Emotional intelligence and leadership A review of the progress, controversy, and criticism Jim McCleskey Organization and Management, Capella University, Spring, Texas, USA Abstract Purpose – In 1990, Salovey and Mayer presented a framework for emotional intelligence (EI). This marked the beginning of 20 years of academic research, development, and debate on the subject of EI. A significant amount of previous research has attempted to draw out the relationship between EI and leadership performance. EI has been a uniquely controversial area of the social sciences. EI is based on three simple yet fundamental premises. This manuscript reviews the definitions and models in the field of EI with special emphasis on the Mayer ability model and the connection between EI and leadership. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes the form of a literature review. Findings – EI appears to have a foothold in both our popular vernacular and our academic lexicon. However, it is not entirely clear what future form it will take. Originality/value – This manuscript explores the current relationship between EI and leadership, discusses the various instruments and scales used to measure the construct, and examines the controversy and criticism surrounding EI. Finally, it illuminates some areas for additional research. Keywords Leadership, Emotional intelligence, Organizational behaviour Paper type Literature review Introduction: 20 years of emotional intelligence In 1990, Peter Salovey and J.D. “Jack” Mayer published an article that presented a framework for emotional intelligence (EI) (emphasis by authors) (Salovey et al., 2007, p. 5). Mayer and his colleagues were the first to publish works that referred to an EI (Mayer et al., 1990; Salovey et al., 2007). Interestingly, the concept of an EI was not new. Riggio et al. (2002, p. 2) noted how the earliest intelligence researchers understood there was more to the construct of intelligence than the mental abilities represented in the traditional intelligence tests of the day. In fact, Edward Thorndike is credited with first defining social intelligence (emphasis added) in 1920 (Riggio et al., 2002, p. 2). Gardner (1983) presented the idea that individuals possessed an interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence seven years before the publication of the Salovey and Mayer article. Salovey and Mayer (1990) originally conceived EI as a subset of social intelligence. The term EI first appeared in Leuner (1966). Payne (1986) used the term in his unpublished doctoral dissertation entitled “A study of emotion: developing emotional intelligence; self-integration; relating to fear, pain, and desire”. Despite these earlier forays into the idea, generally Salovey and Mayer’s published article is credited with creating the current conception of EI and marking the beginning of 20 years of research, theory, authorship, development, critique, controversy, and criticism on the subject of EI. The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1934-8835.htm Received 20 March 2012 Revised 20 March 2012 Accepted 2 April 2012 International Journal of Organizational Analysis Vol. 22 No. 1, 2014 pp. 76-93 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1934-8835 DOI 10.1108/IJOA-03-2012-0568 IJOA 22,1 76