Abstract
Enhancing school principals’ instructional leadership (IL) through emotional intelligence (EI) can
lead to more effective and supportive educational environments. EI enables principals to understand,
manage, and leverage emotions effectively, which is crucial when leading teachers and students. Leading
schools in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) requires EI. In a developing country like South Africa, there
is a pressing need to strengthen educational leadership practices to attain sustainable schools in the 4IR.
This research examined the nexus between EI and IL. The study centered on three components of IL,
namely, “Supervise and Evaluate Instruction,” “Coordinate the Curriculum,” and “Monitor Student Progress”
to improve principals’ leadership practices. A quantitative research approach using a correlation design
was employed. Seventy-five school principals were sampled using a convenient sampling technique. The
findings reveal a considerable positive relationship between principals’ EI and the three components of IL.
Professional development programs that focus on strengthening school leaders’ EI can enhance principals’
IL effectiveness. Principal selection committees and school governing bodies should consider EI when
appointing school leaders to enhance the effectiveness of their IL functions.