Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Behavior in Construction Executives Colleen J. Butler 1 and Paul S. Chinowsky 2 Abstract: The study documented in this paper builds upon the concept of multiple intelligences by examining the need for a greater concept of intelligence within the construction profession. Specifically, the paper documents the study of 130 construction executives for their emotional intelligence EI as measured by their emotional quotient. In this study, the writers analyze the relationship between EI and leadership behaviors, specifically examining the relationship between EI and transformational leadership behaviors. The paper outlines the strengths and weaknesses found in executives in relation to developing transformational leadership behaviors. Through the use of established testing procedures, the researchers identify five specific components of EI that are related to transformational leadership behavior at a convincing level of statistical significance. Of particular importance is the identification of interpersonal skills and empathy as key EI behaviors that need additional attention during the development of construction industry executives. The writers contend that these traits are as important as classical traits of intelligence and experience in developing the leaders of tomorrow’s construction organizations. DOI: 10.1061/ASCE0742-597X200622:3119 CE Database subject headings: Organizations; Professional development; Leadership; Construction industry. Introduction Many factors contribute to the success of various endeavors in people’s personal and professional lives. In the business world, numerous organizations contend that their “greatest asset is our people.” This mantra acknowledges that technology or tools alone will not take an organization from start-up to guru, but the per- sonnel executing different functions can make a large impact. Additionally, research findings in psychology on factors contrib- uting to individual success have become popular in business. This was not always the case, as for many years the definition of intelligence was equated with academic intellectuality and measured with a number called the intelligence quotient IQ. Researchers now believe there are more components to intelli- gence than the IQ score. Salovey and Mayer 1990 coined the term “emotional intelligence” EI based on their studies of the interaction between emotion and thought. Another researcher, Gardner 1996, included two types of EI in his theory of seven multiple intelligences. And in 1995, Daniel Goleman’s Emo- tional Intelligence further acted as a catalyst for discussions in- volving why EI, measured by the emotional quotient EQ, may indicate personal success in life endeavors Goleman 1995. Leadership behaviors are also a topic of interest within orga- nizations. Although attitudes toward the definition of effective leadership have evolved through history, leadership is an im- portant aspect of a business. Current research investigates trans- formational leadership behaviors and their relationship to EI, specifically defining the EI patterns of construction leaders and comparing these patterns with individual leadership behaviors. The research tested upper-level managers, defined as vice presi- dents and higher within the construction industry, to determine the relationship between EI and the leadership behaviors of these individuals. Previous studies have found that EI and leadership effective- ness are correlated Boyatzis 1999; Cherniss 2001, and these and other studies have correlated EI with effective leadership behav- iors in middle and upper-level management Barling et al. 2000; Palmer et al. 2001; Gardner and Stough 2002. Other studies have found that leaders with high EI engage in transformational lead- ership behaviors, and these behaviors contribute positively to organization success. Given this historical background, current research has exam- ined the following questions: 1 what is the EI profile of con- struction leaders today? and 2 is there a relationship between construction leader EQ and transformational leadership behavior? Background Beginning in 1970, psychologists began to depart from what was considered traditional psychology research and desired to study the combination of intelligence and emotion, resulting in explo- ration into the realm of “cognition and affect.” In the decades that followed, more and more research focused on proving that humans possessed multiple intelligences. During 1990 to 1993, psychologists’ interest in research on EI was gaining momentum, 1 Community Concepts, Hermes Custom Homes, Vail, CO. E-mail: colleen.butler@colorado.edu 2 Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0428 corresponding author. E-mail: paul.chinowsky@colorado.edu Note. Discussion open until December 1, 2006. Separate discussions must be submitted for individual papers. To extend the closing date by one month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Managing Editor. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and pos- sible publication on August 2, 2005; approved on November 2, 2005. This paper is part of the Journal of Management in Engineering, Vol. 22, No. 3, July 1, 2006. ©ASCE, ISSN 0742-597X/2006/3-119–125/ $25.00. JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING © ASCE / JULY 2006 / 119