Special Report
School & District Management From Our Research Center

How Emotionally Intelligent Are School and District Leaders? We Asked Teachers

By Evie Blad & Vanessa Solis — November 06, 2023 1 min read
Collage illustration of an empathetic looking leader among images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Although school and district leaders believe they demonstrate emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills at work, teachers are less likely to agree that their administrators show those traits.

Those are the findings of a survey of 1,509 educators, including 364 principals and district administrators, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center from Sept. 27 to Oct. 13.

The findings come as schools and districts dig deep to rebuild and maintain staff morale while they continue the hard work of academic recovery.

Related Story

A woman sits alongside students in rows of classroom desks. She raises her hand alongside several students as if they are ready to answer a question.
Suzan Harris, principal of Henderson Middle School, makes her morning rounds greeting students and speaking to teachers at the school in Jackson, Ga., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week

In interviews, administrators told Education Week that they believe their own ability to navigate interpersonal dynamics and connect with staff are key parts of those efforts.

A majority of teachers said their principals demonstrate interpersonal skills at work

A majority of teachers who responded to the survey partly or completely agreed that their principals manage conflict well, seek and respond to feedback, motivate others to be successful, and demonstrate empathy.

Teachers were less likely to rate their central-office administrators highly in traits like empathy

Asked whether their district-level administrators demonstrate the same menu of traits, teachers were less likely to agree.

Still, a majority of teacher respondents partly or completely agreed that their central-office administrators demonstrate empathy (59 percent), motivate others to be successful (61 percent), and manage conflict well (56 percent).

That may be in part because teachers have fewer face-to-face interactions with central-office leaders.

School and district leaders gave themselves high marks in interpersonal skills

Fewer than 10 percent of the smaller pool of school and district administrators who responded to the survey completely or partly disagreed that they demonstrated each of the traits in the survey. That suggests a perception gap between teachers and educational leaders.

School and district leaders were most likely to say they demonstrate empathy, with 85 percent of school leaders and 79 percent of district leaders completely agreeing with the statement.

education week logo subbrand logo RC RGB

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.

A version of this article appeared in the November 15, 2023 edition of Education Week as How Emotionally Intelligent Are School And District Leaders? We Asked Teachers

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Federal Webinar Navigating the Rapid Pace of Education Policy Change: Your Questions, Answered
Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of key education policy developments affecting K-12 schools.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Evidence & Impact: Maximizing ROI in Professional Learning
  Is your professional learning driving real impact? Learn data-driven strategies to design effective PL.
Content provided by New Teacher Center

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management A Superintendent's Balancing Act Amid Trump's DEI Crackdown
Districts are trying to navigate a dizzying pace of new federal orders and continue working with as little fanfare as possible.
6 min read
Tightly cropped photo of an African American woman's hands around a paper cutout of different colored paper people.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion 5 Cost-Free Ways to Make Life Better for Teachers (Downloadable)
Two educators offer school leaders simple suggestions for improving the lives of teachers and students in this guide.
Diana Laufenberg & Renee Jones
1 min read
Clock on desk with school supplies on the table.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Q&A Speaking Up for Students Is Part of This Principal's Job
Terri Daniels, the National Advocacy Champion of the Year, says principals must advocate on behalf of their students.
6 min read
California principal and NASSP Advocacy Champion award winner Terri Daniels poses with NASSP President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozo.
Terri Daniels, the principal of Folsom Middle School in California, poses with National Association of Secondary School Principals President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozo. Daniels was named the 2025 NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year and recognized in Washington, D.C., on April 11.
Courtesy of NASSP
School & District Management 1 in 4 Students Are Chronically Absent. 3 Tools to Change That
Chronic absenteeism is a daunting problem. But district leaders aren't alone in facing it, and there are ways they can fight it.
5 min read
Empty desks within a classroom
iStock/Getty Images Plus