How do experienced versus transitioning principals employ behavioral emotional intelligence in leading schools

Principals tend to school climate, ensuring it is conducive to student performance. Principals tend to school safety, ensuring students and staff are not unnecessarily exposed to any dangers. Principals evaluate teachers and curricula, endeavoring to elevate the preeminence of both. Principals resolve union disputes, personnel disagreements, and food fights. Principals are accountable to students, families, and boards alike for their school\u27s annual performance on state assessments. This study is an exploration of how the individuals who occupy the principal\u27s seat lead their organizations in emotionally intelligent ways in the service of these and other responsibilities. The behaviors of 10 suburban, public school principals were collected through the Behavioral Event Interview (BEI), or critical incident interviewing, and studied in the context of behavioral emotional intelligence. My study controlled for experience; hence, five of my interviewees are veteran principals, and five are new, transitioning principals. The premise of this study is the belief that learning is social, realized through a discourse between and among teachers, administrators, parents, and students, and hence, the work of schools requires and reveals interpersonal and intrapersonal capacity. The principalship requires a technical aptitude and strong work ethic, but successful leadership also requires the successful leveraging of emotionally intelligent behaviors. The success schools seek cannot be attained without leaders acting in emotionally intelligent ways, and these behaviors are not incidental and should not be episodic. Leading through emotional intelligence requires an intentional commitment to knowing and monitoring oneself and managing the relationships critical to a school\u27s success