Leadership and Emotional Intelligence: A Study of University Library Directors and Their Senior Management Teams

Abstract

Drawing on the results of a survey sent to library directors and senior management team members working in Association of Research Libraries member libraries in the Western United States, this study explores the ideal emotional intelligence traits of both academic library directors and the members of their senior management teams. Respondents were asked to identify the top ten ideal traits needed by directors and senior management team members. The study explores the extent to which each respondent agreed on the most important emotional intelligence traits for each organizational role. Results include lists of the top ten ideal traits for each organizational role and the top ten ideal shared traits for library leaders.