Emotional Intelligence Rated as Most Important Leadership Quality

The majority of leaders rate Emotional Intelligence (EI) as the single most importantg leadership quality.

Some 38% of nearly 1 500 participants in a recent Strategic Leadership Institute LinkedIn poll rated EI and "people skills" the most critical, followed by Vision having an inspiring picture of the future) at 29%; Communication (being a skilled communicator) at 15%; Competence (having the knowledge and skills to fo the work) at 11% ; and Compassion (putting people first) at 6%. 

The poll was based on research which shows that great leadership is the result of a combination of specific skills and characteristics. Among these, many agree that EI, communication skills, cempetence, vision and compassion might just be the most important. So while we recognize that all these skills and characteristics are needed for effective leadership, participants were asked to select the single quality which they rate highest.

Not only was the results very meaningful in terms of the overall outcome, but also in terms of participant demographics. For instance, it was interesting that COMPETENCE scored significantly higher among younger participants than among those who are 37 years and older. It is also significant that the percentage of owners (of whom many are entrepreneurs) voting for COMPETENCE was higher than for any other leadership skill. On the other hand, VISION en EI scored high across all age groups, while COMMUNICATION scored relatively low across the board.

Many participants also provided valuable insight through their comments. To read these and see the poll, follow this link: