Education Leaders as Managers: Exploring the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Resilience

Background/purpose. Educational unit managers, as leaders, need to cultivate essential skills such as emotional intelligence and psychological resilience to enhance their effectiveness in educational leadership and management that promotes the proper functioning of public educational units. This study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological resilience levels. Materials/methods. A total of 190 public educational unit managers from four regional areas in Greece were chosen through cluster random sampling. The study adopted a quantitative research design, using a self-report questionnaire. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and the Multidimensional Teachers’ Resilience Scale (MTRS) were used. For the data analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances, and linear regression analysis were applied. Results. The results demonstrated a robust association between emotional intelligence and psychological resilience. Each dimension of emotional intelligence exhibited a positive link with resilience, while further analysis identified self-control and well-being as the most significant contributors to explaining variations in resilience levels. Conclusion. The findings underscore the critical importance of enhancing emotional intelligence and psychological resilience, as these competencies are essential for public institutions' effective management and leadership.