Abstract:

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the leadership research was trying to identify special personality traits to identify leaders and non-leaders (Fleenor, 2006). Bass (1985, 1998) emphasizes the transformative leadership structure covering individual consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation (charismatic leadership), and idealized influence. The study theoretically and empirically analyzes the trait of emotional intelligence (EI) relation to transformational leadership structure by self-report tools: a global level of trait EI and its four factors (well-being, self-control, emotionality, sociability) by TEIQue-SF (Petrides, 2009, adapted to the Slovak conditions by Kaliská, Heinzová & Nábělková, 2019) and five leadership practices (Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, Encourage the Heart) by Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI, Kouzes & Posner, 2017, adapted by Kaliská & Heinzová, 2022) of the Slovak teachers as potential educational leaders in Slovakia (N=121, Mage=41-4, /SD=11.4/; 84% of females). Statistically significant positive moderate to strong relations between global level of trait EI and sociability factor and five leadership practices were proved (.29≤r≤.49). There were high significant differences between the leaders with high and low EI level in all five leadership practices in favor to the ones with a high EI level. The study emphasizes the importance of emotionally intelligent and competent behavior of a leader who is trying to transform our educational systems for the purpose of addressing and reaching common school aims. The study is a part of a research project VEGA 1/0152/21 and APVV-17-0557.

Keywords:

Trait emotional intelligence, transformational educational leadership, future teachers.