Learning to lead people with emotional intelligence in an educational context

This Participatory Action Research (PAR) was an attempt to facilitate educational leaders in developmental Emotional Intelligence (EI) and practicing it in their context by facilitating and enhancing the dynamics of their emotional energy. Four departmental heads (Managers) in an educational organization in Karachi, Pakistan, were engaged as participants in this action research. Research consisted of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection as a cyclic process. This research has given me a deeper and richer understanding of how adults feel and a fresh appreciation for them. It has helped me, as a leader, educator, facilitator and researcher, to be more empathetic, self-aware, and self-motivated, and a socially-skilled well being, and to be in change of my emotions. There were some facilitating factors which helped me and research participants (RPs) in EI enhancement in the duration of this participatory action research. First of all, emotional literacy, EI awareness and knowledge from literature are crucial to increase emotional energy. Relevant reading materials, presentations and discussions with real examples were helping factors for developing emotional intelligence. Overall achievements in the post-self evaluation designate a heartening message to the research participants and research facilitator, as their scores on various sub-components of EI moved up considerably. Secondly, self-evaluation checklists were representing the participants\u27 real self actual (as triangulated through other data sources). This research study revealed that EI can be learnt gradually through regular practicing and reflecting on daily experiences, giving and receiving feedback frankly, self-talk, reading other\u27s faces and empathy, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of oneself and of others, and creating a positive emotional environment. Moreover, EI is more than IQ for life success, and it helps in becoming effective leaders. It can be developed through different ways and strategies, for instance, by enhancing real self-awareness, managing emotions in an appropriate way, increasing social skills and motivation