69´«Ã½

Special Report
School & District Management Download

Downloadable: Tips to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

By Evie Blad — November 06, 2023 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

The concept of emotional intelligence—the ability to understand, perceive, and manage emotions—is key to effective leadership, principals and district administrators say.

The idea swept through board rooms of large companies in the 1990s after psychologist Daniel Goleman wrote a massively popular book called Emotional Intelligence. For school and district leaders, such strengths are necessary to build healthy relationships with teachers, parents, and students, and to weather the emotional demands of leading in public. And, after a few years of uncertainty and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders told Education Week they have seen the value of such interpersonal strengths more than ever before.

Related Story

A woman sits alongside students in rows of classroom desks. She raises her hand alongside several students as if they are ready to answer a question.
Suzan Harris, principal of Henderson Middle School, makes her morning rounds greeting students and speaking to teachers at the school in Jackson, Ga., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week

Researchers use varying definitions to explain emotional intelligence, but they often center on skills that closely mirror those that schools emphasize with students through social-emotional learning. Emotional intelligence is not a set of fixed traits or a skill to be mastered, but an ongoing process of improvement, school and district leaders said.

SOURCE: Education Week | Icons: via Getty

A version of this article appeared in the November 15, 2023 edition of Education Week as Tips to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69´«Ã½
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

School & District Management Reports Strategic Resourcing for K-12 Education: A Work in Progress
This report highlights key findings from surveys of K-12 administrators and product/service providers to shed light on the alignment of purchasing with instructional goals.
School & District Management Download Shhhh!!! It's Underground Spirit Week, Don't Tell the 69´«Ã½
Try this fun twist on the Spirit Week tradition.
Illustration of shushing emoji.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How My Experience With Linda McMahon Can Help You Navigate the Trump Ed. Agenda
I have a lesson for district leaders from my (limited) interactions with Trump’s pick for ed. secretary, writes a former superintendent.
Joshua P. Starr
4 min read
Vector illustration of people walking on upward arrows, symbolizing growth, progress, and teamwork towards success.
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Opinion How Social-Emotional Learning Can Unify Your School Community: 7 Timely Tips
It’s a stressful political season. These SEL best practices can help school leaders weather the unpredictable transitions.
Maurice J. Elias
4 min read
Modern digital collage of caring leader surrounded by positivity. Social Emotional learning leadership.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva