Emotional intelligence and authentic leadership in spanish councilors

Abstract

The performance of the public function requires people with a specific personal and professional profile. However, “The average Spanish politician is an emotional illiterate that reflects narcissism and ignorance” (Fernández Berrocal, in Soteras, 2015); “The level of emotional intelligence in Spanish politics is scarce” (Peñate, in Soteras, 2015). From these statements, one could ask what hope could the citizenry end up depositing in politics as a means to improve their lives and transform society. Therefore, it is essential to clarify whether those who have managed to exercise political leadership and end up being elected to a public office after winning the trust of their fellow citizens, have been able to do so without emotional intelligence or not. Municipalities being the institutions closest to the citizens, whose representatives are more in touch with the problems of the neighborhood and therefore more exposed to social scrutiny, it is questionable whether this alleged emotional lack of politicians has been able to pass unnoticed by voters and if, in the event that this is the case, this deficit could undermine the expectations that these representatives will be able to carry out their institutional responsibilities with a high degree of competence from the moral point of view. We consider the study of emotional intelligence and authentic leadership of a representative sample of people dedicated to politics in the field of Spanish municipalities of more than 50,000 inhabitants, from positive psychology and its postulates

Keywords

• inteligencia emocional
• liderazgo auténtico
• cargos públicos