Emotional Intelligence: Helping Managers ‘Turn Over’ a New Leaf in Leadership Behaviors

Abstract

The costs of organizational turnover have substantial economic consequences. Accordingly, scholars and practitioners have strategized how to reduce followers’ turnover intentions, potentially saving organizations the direct and indirect costs of turnover. The literature provides evidence that leaders’ behaviors directly impact subordinates’ turnover intentions. This research studied leaders and followers in a healthcare institution based in the Southwest U.S., focusing on the follower’s perceptions of their managers’ leadership behaviors. It specifically examined the effects of leaders’ emotional intelligence on their followers’ turnover intentions. The results indicated that higher levels of leader emotional intelligence had an inverse effect on follower turnover intentions, thereby reducing followers’ inclinations to leave their organizations. This study adds to the streams of literature supporting the positive effects of emotional intelligence in a turnover intentions-based model. The findings can be integrated into human resources strategies to help leaders in all industries develop more holistic leadership programs to reduce organizational turnover.