Emotional Intelligence: Constraints and Possibilities in Leadership Practices

Abstract

Once the COVID-19 pandemic was over, the issue of educational disparities in outcomes for marginalized students in all fields revealed a systemic process of educational disparities. This has amplified economic inequality among ethnic groups. Accommodating the diversity of student needs while also helping to create leaders has now become a critical priority. Addressing this necessitates implementing inclusive leadership practices which need novel leadership abilities. Principals can expand their inclusive leadership talents by including emotional intelligence (EI) expertise in their repertoire. I believe that taking on new leadership challenges, such as ethics, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), creativity, and innovation, will support developing inclusive leadership habits, which will aid in providing education and academic triumphs to all underprivileged students while also bringing in lasting human capital growth. Therefore, this chapter takes note of the connection between transformational leadership and the principal\'s capabilities when it comes to leading.

1. Introduction

Among educational policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, there is a consensus that effective principals contribute to the success of student academic achievement and other school outcomes, such as attendance, discipline, and high school graduation. However, research indicates systemic and persistent educational disparities in educational outcomes at all levels for minoritized students [1]. Black students from low SES homes, when compared to their Caucasian middle-income counterparts, despite the numerous federal mandates and school improvement initiatives to increase academic success for these students. For example, the results Post-COVID-19 pandemic revealed that student loss of learning during the shutdown, expatiated the systemic educational inequalities of minoritized students in public schools [2]. In addition, the long-term learning loss—gap will result in 3% lower income over their lifetimes [3]. Such factors contribute to economic disparities between Black and students of color.

The results of post-COVID-19 pandemic also revealed that principals are faced with increased challenges of teacher shortage, teacher burnout, teacher turnover, emotional safety, and well-being, primarily due to political interference in some states that caused inconsistencies in following CEC guidelines for safe school reopening [2]. This suggests that principals should employ the same leadership skills during the disruption and gradual reopening, of schools; empathy, compassion, collaboration, and support. Such leadership skill reflects emotional intelligence (EI) competencies. Simply stated, EI is defined as the ability to understand and manage individual emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others around you [4, 5, 6].

Moreover, the results of a comprehensive report identified four major themes that pose new challenges for leadership and principals, in particular: ethnicity, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), creativity, innovation, and change [7]. The identified themes mirror principals’ existing leadership challenges and post-COVID-19 pandemic leadership challenges.

This chapter discusses the principal’s use of EI skills as a vehicle to improve their inclusive leadership skill sets. In the process, I question whether EI competencies facilitate leadership effectiveness. Therefore, I collect related literature and find the connections among these variables. Next, the conceptual framework for studying the effects in the context of the four new leadership variables was drawn to confirm the connections among these variables. Finally, the four challenges for principals to improve leadership effectiveness in the post-COVID era were concluded. I believe the reader can identify the relationships between EI competencies and leadership effectiveness, which can be improved through EI competencies and inclusive leadership skills.

2. Literature review

2.1 Transformational leadership skills in a new era

Einstein [8] famously said, “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.” Covey [9] commented similarly along the same vein: “If we carry on in our usual way, we will continue to get what we have.” The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a persistent educational disparity for marginalized students, which supports the notion that race and socioeconomic status can determine a student’s success. People who work with economic policy, researchers, and practitioners all agree that these persisting educational inequalities necessitate new leadership skills embracing inclusivity to increase all students’ academic achievement.

In general, scholars and practitioners consider transformational characteristics and behaviors important when assigning leadership roles. This was first discussed by Burn [10] who noted that it “entails a process where leaders and followers raise each other to high levels of motivation and morality” (p. 20). Bass [11] later expanded the principals’ role, which was inspire, motivate, establish a commitment to a vision and work collaboratively with stakeholders. However, Grissom and Loeb [12] reported that recent studies have found only minimal effects of transformational leadership behaviors relative to instructional leadership.

By contrast, a quote by Kouzes and Posner [13], “Exemplary leaders know that if they want to gain commitment and achieve the highest standards, they must be models of the behaviors they expect of others” supports the notion of transformational leadership in the context of organizational management. This concept of organizational management is also supported [13, 14]. Kouzes and Posner [13], share leadership lessons from 25 years of experience and research on what makes successful leaders. Also, they embody five key transformational skills for effective leadership behavior and practice: model the way (role model), inspire a shared vision (illustrate your vision), challenge the process (experiment and take risks), enable others (teamwork, trust, and listen), and encourage the heart (reward and celebrate). The leadership challenge inventory is an assessment that identifies distinctive features related to transformational leadership theory, seen as a playbook. This inventory also defines leadership behavior and characteristics that can help build successful leadership abilities with an emphasis on purposeful and effective change management.

In this same vein, Fullan [15] identified several issues that contribute to change leadership, According to Fullan, organizational growth is contingent upon change leadership from a moral point of view. Consider the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”—it neglects the altering demographics and assorted educational requirements, while maintaining educational differences amongst marginalized students. Change can help promote innovation and avoid stagnation. Besides having a moral basis, building relationships, and establishing shared liability requires school leaders to clearly depict the core competencies of alteration, understand change, build correspondence, form knowledge, produce consistency and get agreement from associates to make goals. Also necessary are leadership capabilities such as creating coherence and working together.

Nevertheless, transformational leadership skills are widely accepted among scholars and practitioners and are touted to increase leadership effectiveness in addressing challenges that lead to organizational change. For example, research backs the perception that efficient leadership qualities include forming long-term and attainable goals and objectives, stirring commitment by executing strategies to enhance a positive climate, and communicating a definite vision for the school district. Contrarily, scholars claim that long-term aims result in burnout among staff members. Long-term ambitions are normally tough to realize and may be postponed due to unforeseen issues. Shorter objectives are realistic and can be achieved more easily, allowing personnel to observe swift results in their labor, as outlined by Lucas and Venckute [16]; Jex and Britt [17].

Two schools of thought exist on leadership abilities. While some researchers and professionals believe that transformational leadership skills are obtained naturally, many leadership preparation courses tend to focus on the theories of leadership instead of providing leaders with opportunities to practice such skills [18, 19].

By comparison, the plea for leadership aptitudes that portray inclusivity is endorsed by the study that has steadily revealed the broad accomplishment hole between high-social class and low-social class students and the disparities in opportunity (e.g., top-notch direction, admittance to propelled school readiness courses) that power these accomplishment holes. The achievement hole for students from low socioeconomic homes encompasses the expanding US pay equality financial gaps. Likewise, it attracts thoughtfulness regarding an expansion in understanding the connection between understudy scholarly achievement and labor force preparedness for monetary worldwide rivalry [3].

In the DEI era, there is a growing need for principals to demonstrate leadership skills and practices that provide structures that afford underrepresented students the opportunity to compete in a diverse and inclusive global economy [3]. A growing body of research calls for new leadership skills that focus on inclusive leadership behavior and practices that increase positive school outcomes for all students [20].

Early research on culturally responsive teaching was to support minoritized students. However, it was later argued that culturally responsive practices should be extended to all aspects of education, including school leaders. Previous and current research indicates that principals can and do contribute to student academic success, understand school resources, and are in the best position to promote and support school improvement initiatives. In this same vein, they are accountable for progress or lack thereof, Khalifa et al. [21]. Besides, principals are primarily responsible for instructional support to empower teachers to make intentional changes in their teaching practices that lead to improvement in student academic outcomes [22].

Harvey and Allard [23] observed that it can be challenging to foster diversity in the workplace through organizational change and management practices. Leaders can assist by utilizing methods such as active listening, forming connections, and recognizing and comprehension impediments. For instance, social scientists discovered that enforced education, warnings, and regulations had little effect. Procedures that promote variety at work embrace voluntary teaching, setting up self-regulating teams, a mixture task force, and diversity supervisors.

2.2 Emotional intelligence

Anyone can become angry-that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way-this is not easy.

—Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics

A consensus is that EI has been an important and controversial topic during the last few decades. Its significance and its correlation with many domains of life have made it the subject of expert study. EI is the appendage for feeling, thinking, learning, problem-solving, and decision-making [24]. Although there is an increasing demand for EI, the accuracy of its varied measurements as well as its relevance in terms of worth and merit are often questioned. Various types of EI tests may hold potential, but their standards, evidence from neuroscience literature regarding EI, and the link between leader EI and followers all require further research [25, 26]. EI competencies expand the skill set leaders possess to create equitable outcomes for all students through more inclusive practices [3, 4, 5, 6, 27].

Mayer and Salovey [4, 28] introduced the concept in 1990 to define EI “as the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions. Successfully developing EI affords one the ability to use emotions to direct thoughts and behavior and to understand their own feelings and others’ feelings accurately. Goleman [5, 29] extended the concept to include general social competence and suggests that EI is key for the success of one’s life.

Notwithstanding, Mayer and Salovey [28], suggested that EI is a cognitive ability, which is separate but also associated with general intelligence. Mayer and Salovey [30] revealed that EI consists of four skill dimensions: (1) perceiving emotion (i.e., the ability to detect emotions in faces, pictures, music, etc.); (2) facilitating thought with emotion (i.e., the ability to harness emotional information in one’s thinking); (3) understanding emotions (i.e., the ability to understand emotional information); and (4) managing emotions (i.e., the ability to manage emotions for personal and interpersonal development). These skills have a key role in facilitating thinking, understanding emotions, and managing emotions, and evolve contingent upon maturity.

Moreover, Drigas and Papoutsi [24] studied a variety of learning theories from multiple researchers creating a nine-layer pyramid that encompasses EI Ability and EI Trait. This pyramid acts as a graphic presentation to depict what must be accomplished for someone to attain the apex of EI—emotional unity. This highest level is associated with awareness, gratification, and vastness. Models seven and eight, depicting self-actualization and transcendence, appear to draw from Maslow's pyramid of needs. The pyramid appears to combine emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive capabilities with personal progression toward growth and wants [24].

Similarly, research indicated that a growing body of evidence on research on EI has been divided into two distinct areas in terms of conceptualizing emotional competencies and their measurements: the trait EI [30] and the ability EI model [31]. Research evidence has consistently supported this distinction by revealing low correlations between the two [29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36].

In a novel standpoint, Humphrey et al. [37], proposed to combine studies on leadership and EI for the benefit of both. By examining various mainly theoretical approaches, it was concluded that leadership behavior is an emotional process triggered in everyday work settings. The five-tier multi-level model of emotions and leadership developed by these authors included: (1) within the person's internal changes; (2) differences in responses to events; (3) interpersonal attention such as contagion, dyadic leadership, and emotional labor; (4) groups/teams where contagion takes place; and (5) organizational culture/regulation rules. In detail, each tier offered advantages to the fields of both leadership study and EI research. Moreover, merging the two topics proposes that researchers should extend their aim to take into further consideration aspects of quality research as well as expand empirical research area [37].

Bradberry and Greaves [6] categorize EI competencies into two areas: personal and social; identified four EI competencies that align with their 2.0 EI Assessment A brief description of the EI competencies is included below.

1. Self-awareness: A personal competence is defined as a leader’s ability to accurately perceive individual emotions in various situations and to understand tendencies across them. Such skill requires being aware of reactions to specific occurrences, events, circumstances, and people. Making sense of individual emotions including the ability to tolerate the discomforts of focusing on possible negative feelings. Moreover, these authors posit that leader with self-awareness clearly understand their strengths and weakness, and motivations, and can identify people and situations that trigger their emotions. In this same vein, extant research has found that self-awareness skill is fundamental and that learning about oneself is not contingent upon a crisis, but rather, the daily conditions that situations that occur in worsening.

2. Self-management: The second personal skill and competence, describes as leaders’ ability to use awareness of emotions, remain flexible, and direct behaviors positively. Managing emotions includes reacting to situations and people positively. For example, being able to tolerate uncertainty while exploring emotions and options. Self-management is evidenced by being able to understand and build comfort with individual feelings. Benefit of self-management skills is being able to defer momentary needs to pursue larger more important and sustainable goals. Additional competencies and avenues to assess effective relationship management skills include providing resources support and encouragement in developing others, applying ethical decisions in conflict management, and successfully serving as a catalyst for change in the organization [13, 15].

3. Social awareness: Parallel to self-awareness, social awareness, is a fundamental skill that refers to a leaders’ ability to accurately access emotions in other people and understand the underlying nature of the emotions, as well as empathizing with others, although the point of view may be different. Also, social awareness includes the ability to remain focused and absorb critical and relevant information. Essential to social awareness is listening and observing, while fully engaged in the process, yet remaining detached from personal feelings and beliefs that might influence a leaders’ thinking. The ability to adjust to different situations, build relationships, as well as the ability to spot and address the elephant in the room is also essential social awareness skills. Lastly, evidence of social awareness supports team-building skills and involves staff in problem-solving process [13, 15, 23].

4. Relationship management: The second component of social awareness is Relationship Management skills, which is the awareness of individual emotions, and those of others, and to manage interactions successfully. Managing interactions successfully ensures clear and intentional communication and effective conflict-resolution skills. Relationship management skills afford leaders the opportunity to see the benefits of connecting with diverse groups, which include those who think differently. This skill requires the ability to initiate direct, constructive communication which avoids stress that leads to disengagement and conflict in the workplace [38] Also, relationship management skills require asking questions to gain a clear focus on the nature of the issue, which leads to being initiative-taking, rather than reactive. In this vein, self-management reflects a growth mindset, as evidenced by exercising flexibility, embracing challenges, viewing failure as an opportunity to gain experience, and believing mistakes are an essential part of learning [13, 38].

2.3 Emotional intelligence and leadership challenges

2.3.1 Leadership for change

Consequently, the world is transforming to an altered way of life during an epidemic, which is true for schooling. It has been asserted by investigators that confronting the aftermath of COVID-19 and its influence will be one of the significant tests for educational leaders in this age. By leaving a door open and exchanging ideas with one another, school leaders are utilizing data and modern tools to rapidly adjust and traverse the difficulties brought on by the pandemic. This “new normal” won’t just be a brief event but instead will have continuous and powerful results in education and school direction. Additionally, educational leaders can use insights to b Accordingly, the world is adjusting to “new” life during a pandemic, and the same is true for the education sector. Researchers argue that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath will be one of the biggest challenges for school leaders in this era. By being open and sharing insights with each other, school leaders are using data and the latest tools to quickly adapt and navigate COVID-19 challenges. More than just a trend, this “new normal” will have lasting and powerful effects on the future of education and school leadership. Also, school leaders can use data to make a change that is impactful and sustainable [1, 2, 7].

Conversely, a review of the literature reported that effective leadership is key to successful organizational change [2, 11, 13, 15, 19, 22]. For example, effective leadership and change management behaviors and practices facilitated positive organizational change and innovations for organizational growth and sustainability. Effective leaders must be able to understand and apply change management theory such as applying the three stages: (1) adapting to change, as evidenced by determining stakeholders readiness and willingness to commit to change, (2) controlling change, which include determining the degree of implementation such as piloting a program, to gather data to identify issues and areas of concerns prior to fully implementing innovation, and (3) effecting change, means that school leaders begins with the understanding that change is a personal choice [15]. Researchers concluded that effective leadership behavior and practices, which facilitate change in the work setting includes building trust with stakeholder and employing strategies to implement an organizational culture that reflects trust and honesty, which results in a sense of belonging. Such strategies reinforce a commitment to organizational change [7, 15, 17, 39].

2.3.2 Ethically leadership

Ethical challenges of Leadership: Casting light or shadow. C.E. Johnson

Moreover, a lack of knowledge, skills, or experience might cause leaders to unintentionally “cast shadows”. For example, a lack of understanding digital equity, which goes beyond access, as equity includes literacy and identifying the digital gap. In this same vein, application of ethical perspectives or frameworks to be applied to ethical dilemmas requires under understanding emotions, which are critical to decision-making and actions. Consequently, a lack of self-awareness can misguide in making appropriate ethical choices [40]. Continuous research concerning ethical leadership is taking place within multiple contexts of educational leadership, such as detailed defining of ethical leadership, which aptly portray an ethical leader as one who respects truthfulness and models their actions in line with their values and beliefs [39, 41]. Nonetheless, past studies on the effectiveness of leadership mostly emphasized traits and behaviors. Furthermore, strictly concentrating on leadership behaviors may mask unethical destructive behaviors which necessitate followership.

For instance, a scandal related to testing in a nearby metro school district caught my attention. The superintendent (who has since passed away) was responsible for orchestrating it back then. Most teachers were among the followers who manipulated test scores for pupils experiencing academic difficulty across the area. Although the superintendent had to refund capital earned from high-test scores for the district to the state government, great damage had ensued: lack of trust by learners, parents as well as citizens alike and subsequent blaming of instructors that disturbed learning progression. This situation reminded me of an old saying: “We believe what we see more than what we hear”. Similarly, early research on transformational leadership was crucial for understanding how connection between leaders and their followers results in increased motivation and morale [11, 13, 15]. Furthermore, conceptualized transformational leadership via group purpose which aids in recognizing constituents' individual objectives can stimulate rethinking of entrenched thought process leading to organizational adjustment [11, 13]. Researchers reported that creating relationships enables transformational leaders to pick up high-order values, which are guided by ethics resulting in moral behavior. Highlighted that only when leaders satisfy ideal requirements and display moral values do they become transformational leaders. This study investigated how ethical management secures psychological safety thus promoting corporate social responsibility at a micro level connecting with employees' awareness, perspectives, or strategies [10, 11, 15, 19, 39]. Research has also purported that the personal integrity of leaders contributes to ethical behavior and practices, which requires developing character and is developed by experiencing personal trauma, such as career setbacks and personal losses which allows leaders to examine his/her inner self. Revisions maintains my intended meaning [11, 13, 19].

2.3.3 Leadership for diversity, equity, and inclusion

School leaders are charged with producing tangible outcomes such as higher test scores and graduation rates (n.d.) School culture, the environment, and the organizational change adversely impact school leaders’ cognitive behaviors. A study focused on how secondary principals conducted decision-making related to federal and state mandates. The results revealed that over half of the principal’s decision-making process on mandates was guided by their values and beliefs, which requires thinking and reasoning, a cognition process. This study supports the notion of how self-awareness helps understand triggers that evoke emotions and the importance of identifying strategies to address such emotions [15, 30, 32, 34].

The advantage of hiring people who look different from the existing majority, and think differently, is that leaders are provided an opportunity to develop and exercise collaborative intelligence, which is a “road less traveled”. For example, many leaders are traditionally taught to focus on the gulfs between us rather than valuing the intellectual diversity that key players bring to the setting [27]. This approach supports leaders in developing competence in self-management skills, such as demonstrating active listening and patience.

Likewise, cultural competency is essential for diversity to thrive in the workplace, which begins with self, by acknowledging stereotypes and biases, and understanding cultural values and norms of the groups he/she serves [23, 25, 42]. Importantly, leaders should also acknowledge that cultural competency is an ongoing learning process. Social awareness skill also supports the importance of leaders’ acknowledging their own bias and limitations [6].

Authors Flore and Bagwel [43] extended the discourse on social justice and leadership to promote inclusion. Accordingly, inclusion has previously been limited to students with disabilities, by which instruction was provided in the least restrictive environment. However, the persistent inequalities among underrepresented students, linguistically diverse students, and LBGTQ students, are increasingly challenging the traditional notion of inclusion. The ongoing academic gaps and educational disparities are the center of attention in most school districts, which suggest inclusive leadership practices to be employed as social justice leadership and to expand the capacity of beginning school leaders to become champions for social justice in their schools [18, 43].

A case study of two principals, in a large urban school district elected to implement social justice model in their assigned schools. Data collection included interviews, observations in each school, and the development of themes that described the barriers and resistance to social justice in their schools [38], reported that understanding a clear definition of social justice leadership begins with a recognition of the unequal circumstances of underrepresented groups and how policies and procedures, economic, political, and societal beliefs regarding race, class, gender, and other variables to successful perpetuate inequalities in schools and classrooms [43, 44].

2.3.4 Leadership for creativity and innovation

Research reported that education systems are quickly recognizing the significance of creativity. Even though scholarship around leadership in schools is vast, there isn't much on leading for creativity. A study highlighted how engaging people with varying backgrounds leads to greater intellectual innovation for leaders. Moreover, a recent examination determined if servant leadership actions and practices could influence creativity, as well as if participation and knowledge sharing improved it. Data was accumulated from 247 employees and 57 managers employed at Chinese commercial enterprises. It showed that servant leader behaviors such as establishing an atmosphere where personnel feels appreciated and respected can help provoke creative thought by facilitating knowledge sharing [45].

A unique perspective on creativity and the field of educational leadership examined creativity discourses in the educational leadership journal, .and found a limited number of peer-reviewed journals, with a limited direct focus on the topic of creativity in the major professional educational leadership journals. This chapter concluded by suggesting an invitation for the field of educational leadership rather than providing conclusions or setting aims to be achieved.

Previously, studies on leadership and creativity have focused on organizational problem-solving to improve product performance and to maintain a competitive edge in an increasing complex global economy. However, research indicated that problem-solving is a complex cognitive process that requires time and attention of leaders. Tenets of creative problem solving include defining and constructing a problem, producing relevant information, generating, and evaluating a diverse set of solutions. The duration of time for pursuing creativity in the workplace requires commitment and support from leadership. Also, these authors noted that identifying and understanding various models of creativity demonstrate leadership commitment and support [43, 46].

Hao and Yazdanifard [47] reported that communication patterns are another important variable that fosters creativity in the workplace. For example, the inclusion of diverse teams of members from a wide background and experiences in problem-solving is based on previous experiences. Subsequently, diverse teams increase the possibilities of including multiple and diverse problem construction. Likewise, planning was identified as an integral part of performing complex tasks in organizations during the creative for performance process. For example, an examination of alternative models of planning as well as how planning might uncover errors should be included in this process. In this same line of thinking, the evaluation of ideas might minimize errors, especially as the problem-solving process is more cylinder [45]. As previously indicated, this process requires leadership support and guidance. Also, leadership should articulate what criteria are being evaluated and identify barriers to use as a guide to help cognitive processes such as time for planning and implementation. Recommendations included providing feedback that includes strengths, weaknesses, and future challenges [45, 46].

2.3.5 Leadership for change

Accordingly, the world is adjusting to a “new” life during a pandemic, and the same is true for education sector. Researchers argue that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath will be one of the biggest challenges for school leaders in this era. By being open and sharing insights with each other, school leaders are using data and the latest tools to quickly adapt and navigate COVID-19 challenges. More than just a trend, this “new normal” will have lasting and powerful effects on the future of education and school leadership. Also, school leaders can use data to make change that is impactful and sustainable [1, 2, 7].

Conversely, a review of the literature reported that effective leadership is key to successful organizational change [2, 11, 13, 15, 19, 22]. For example, effective leadership and change management behaviors and practices facilitated positive organizational change and innovations for organizational growth and sustainability. Effective leaders must be able to understand and apply change management theory such as applying the three stages: (1) adapting to change, as evidenced by determining stakeholders readiness and willingness to commit to change, (2) controlling change, which include determining the degree of implementation such as piloting a program, to gather data to identify issues and areas of concerns prior to fully implementing an innovation, and (3) Effecting change, means that school leaders begin with the understanding that change is a personal choice [15]. Researchers concluded that effective leadership behavior and practices, which facilitate change in the work setting includes building trust with stakeholder and employing strategies to implement an organizational culture that reflects trust and honesty, which results in a sense of belonging. Such strategies reinforce a commitment to organizational change [7, 15, 17, 39].

