May 11, 2023

How can we build skills to become more emotionally intelligent school leaders?

This article is the second in a series, investigating the ways in which emotions serve as powerful forces within our school communities, and can be leveraged effectively by school leaders to contribute to organizational and individual outcomes. 

In a recent article, I shared my experiences and perspectives on theory related to emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL).  In my twenty-five years working in educational settings, as a teacher, counselor, administrator, and leader, I’ve come to experience the “schoolhouse” (whether in-person or virtual) and each classroom within it as spaces that are overflowing with emotions. The study of the social experiences and affiliated behaviors which are derived from these emotions occupies a vast array of scholarship; social scientists posit that our social emotions serve as a kind of “glue” within shared spaces, which has the capacity to drive phenomena such as collective effervescence (Durkheim, 1912; Collins, 1998), change, conflict (Turner, 2010), and one’s sense of belonging (Baumeister, 1997). 

The way our community members feel when they are at school has significant implications for school sustainability. Decisions to re-enroll, renew an employment agreement, refer other families to…