con ibu e o a mo e cohesi e, mo i a ed, and high-pe o ming eam.
Addi ionally, emo ional in elligence plays a c ucial ole in con lic esolu ion. Wo kplaces
a e o en p one o misunde s andings, di e ing pe spec i es, and in e pe sonal ensions.
Leade s wi h s ong EI can de-escala e con lic s, media e dispu es, and c ea e solu ions ha
p omo e ha mony and coope a ion. Thei abili y o egula e hei own emo ions and espond
hough ully a he han eac impulsi ely ensu es a cons uc i e and balanced app oach o
leade ship.
This s udy aims o explo e he impac o EI on leade ship e ec i eness and i s ole in
enhancing eam dynamics, mo i a ion, and o ganiza ional well-being. By analysing su ey da a
om p o essionals ac oss a ious indus ies, his esea ch p o ides empi ical insigh s in o how
EI in luences leade ship ou comes. The indings will in o m s a egies o in eg a ing
EI de elopmen in o leade ship aining p og ams, ensu ing ha o ganiza ions cul i a e leade s
who can d i e success h ough emo ional and social compe ence. As businesses con inue o
e ol e, unde s anding and applying emo ional in elligence in leade ship will emain c ucial o
os e ing inclusi e, high-pe o ming wo kplaces. O ganiza ions ha ail o ecognize he
impo ance o EI isk alling behind in he e e -changing co po a e en i onmen .
Thus, emb acing EI-d i en leade ship s a egies is no jus bene icial bu essen ial o sus ained
success and inno a ion.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 91
2. The e olu ion and models o emo ional in elligence
O e he pas h ee decades, emo ional in elligence (EI) has e ol ed om a ela i ely
obscu e scien i ic concep o a widely ecognized and ex ensi ely discussed cons uc in bo h
academic and p ac ical con ex s. Ini ially acing challenges in concep ualiza ion and
measu emen , EI has endu ed skep icism and c i icism o become a lou ishing ield o esea ch.
Despi e ea ly conce ns ega ding i s de ini ion and assessmen , he domain o emo ional
in elligence con inues o ad ance. Ongoing e o s aim o e ine i s componen s and
measu emen ools, inco po a ing insigh s om emo ion heo y and ela ed disciplines o
de elop inno a i e app oaches o assessing emo ional in elligence (Mo illa o, Schlegel,
2023). These app oaches a e g ounded in ounda ional scien i ic li e a u e on emo ions and
app aisal heo ies, ensu ing a mo e comp ehensi e unde s anding o EI wi hin con empo a y
esea ch amewo ks.
Emo ional in elligence is a mul i ace ed concep ha has gained inc easing signi icance
ac oss a ious disciplines. The co e componen s o EI include sel -awa eness, sel - egula ion,
empa hy, and social skills (Miao, Humph ey, Qian, 2017). Sel -awa eness en ails ecognizing
and unde s anding one’s own emo ions and hei in luence on hough s and beha io s.
Sel - egula ion e e s o e ec i ely managing emo ions and adap ing o di e en si ua ions
wi hou becoming o e whelmed. Empa hy is he abili y o unde s and and sha e he eelings o
o he s, acili a ing imp o ed in e pe sonal ela ionships. Social skills encompass e ec i e
communica ion, con lic esolu ion, and eamwo k abili ies, all o which a e c ucial o
success ul in e ac ions in bo h pe sonal and p o essional con ex s (Wal e , Humph ey, Cole,
2012). Collec i ely, hese componen s con ibu e o an indi idual’s o e all emo ional
in elligence and play a i al ole in pe sonal and p o essional success.
Di e en esea che s ha e p o ided a ious de ini ions o emo ional in elligence, each
emphasizing di e en aspec s o i s applica ion. Salo ey and Maye (1990) desc ibed EI as he
abili y o moni o and di e en ia e emo ions in onesel and o he s, using his in o ma ion o
guide hough s and ac ions. Goleman (1995) expanded on his by inco po a ing in e pe sonal
skills such as sel -mo i a ion, ela ionship managemen , and empa hy, which a e c ucial o
success in p o essional and pe sonal se ings. Ba -On (1997) ocused on EI as a se o
compe encies and skills necessa y o coping wi h en i onmen al demands, highligh ing
adap abili y as a key ea u e. Meanwhile, Ca uso and Salo ey (2004) s essed emo ional
egula ion and awa eness as essen ial o in elligen and adap i e beha iou . Ba sade and
Gibson (2007) unde sco ed he impo ance o EI in wo kplace pe o mance, emphasizing he
abili y o manage emo ions e ec i ely o os e collabo a ion and e iciency. These a ying
pe spec i es e lec he b oad scope o EI, demons a ing i s signi icance in bo h pe sonal
de elopmen and o ganiza ional success.
