Testing the relationship between emotional intelligence and full-range leadership as moderated by cognitive style and self-concept

This field study examined the effect of an ability-based measure of emotional intelligence as a predictor of full-range leadership style. The moderating effects of leaders' cognitive style and direction of self-concept (internal vs. external) on the relationship between emotional intelligence and full-range leadership style were also examined.; The analyses were conducted on data collected from 146 self-identified leaders and 649 raters. A significant predictive relationship was found between emotional intelligence and all full-range leadership styles from leaders' perceptions. Cognitive style added significant variance to the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership and outcomes of leadership from leaders' perceptions. This indicated the combined extraversion and intuitive cognitive style is associated with transformational leadership over and above emotional intelligence.; The leader's direction of self-concept added significant variance to the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational, management by exception and laissez-faire leadership from leaders' perceptions. This indicated that internal self-concept is associated with transformational leadership over and above emotional intelligence and external self-concept is associated with management by exception and laissez-faire leadership over and above emotional intelligence.; No significant interaction was found between cognitive style or direction of self-concept and emotional intelligence while predicting full-range leadership style from leaders' perceptions. A significant predictive relationship was found between emotional intelligence and laissez-faire leadership and outcomes of leadership from raters' perceptions. A significant interaction was found between direction of self-concept and emotional intelligence while predicting transformational leadership, contingent reward leadership and outcomes of leadership from raters' perceptions. This indicated that the leader's internal self-concept moderates the relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership, contingent reward leadership and outcomes of leadership from raters' perceptions. The results of this research provide guarded optimism for the predictive value of an ability model of emotional intelligence in leadership research.