5.4: Discussion Questions and Exercises
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Chapter 5 Discussion Questions and Exercises
Discussion Questions
- Why is emotional intelligence increasingly important in post-pandemic school leadership? Consider how the emotional needs of staff, students, and families have shifted in recent years. What specific demands does this place on the EI of school leaders, and how should superintendents respond?
- How can school leaders balance empathy with accountability when implementing new initiatives? What are the risks of leaning too far in either direction? How does Ringer’s framework help leaders hold both empathy and accountability simultaneously?
- What does emotionally intelligent leadership look like during a crisis or significant organizational conflict? Share examples from your own experience or observations in schools. What EI competencies were most visible in the most effective leaders you observed?
- How can superintendents foster Team EI within their principal cohorts? What structures, norms, or facilitation practices help build collective emotional intelligence across a district leadership team? What would a two-year plan for Team EI development look like?
- In what ways does emotional intelligence support equity and inclusion in school leadership? How might EI help leaders navigate culturally responsive conversations and decision-making in communities historically underserved by district institutions?
Exercises
- Create a visual map of your emotional intelligence strengths and growth areas using Goleman’s four domains. Include specific examples from your leadership experience. Identify one concrete developmental step you will take to strengthen each domain over the next six months.
- Imagine you are leading a team resistant to a significant district-wide change. Write a script or structured outline for opening a team meeting using Ringer’s (2013) four-part framework. Identify how each step would function in your specific scenario.
- Over the next week, keep a daily journal of emotionally charged moments in your leadership role. For each entry, identify: What triggered the emotion? How did you respond? What would you do differently using the EI competencies described in this chapter?
- Draft a 30-minute professional development session for your school leadership team focused on building Team EI. Include learning objectives aligned to Greaves and Watkins’ (2021) four skills, key talking points, and one interactive activity.
- With a peer or small group, role-play a difficult conversation between a superintendent and a principal navigating a significant professional challenge. Use Ringer’s four-part framework throughout. Debrief afterward: Which EI skills were most visible? Which were most difficult to sustain?