92 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
In he academic li e a u e, wo main models o emo ional in elligence ha e been
dis inguished: he mixed model (popula app oach) and he abili y model (scien i ic app oach).
The mixed model, also e e ed o as he popula model o emo ional in elligence,
was popula ized by Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book Emo ional In elligence (Goleman, 1995).
Goleman de ines EI as a combina ion o ai s and skills encompassing bo h emo ional and
social aspec s. This model in eg a es elemen s such as sel -awa eness, emo ional egula ion,
sel -mo i a ion, empa hy, and social skills. Reu en Ba -On u he e ined his pe spec i e by
dis inguishing i e key unc ional a eas: in ape sonal skills (e.g., asse i eness, sel -awa eness,
independence), in e pe sonal skills (e.g., empa hy, ela ionship managemen ), adap abili y
(e.g., lexibili y, p oblem-sol ing), s ess managemen (e.g., emo ional con ol, s ess
esilience), and gene al mood (e.g., op imism, happiness) (Sadowska, B achowicz, 2008).
While widely used in managemen and pe sonal de elopmen con ex s, he mixed model has
been c i icized o i s b oad and imp ecise de ini ion, as i combines a ious ai s a he han
ocusing solely on cogni i e abili ies.
The abili y model, o en ega ded as he scien i ic model o emo ional in elligence,
was in oduced by John D. Maye and Pe e Salo ey in 1990. This model ocuses exclusi ely
on cogni i e abili ies ela ed o emo ions, iewing emo ions as s uc u ed esponses ha ope a e
h ough mul iple psychological subsys ems, including physiological, cogni i e,
and mo i a ional componen s (Maye , Salo ey, 1990).
Maye and Salo ey (1990) de ine EI as he abili y o pe cei e emo ions in onesel and
o he s, use emo ions o suppo cogni ion and p oblem-sol ing, unde s and hei complexi ies
and e olu ion, and egula e emo ions o os e in ellec ual and emo ional g ow h.
These abili ies a e key de e minan s o emo ional in elligence. The abili y model is ega ded
as mo e scien i ic and p ecise since i is based on measu able cogni i e unc ions and has been
ex ensi ely alida ed h ough empi ical esea ch. I has been applied in a ious con ex s,
including educa ion, men al heal h, and wo kplace pe o mance (Sadowska, B achowicz,
2008). Addi ionally, Czesław S. Nosal (1998) p oposed ha EI consis s o wo key
psychological domains: in ellec ual and emo ional. He a gued ha emo ional in elligence
esul s om he in e ac ion o mechanisms esponsible o he gene a ion, ca ego iza ion, and
in e p e a ion o emo ions, which in luence emo ional s a es and cogni i e p ocessing.
Unlike Maye and Salo ey’s abili y model, Goleman’s mixed model expands on he
undamen al abili ies o pe cei ing, using, unde s anding, and managing emo ions by
inco po a ing addi ional elemen s such as social skills, mo i a ion, and sel - egula ion
(Salo ey, G ewal, 2005). This b oade pe spec i e highligh s he impo ance o in e pe sonal
compe encies in emo ional in elligence. Ba -On’s amewo k u he emphasizes pe sonal and
social compe encies o e speci ic cogni i e unc ions ela ed o emo ion p ocessing. The mixed
model hus unde lines he in eg a ion o emo ional awa eness wi h social p o iciency and sel -
egula ion, posi ioning i as a p ac ical app oach o emo ional in elligence in p o essional and
pe sonal de elopmen (Salo ey, G ewal, 2005).
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 93
3. Emo ional in elligence in managemen
Emo ional in elligence plays a c ucial ole in e ec i e wo kplace pe o mance and
o ganiza ional success. Goleman (1999) emphasized ha EI is undamen al o p o essional
achie emen , a guing ha managing one’s emo ions and ecognizing he emo ions o o he s
con ibu e signi ican ly o leade ship and eamwo k. While gene al in elligence emains
impo an , EI has been iden i ied as a key ac o in dis inguishing high-pe o ming employees
and leade s. B adbe y and G ea es (2006) no ed ha al hough some indi iduals achie e
success wi h lowe EI le els, hei accomplishmen s o en s em om high gene al in elligence
and s ong sel -discipline.
