THE RISE OF FEMININE LEADERSHIP (Edition-III) ISBN: 978-93-49468-67-2

Sports Emotional Intelligence: A Catalyst for Feminine Leadership and Team Excellence

Author: Dr. Yash Chaudhary

The growing participation of women in sports leadership has transformed the dynamics of coaching, sports administration, and athlete development. In this context, Sports Emotional Intelligence (SEI) has emerged as a critical competency that enables leaders to effectively understand, regulate, and utilize emotions to enhance individual and team performance. This chapter examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and feminine leadership, emphasizing how emotional competencies contribute to effective leadership practices in sports organizations. Drawing upon established theoretical frameworks, including the Ability Model of Mayer and Salovey, Goleman's Mixed Model, and Bar-On's Emotional-Social Intelligence Model, the chapter explains the significance of emotional intelligence in promoting self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, motivation, communication, and ethical decision-making. It further discusses how these competencies help women leaders manage stress, resolve conflicts, foster resilience, and create psychologically safe and inclusive sporting environments. The chapter also highlights the challenges encountered by women leaders in sports, including gender stereotypes, leadership bias, and limited representation, while demonstrating how emotional intelligence serves as an effective strategy for overcoming these barriers. Case studies of distinguished women sports leaders such as Mary Kom, P. V. Sindhu, Mithali Raj, and Billie Jean King illustrate the practical application of emotionally intelligent leadership in achieving excellence and inspiring future generations. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the need to integrate emotional intelligence into leadership development programmes, coaching education, sports governance, and public policy. Strengthening emotional intelligence among women leaders will contribute to sustainable organizational success, athlete well-being, and the advancement of inclusive and transformational leadership in contemporary sports.

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