A Descriptive Inquiry into the Nonprofit Leaders' Perceptions about Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of the NPO leaders about the value of EI (Emotional Intelligence) on leadership strategies in the City of Richmond, Virginia. The research problem was the perceptions of the NPO leaders about the value of EI on leadership strategies in Richmond Virginia was unknown. The need to examine the NPO leaders’ perceptions about EI stemmed from the paradigm shift from cognitive intelligence to EI. Fourteen participants were selected using Seidman’s three phase interviews. The study population was the faith-based and non-faith-based leaders in the US with samples drawn from NPO leaders in the City of Richmond, Virginia. The 14 participants were engaged in in-depth interviews (Seidman’s Phase Two), and the data were analyzed using the NVivo10. The analyzed data resulted in the emergence of five themes. (a) NPO leaders’ perceptions about the term EI. (b) The leadership atmosphere of organizations in the 21 st century is sensitive and volatile. (c) The NPO leaders practice short walking away from the place of stress as a coping strategy. (d) The NPO leaders practice self-control with team members to manage conflict and (e) The NPO leaders practice respect for team members for team harmony. The study findings indicated 29% of the participants demonstrated conceptual EI perceptions, while 64% showed practical EI awareness. The remaining 7% expressed moderate or low perceptions of EI. The overall study findings indicated sound EI perceptions among the NPO leaders in Richmond, Virginia