Recen s udies highligh he g owing ele ance o EI in p o essional se ings. Resea ch by
Ma czak and Knopp (2013) sugges s ha indi iduals wi h highe EI le els pe o m be e in job
in e iews, exhibi g ea e leade ship e ec i eness, and achie e highe ca ee success. Fu he
empi ical s udies ein o ce hese indings. Skwa ek’s esea ch on p o essional a hle es
demons a ed ha hose wi h highe EI sco es excel in compe i i e en i onmen s due o hei
supe io emo ional egula ion and esilience (Ma czak, Knopp, 2013). Addi ionally, s udies by
Basińska, Jaskólska, and Pió owski (2007) on mili a y pe sonnel e ealed ha emo ionally
in elligen soldie s display highe job sa is ac ion and ca ee ambi ion, while hose wi h lowe
EI le els a e mo e suscep ible o occupa ional bu nou .
F om an o ganiza ional pe spec i e, EI is essen ial o managing eam dynamics and
imp o ing wo kplace cul u e. Goleman (1999) a gued ha EI-d i en leade ship enhances eam
p oduc i i y, os e s posi i e communica ion, and mi iga es wo kplace con lic s. Mode n
companies inc easingly seek employees wi h s ong in e pe sonal skills, adap abili y unde
p essu e, and sel -mo i a ion. The abili y o ecognize, unde s and, and manage emo ions
con ibu es o building high-pe o ming eams and sus ainable business g ow h. Consequen ly,
o ganiza ions ha in es in de eloping EI compe encies among employees gain a compe i i e
ad an age by enhancing collabo a ion, employee engagemen , and o e all job pe o mance.
Recen esea ch u he deepens he unde s anding o how emo ional in elligence (EI)
compe encies con ibu e o o ganiza ional e ec i eness. Iye (2024) conduc ed
a comp ehensi e s udy examining he impac o sel -awa eness, sel -managemen , social
awa eness, and ela ionship managemen on key leade ship ou comes such as decision-making,
eam pe o mance, and employee engagemen . The indings e ealed ha emo ionally
in elligen leade s a e be e equipped o na iga e complex o ganiza ional dynamics, os e
us , and esol e con lic s e ec i ely. Mo eo e , he s udy emphasized he media ing ole o
ans o ma ional leade ship beha io s and social exchange mechanisms, such as mu ual espec
and us -building, in enhancing leade ship ou comes. Leade s wi h high EI we e shown o
inspi e commi men , d i e eam cohesion, and imp o e o ganiza ional pe o mance h ough
emo ionally a uned in e ac ions.
94 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
Recen indings by López González e al. (2024) con i m a s ong posi i e co ela ion
be ween emo ional in elligence and leade ship compe encies among uni e si y s uden s,
pa icula ly highligh ing he p edic i e ole o he "use o emo ions" dimension. The s udy
demons a es ha speci ic componen s o emo ional in elligence can eliably o ecas
leade ship po en ial, sugges ing ha de eloping emo ional egula ion and exp ession skills is
i al o cul i a ing u u e leade s in highe educa ion con ex s.
Fu he suppo ing he c i ical ole o emo ional in elligence in leade ship, Nwagwu and
Hen y (2025) emphasize ha emo ionally in elligen leade s a e mo e capable o egula ing
hei own emo ions and unde s anding he emo ional s a es o hei eams. This emo ional
a onemen enables hem o build s onge ela ionships, communica e e ec i ely, and make
mo e in o med decisions in high-p essu e en i onmen s. The s udy highligh s ha high
EI le els among leade s con ibu e di ec ly o imp o ed leade ship e ec i eness by os e ing
us , mo i a ion, and eam alignmen . As a esul , o ganiza ions a e encou aged o in eg a e
emo ional in elligence aining in o leade ship de elopmen p og ams, ecognizing i s alue in
enhancing bo h indi idual and o ganiza ional pe o mance.
4. Resea ch ma e ial and me hodology
The su ey ques ionnai e consis ed o 21 ques ions. The ques ions we e designed o es
esponden s' knowledge o a leade 's emo ional in elligence and o assess he impac o
emo ional in elligence on managemen .
The esea ch was conduc ed on a social ne wo k ia Google Fo ms, whe e a digi al e sion
o he ques ionnai e was p epa ed. The de eloped su ey ool ecei ed 100 esponses om
andomly selec ed esponden s who decided o espond o he eques o comple e he
ques ionnai e.
The ollowing is a lis o ques ions answe ed by he esponden s:
1. Do you know wha emo ional in elligence is?
A. Yes.
B. No.
2. Wha do you hink emo ional in elligence is?
A. The abili y o con ol and manage you emo ions in s ess ul and con lic si ua ions.
B. The abili y o ecognise and unde s and one's own emo ions and he emo ions o
o he s in a eam.
C. The abili y o make decisions based on da a analysis and in ui ion.
3. Do you hink you cu en leade has a high le el o emo ional in elligence?
Scale om 1 o 5
1 – De ini ely no.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 95
2 – No.
3 – Neu al.
4 – Yes.
5 – De ini ely yes.
4. Wha leade ship quali ies in you expe ience a e he bes examples o high emo ional
in elligence?
A. Empa hy.
B. Fai ness.
C. Analy ical mind.
5. Ha e you no iced ha you leade is able o manage his/he emo ions e ec i ely du ing
con lic s?
A. Yes.
B. No.
6. How does you leade manage emo ions?
A. Can adap hem o he cu en si ua ion.
B. Reac s ne ously.
C. Is calm and does no show emo ion.
7. How does you leade esol e con lic s?
A. Th ough dialogue.
B. Th ough s ess ul con e sa ions wi h employees.
C. By wai ing o he con lic o esol e i sel .
8. Does you leade demons a e a high le el o empa hy wi h you eam?
Scale om 1 o 5
1 – De ini ely no.
2 – No.
3 – Neu al.
4 – Yes.
5 – De ini ely yes.
9. How has you leade 's empa hy in luenced eam collabo a ion?
A. I in eg a ed and mo i a ed he eam.
B. The eam wo ks wi hou commi men .
C. Team membe s a e s essed.
10. Do you hink you leade ac s in acco dance wi h e hical p inciples?
A. Yes.
B. No.
11. Wha ac ions o decisions o you leade show his/he compliance wi h e hical
p inciples?
A. T ea men o colleagues.
B. Resol ing con lic s wi hin he eam.
96 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
C. Respec ing o he s and being espec ul.
12. Can you leade e ec i ely mo i a e he eam o achie e goals?
Scale om 1 o 5
1 – De ini ely no.
2 – No.
3 – Neu al.
4 – Yes.
5 – De ini ely yes.
13. Wha mo i a ional me hods does you leade use?
A. Recogni ion and ewa ds.
B. Oppo uni ies o p o essional de elopmen .
C. C ea ing a iendly wo kplace.
14. Does you leade ha e de eloped social skills?
Scale om 1 o 5
1 – De ini ely no.
2 – No.
3 – Neu al.
4 – Yes.
5 – De ini ely yes.
15. Wha pe sonali y ai s o you leade help o build posi i e eam ela ionships?
A. Empa hy.
B. Communica i eness.
C. Au hen ici y.
16. How old a e you?
A. 18-26.
B. 27-35.
C. 36-45.
D. 46-55.
E. 55-59
17. Whe e do you li e?
A. Village.
B. Ci y o up o 50 000 inhabi an s.
C. Ci y o 50,000 o 100,000 inhabi an s.
D. Ci y wi h mo e han 100,000 inhabi an s.
18. How many yea s' wo k expe ience do you ha e?
A. Up o 5 yea s.
B. Be ween 5 and 15 yea s.
C. O e 15 yea s.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 97
19. Wha educa ion do you ha e?
A. Voca ional.
B. Seconda y.
C. Highe .
20. Wha posi ion in he o ganisa ion do you hold?
A. Se ial employee.
B. Managemen posi ion.
21. How many people does you o ganisa ion employ?
A. Up o 20.
B. Be ween 21 and 200.
C. Mo e han 200.
4.1. Findings
The su ey da a was analysed using s a is ical me hods. Once he da a was collec ed,
he esul s we e isualized using ba cha s and pie cha s o highligh key ends and
dis ibu ions. Ba cha s we e used o compa e he scale o su ey esponses, while pie cha s
illus a ed p opo ional ela ionships in he da a se s. The su ey da a we e o ganized, and all
isualiza ions and calcula ions we e pe o med in Mic oso Excel.
The s udy does no s ic ly ollow ei he he mixed model o emo ional in elligence as
p oposed by Goleman, o he abili y model by Maye and Salo ey. Howe e , i d aws on
elemen s om bo h amewo ks o assess emo ional in elligence in leade ship. Goleman’s
mixed model is mo e comp ehensi e in in eg a ing pe sonali y ai s and leade ship quali ies,
making i a sui able basis o e alua ing how emo ional in elligence impac s leade ship
beha io s and eam ou comes. Maye and Salo ey’s model, on he o he hand, o e s a mo e
s uc u ed app oach o measu ing emo ional compe encies. While he s udy does no solely ely
on one speci ic model, inco po a ing elemen s om bo h amewo ks s eng hens he
heo e ical ounda ion o he esea ch, p o iding a b oade unde s anding o emo ional
in elligence and i s e ec s on leade ship.