As previously stated, the adage “If it ant broke don’t fix it,” is still prevalent among some stakeholders in today’s work settings. This notion reflects a lack of establishing clear goals by linking goals to school improvement plans or analyzing data from multiple sources to develop school-wide goals. Educational leaders provide stakeholders the opportunity to understand the ‘why’ and what is truly “broken” [13, 23].

“Moving the vision from the wall to the hall” is reflected in this line of thinking Kouzes and Posner [13]; Fullan [15] reported that modeling beliefs and values demonstrate involvement, which results in commitment from stakeholders. Also, studies have found that a lack of involving stakeholders in decisions that affect them increases the risk of stalled change efforts (as previously noted, change involves a personal decision). Involving stakeholders in the decision-making process strengthens relationships and provides estimations on timetables and duration of goals, expectations, and commitment. These strategies increase leaders’ effectiveness in successfully managing change in the workplace [13, 21].

3. Summary

The data from the literature review, previous educational leaders in K-12 public school settings, and teaching experience in higher education in recent years are collected. In summary, there are two central concepts to the conceptual framework for studying EI competencies and the four variables for leadership challenges. The model represents the relationships among EI competencies, principals’ behaviors for each EI competency, and variables of leadership challenges in post-COVID-19 pandemic.

The second establishes an operational path for establishing the relationship between EI competencies and the variables of the leadership challenges. It also illustrates how the EI competencies affect principals’ leadership behavior and practices and subsequent leadership skills. Variables that mediate (explain) how effects influence leadership behavior and practices and principals’ leadership skills. A basic model, shown in Figure 1, is proposed and is used in all empirical casual studies.

Figure 1.

Data collection is the basis of principals’ leadership skills. Principals’ influence student academic success and other school outcomes such as attendance, discipline, and high school graduation rates. Data collection should also include teacher observations for culturally responsive teaching practices and teacher, student, and parent surveys. These data can be considered true and measurable. Principals can expand the lens by seeing how teacher practices support DEI. Also, data can be used for principals to work collaboratively to identify and develop professional development activities, develop instructional goals, and to initiate a professional learning community. These steps suggest that principals should increase EI competencies to increase inclusive leadership skills that support teaching and learning, which leads to increased learning opportunities and positive school outcomes for all students.

The model represents the relationships among EI competencies, principals’ behaviors for each EI competency and variables of leadership challenges. As shown in Figure 1, a theory of action for principals’ increasing ethical leadership behavior and practices, EI competencies, inclusive leadership skills, culturally responsive leadership practices, developing and initiating creative innovations to reflect change leadership practices and developing a community of practice

In Figure 1, principals can apply EI competencies to develop inclusive skillsets to identify the leadership challenge that speaks to the specific needs of the individual school to move the needle toward increasing student academic success for all students; increase leadership effectiveness in implementing innovations to increase educational opportunities for marginalized students.

4. Conclusion

Research step 1 proves that EI competencies can support principals’ personal core values in making ethical decisions. For example, implementing policies that support social justice for underserved students and increasing access to high-quality instruction [18, 19].

Research step 2 illustrates that EI competencies can support principals’ personal core values in increasing self-awareness in self-management skills to guide in staying the course for creativity and innovation. For example, risk-taking and using challenges as opportunities. Also, remaining focused on the benefits of creativity, which includes retaining quality employees, and fostering imagination leads reflects intellectual capital, which leads to problem solving in the work setting [16].

Research step 3 shows that EI competencies can support principals’ social-awareness in leading for DEI skills. For example, culturally responsive schools begin with intentional leadership practices and inclusive leadership skills that support teaching and learning practices that foster motivation, build relationships, and support rigorous and relevant instruction [3, 20, 21].

Research step 4 delineates that EI competencies can support principals lead change, which requires self-management, trust, collaboration, and relationship building [2, 7, 12, 18]. For example, applying the ADKAR model created by Jeffery Hiatt [48], limits resistance, by implementing incremental change, incorporates employee feedback, and keeps the goal in front. A (awareness of the need to change); D (desire to change); K (knowledge of how to change); A (ability to change); R (Reinforcement to keep the change in place).