Leading Remotely in a Time of Crisis: Relationships with Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

Leaders around the world have been thrust into leading remotely, using virtual platforms and other various technologies to communicate and stay engaged with their employees and teams during this current extraordinary global crisis. Previous research supports that leaders share concerns around trust, communication, engagement, and support when leading remotely. Prior research also identifies “people skills” as essential in overcoming these concerns. We propose that emotional intelligence is essential in leading remotely during crisis situations. Thus, the current study explores the relationships between the construct of emotional intelligence and the emotional intelligence composites of self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal relationships, decision-making, and stress management with leader concerns when leading remotely during a time of crisis.