I is impo an o ea his s udy as a pilo p ojec due o he ela i ely small numbe o
esponden s. Wi h only 100 pa icipan s comple ing he su ey, he sample size is limi ed,
which may impac he gene alizabili y o he indings. A small sample size can also esul in
a highe ma gin o e o , po en ially a ec ing he eliabili y and alidi y o he esul s.
Addi ionally, he di e si y o he esponden s while o e ing some ange o pe spec i es migh
no ully ep esen he b oade popula ion o p o essionals ac oss a ious indus ies.
Gi en hese limi a ions, he esul s o his s udy should be seen as explo a o y and no
de ini i e. The indings p o ide aluable p elimina y insigh s in o he ole o emo ional
in elligence in leade ship, bu u he esea ch wi h a la ge and mo e di e se sample is needed
o con i m hese esul s and d aw mo e obus conclusions. The s udy’s pilo na u e also allows
104 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
Figu e 13. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 13 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 14. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 14 o he esea ch su ey.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 105
Figu e 15. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 15 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 16. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 16 o he esea ch su ey.
106 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
Figu e 17. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 17 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 18. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 18 o he esea ch su ey.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 107
Figu e 19. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 19 o he esea ch su ey.
Figu e 20. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 20 o he esea ch su ey.
108 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
Figu e 21. Answe s om en e p ise employees who ha e expe ienced a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles o ques ion 21 o he esea ch su ey.
The analysis e eals ha mos esponden s ecognize emo ional in elligence as a c ucial
ac o in leade ship e ec i eness. The s udy employed elemen s om bo h Goleman’s mixed
model, which in eg a es pe sonali y ai s, and Maye and Salo ey’s abili y model, ocusing
speci ically on emo ional compe encies. Due o i s pilo na u e and limi ed sample size
(n = 100), he esul s should be conside ed p elimina y, indica ing a signi ican ole o
emo ional in elligence in eam managemen bu equi ing u he alida ion h ough la ge and
mo e di e se esea ch samples.
4.2. Analysis o esea ch esul s
The i s ques ion in he su ey se ed as an in oduc o y inqui y, assessing esponden s'
amilia i y wi h he concep o emo ional in elligence. The esul s indica e ha he as majo i y
o pa icipan s (84%) con i med hei awa eness o he e m, whe eas 16% admi ed ha hey
we e un amilia wi h i .
The ollowing ques ion aimed o explo e how esponden s unde s ood he concep o
emo ional in elligence. Pa icipan s we e p esen ed wi h h ee possible de ini ions and asked o
choose one. The mos equen ly selec ed esponse (41%) de ined emo ional in elligence as he
abili y o con ol and manage one's emo ions in s ess ul and con lic si ua ions. A nea ly equal
p opo ion (40%) o esponden s emphasized he abili y o ecognize and unde s and one's own
emo ions and hose o o he s wi hin a eam. The leas selec ed op ion (19%) linked emo ional
in elligence o decision-making based on da a analysis and in ui ion.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 109
The esponses e ealed a ying assessmen s o emo ional in elligence le els among leade s.
A o al o 1 esponden (1%) assigned a a ing o 1, indica ing a e y low le el o emo ional
in elligence. Simila ly, 8 esponden s (8%) a ed hei leade a le el 2, sugges ing a low le el
o emo ional in elligence, albei sligh ly highe han he p e ious ca ego y. A mode a e le el o
emo ional in elligence was epo ed by 21 esponden s (21%), who selec ed a a ing o 3.
The la ges p opo ion o pa icipan s, 45 esponden s (45%), assigned a a ing o 4, indica ing
a high le el o emo ional in elligence. Fu he mo e, 25 esponden s (25%) explici ly s a ed ha
hei leade s exhibi ed a high le el o emo ional in elligence. These indings sugges ha
a subs an ial majo i y o esponden s pe cei e hei leade s as possessing a leas a mode a e o
high le el o emo ional in elligence, wi h a signi ican p opo ion assigning a ings a he uppe
end o he scale.
Responden s we e asked abou ai s ha con i m a leade 's high emo ional in elligence.
O he esponden s, as many as 37% belie e ha an analy ical mind is he mos impo an
indica o o high in elligence in a leade . 34% o esponden s indica ed ha ai ness bes e lec s
a leade 's high emo ional in elligence. Empa hy ecei ed he ewes esponses (29%),
sugges ing ha i is seen as a less impo an elemen o a leade 's emo ional in elligence.
An essen ial aspec o he s udy ocused on assessing leade s' abili y o manage hei
emo ions du ing con lic s. The esul s indica e ha o e 80% o esponden s pe cei e hei
leade s as capable o e ec i ely egula ing hei emo ions in such si ua ions. Con e sely,
19% o pa icipan s epo ed ha hey had no had he oppo uni y o obse e hese
compe encies in hei leade s.
Addi ionally, he su ey included a ques ion e alua ing eam membe s' pe cep ions o hei
leade s' emo ional exp ession. A majo i y o esponden s (56%) indica ed ha hei leade
exp esses emo ions in a manne app op ia e o he gi en si ua ion. Meanwhile, 28% o
pa icipan s assessed ha hei leade emains composed and does no ou wa dly display
emo ions. The smalles p opo ion o esponden s (16%) pe cei ed hei leade as eac ing
ne ously in con lic scena ios. These indings sugges ha mos leade s a e iewed as
demons a ing e ec i e emo ional managemen , wi h a p e ailing endency owa d ei he
app op ia e emo ional exp ession o emo ional es ain .
Responden s we e also asked abou how hei leade s esol e con lic s. The mos equen ly
selec ed answe was ha he leade conduc s a dialogue wi h his subo dina es (45%). A smalle
numbe o esponden s indica ed ha hey had wi nessed si ua ions whe e hei supe io s wai ed
o con lic s o esol e hemsel es (36%). The ewes esponden s (19%) expe ienced s ess ul
con e sa ions be ween leade s and employees.
Responden s we e asked o assess hei leade s' empa hy owa d hei subo dina e eam on
a scale om 1 o 5, whe e 1 signi ies "de ini ely no " and 5 deno es "de ini ely yes". The esul s
indica e ha 63% o esponden s pe cei e hei leade s as highly empa he ic ( a ing 4 o 5),
while 21% a e hei leade s' empa hy a an a e age le el (3), and 16% belie e hei leade s
lack empa hy ( a ing 1 o 2). The s a is ical analysis u he suppo s hese indings, wi h a mean
110 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
sco e o 3.78, e lec ing a gene ally posi i e pe cep ion, and a median sco e o 4, indica ing ha
a leas hal o he esponden s a ed hei leade s’ empa hy a his le el o highe . The s anda d
de ia ion o 1.08 sugges s mode a e a iabili y in esponses, highligh ing di e ing expe iences
among employees. These esul s con i m ha a signi ican p opo ion o employees ecognize
empa hy in hei leade s.
As pa o he su ey, esponden s we e asked o e alua e he in luence o leade s’ empa hy
on eam collabo a ion. The majo i y (62%) epo ed a posi i e impac , highligh ing ha
empa he ic leade ship os e s eam in eg a ion and enhances mo i a ion. Howe e , 19% o
esponden s no ed a lack o eam engagemen , while an equal p opo ion (19%) indica ed ha
insu icien empa hy om leade s con ibu ed o s ess wi hin he eam. These indings sugges
ha while empa hy is la gely pe cei ed as a c ucial ac o in s eng hening eamwo k,
i s absence may lead o ad e se e ec s on eam dynamics.
Ano he c i ical dimension o he s udy in ol ed assessing he pe cep ion o e hical
leade ship. The da a p esen ed in he accompanying cha illus a e esponden s’ iews on he
ex en o which hei leade s adhe e o e hical p inciples. A signi ican majo i y (74%) a i med
ha hei leade s demons a e e hical beha io , e lec ing a gene ally high assessmen o hei
mo al in eg i y and p o essional conduc . Con e sely, 26% o esponden s exp essed conce ns
ega ding he e hical p ac ices o hei leade s, sugges ing he p esence o e hical ambigui ies
o inconsis encies ha wa an u he in es iga ion.
The nex ques ion was designed o de ail he e hical ac ions o leade s. Responden s we e
asked o indica e wha ac ions a e aken by supe iso s. 43% o esponden s indica ed ha
leade s' e hical ac ions a e mos e iden in he a ea o ea ing co-wo ke s. 30% o esponden s
belie e ha e hical ac ions a e based on espec ing co-wo ke s and he e o e: espec ing he
leade . The hi d g oup, which indica ed he smalles numbe o esponses, i.e. 27%, belie es
ha e hical ac ions a e e iden in he way con lic s a e esol ed wi hin he eam.
