Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Style of Soccer Coaches

The present study examines the extent to which the emotional intelligence (EI) of soccer coaches is systematically associated with different components of leadership behavior. A sample of 215 soccer coaches was asked to complete both the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue; Freudenthaler et al., 2008) and the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS; Wurth, Saborowski, & Alfermann, 1999). The analysis of both questionnaires showed acceptable internal consistencies for the TEIQue and two subscales of the LSS (democratic behavior and social support). Further analyses found no differences in the self-reported EI (global score) for the different coaching licenses. A relationship was found between EI and all of the different facets of the LSS (social support, training and instruction, democratic behavior, and positive feedback) for the whole sample. The discussion deals with the quality of the tests and emphasizes the importance of sport-specific testing methods.