Professional Counseling/Psychotherapy and its Influence on Emotional Intelligence and Authentic Leadership Development: A Qualitative Participatory Inquiry Research Study

The authentic leadership theory acknowledges that leaders must advance their introspection to gain self-awareness, balanced processing, internal moral perspective, and relational transparency. Leaders may desire to lead effectively, yet modern leaders lack emotional intelligence, authenticity, and a vehicle to acquire (Northouse, 2019). Like authentic leadership, emotional intelligence is favored in leaders to include self-awareness, emotional management, empathy, and relationship management (Goleman, 1995). Much research surrounds emotionally intelligent competencies in leadership, but limited research targets behaviors for development. A look at psychology and counseling revealed that self-awareness, a standard competency in authentic leadership and emotional intelligence, is also the primary goal of professional counseling/psychotherapy (Guy, 2015). A purposeful confidential counseling relationship supports and encourages introspection to gain self-awareness, balanced processing, transparency, and empathy (Best, 2020; Lambert & Barley, 2001; Rogers, 1967). This qualitative participatory inquiry study explored how psychotherapy may meet authenticity challenges, emotional gaps, and leadership development through interviews with psychotherapists and leaders. (Baum et al., 2006; Moustakas, 1994; Norbert & Sauer, 2015; VanManen, 1990). Research revealed that an empathic, client-focused, and intentional psychotherapeutic relationship informs the goals of professional counseling, self-awareness, increased empathy, emotional regulation, and authenticity and are transferable to other relationships. The stigma of executive psychotherapy was explored, and professional help's role championed for well-being and leadership effectiveness. Future research may call for professional counseling to be corporately supported (Bloomberg & Volpe, 2019; Cresswell & Cresswell, 2018; Cresswell & Poth, 2018).