Responden s we e asked o a e he e ec i eness o eam mo i a ion o achie e goals.
The esponses a e in he o m o a i e-poin scale, whe e 1 means ha leade s a e unable o
mo i a e eams o any deg ee, while 5 means ha leade s ha e he compe ence o mo i a e
eams e ec i ely. The as majo i y o esponden s, as many as 61%, belie e ha hei leade s
ha e he abili y o e ec i ely mo i a e a eam o achie e goals. 28% o esponden s a ed hei
leade s as ha ing mode a e e ec i eness, while 11% o esponses indica e ha leade s do no
ha e any abili y o mo i a e hei subo dina es o achie e hei goals.
One o he key aspec s examined in he su ey was he iden i ica ion o speci ic
mo i a ional s a egies employed by leade s. The mos equen ly ci ed me hod, indica ed by
45% o esponden s, was he p o ision o p o essional de elopmen oppo uni ies. Recogni ion
and ewa ds om supe io s we e iden i ied as a mo i a ional ac o by 33% o pa icipan s.
The leas equen ly men ioned app oach (22%) was he c ea ion o a suppo i e and iendly
wo k en i onmen as a means o employee mo i a ion. These indings sugges ha while
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 111
p o essional g ow h and ecogni ion a e p ima y d i e s o mo i a ion, wo kplace a mosphe e
is conside ed a less dominan ac o .
Ano he c i ical dimension o he s udy in ol ed assessing he le el o social compe ence
among leade s. Responden s e alua ed hei leade s' social skills on a i e-poin scale,
whe e 1 ep esen ed a lack o de eloped social compe encies and 5 deno ed a high le el o
p o iciency. The esul s indica e ha o e 70% o esponden s pe cei e hei leade s as
possessing well-de eloped social compe encies. Addi ionally, 18% o pa icipan s a ed hei
leade s' social compe ence as mode a e, while 11% exp essed he iew ha hei leade s exhibi
a lack o social skills.
The 15 ques ion was abou he pe sonali y ai s o leade s ha ha e a posi i e impac in he
p ocess o building posi i e ela ionships in he eam. Responses o his ques ion a e as ollows:
he la ges g oup o esponden s (40%) indica ed ha he leade 's communica i eness has
an impac on building posi i e ela ionships in he eam. 30% el ha empa hy was he mos
impo an ai . The same numbe o esponden s (30%) belie e ha he leade 's au hen ici y
con ibu es o he c ea ion o posi i e ela ionships in he eam.
Fu he ques ions a e me ic ques ions. Pa icipan s in he su ey a e people o wo king age,
which co e s a wide age ange. The younges esponden pa icipa ing in he su ey is 19 yea s
old, while he oldes is 59 yea s old. The la ges numbe o esponden s pa icipa ing in he
su ey eside in ci ies while a mino i y (2%) li e in illages. The la ges g oup (43%) among
hose su eyed we e esponden s wi h highe educa ion hen hose wi h seconda y educa ion.
The as majo i y (77%) o he esponden s decla ed ha hey held posi ions as ank-and- ile
employees, while he es held manage ial posi ions. In e ms o wo k expe ience, abou hal o
he esponden s decla ed ha hey ha e mo e han 15 yea s o educa ion. Mos people (50%)
wo k in o ganisa ions ha employ mo e han 200 people.
The co ela ion analysis examines, which is shown in igu e 22 he ela ionship be ween
key leade ship cha ac e is ics, including emo ional in elligence, empa hy, mo i a ion
e ec i eness, social compe ence, and e hical leade ship. The co ela ion ma ix p o ides
insigh s in o he s eng h and di ec ion o hese ela ionships. The hea map isualizes hese
co ela ions, highligh ing he s onges ela ionships in wa m colo s and weake associa ions in
coole ones. These indings emphasize he in e connec ed na u e o leade ship ai s and
p o ide empi ical suppo o leade ship de elopmen s a egies ocusing on emo ional
in elligence, e hics, and in e pe sonal skills.
112 J. Ćwiąkała, W. Gajda, M. Ćwiąkała, E. Gó ka, D. Ba an, G. Wojak e al.
Figu e 22. Co ela ion Ma ix o Leade ship T ai s c ea ed om su ey da a.
The analysis e ealed he ollowing co ela ions:
S ong co ela ion be ween Emo ional In elligence and Empa hy (0.98) - leade s wi h highe
le els o emo ional in elligence end o be pe cei ed as mo e empa he ic. Emo ional
In elligence and Social Compe ence co ela ion (0.97) - leade s wi h well-de eloped emo ional
in elligence a e also a ed highly in e ms o social compe ence. This aligns wi h exis ing
heo ies sugges ing ha emo ional in elligence is a ounda ional componen o e ec i e
in e pe sonal skills in leade ship. E hical Leade ship and Mo i a ion E ec i eness (0.99) -
he s onges co ela ion in he da ase indica es ha leade s pe cei ed as e hical a e also seen
as highly e ec i e in mo i a ing hei eams. Empa hy and E hical Leade ship (0.93) - a high
co ela ion sugges s ha leade s who a e seen as empa he ic a e also pe cei ed as e hical.
Mo i a ion E ec i eness and Social Compe ence (0.92) - social compe ence is c ucial o
mo i a ing eams e ec i ely. Leade s who can na iga e social dynamics skill ully a e be e
equipped o mo i a e hei eams.
In summa y, he co ela ion analysis ein o ces he p emise ha key leade ship ai s do no
ope a e in isola ion bu a e closely in e wo en, wi h emo ional in elligence eme ging as
a cen al ac o . The s onges associa ions, pa icula ly be ween emo ional in elligence,
empa hy, social compe ence, and e hical leade ship, sugges ha cul i a ing emo ional
awa eness and in e pe sonal sensi i i y signi ican ly enhances a leade ’s e ec i eness.
The impo ance o emo ional in elligence… 113
These indings p o ide p ac ical guidance o leade ship de elopmen p og ams, emphasizing
he need o nu u e emo ional and e hical dimensions alongside echnical compe encies o os e
holis ic and impac ul leade ship.
5. Conclusions
The analysis o he collec ed empi ical ma e ial p o ided impo an in o ma ion on he
emo ional in elligence o leade s and i s impac on eam managemen . The esea ch was
conduc ed among 100 employees who had he oppo uni y o expe ience a a ie y o leade s'
managemen s yles a di e en s ages o hei ca ee s. The collec ed da a, including e alua ions
and opinions o he esponden s, made i possible o d aw conclusions.
The esul s o he s udy p esen ha emo ional in elligence is co ela ed wi h he posi i e
pe cep ion o leade s by subo dina es. The deg ee o de elopmen o emo ional in elligence can
be an e alua ion c i e ion du ing ec ui men p ocesses and p omo ions.
The analysis con i ms ha emo ional in elligence is a cen al ac o in e ec i e leade ship,
s ongly co ela ing wi h empa hy, social compe ence, and e hical leade ship. Leade s who
demons a e emo ional in elligence a e also pe cei ed as mo e e hical, empa he ic, and socially
compe en , ein o cing he idea ha emo ional awa eness enhances leade ship e ec i eness.
Addi ionally, a e y s ong co ela ion be ween e hical leade ship and mo i a ion
e ec i eness sugges s ha employees a e mo e mo i a ed when hey pe cei e hei leade s as
e hical and ai . The indings highligh ha social compe ence plays a key ole in mo i a ing
eams, u he emphasizing he impo ance o in e pe sonal skills in leade ship.
Su ey esul s show ha leade s' e hical pe o mance is highly alued by employees.
As a esul , companies can in oduce a code o e hics o employees o p omo e leade s and
hei e hical ac ions and can implemen business e hics aining ha can help leade s make
decisions ha a e in line wi h he company's mission and alues.
The esul s o ou own esea ch indica e he impo ance o emo ional in elligence in
managing subo dina e pe sonnel. Leade s who de elop compe ence in his a ea con ibu e o
he c ea ion o mo e in eg a ed, mo i a ed and e ec i e eams. In business p ac ice, his means
ha o ganiza ions should in es in emo ional in elligence aining o hei leade s.
This is impo an o p omo e an o ganiza ional cul u e based on empa hy, ai ness and e ec i e
con lic esolu ion.
In o de o s eng hen he p ac ical applicabili y o his s udy, i is ecommended ha
o ganiza ions de elop a ge ed emo ional in elligence p og ams speci ically o leade s and
manage s. Such p og ams may include wo kshops ocusing on key in e pe sonal compe encies
such as ac i e lis ening, empa hy, emo ional sel - egula ion, and s ess managemen .
Addi ionally, inco po a ing coaching me hods ailo ed o enhancing emo ional in elligence and
