why emotional intelligence is not essential for leadership

I can certainly understand both sides of the argument.

I'm not a grand leader by any means, I've only lead the likes of volunteers at the Food Bank (maybe 30 people) and then of course my friends.

However, depending on the nature of the leading (social or professional) greatly determines what is expected of you.

In a professional capacity, you must not hesitate when action is needed, you can't be afraid to ORDER people to do things. You can't be afraid to get in front of people and say what you're gonna say, no matter how they're gonna feel about it. I got my position at the Food Bank because I was a volunteer, but I would step up and take command when necessary, and I became essential at coordinating some events. For that type of leadership, certainly the first hurdle to overcome is to be able to confront a large group of people... confront may be the wrong word... but you know what I mean.

For a social leader, being aware of other's emotions is VERY important, if not "emotional intelligence" - you MUST be aware of how your actions reflect on other's emotions, because if you are respected and looked to for guidance, you must NOT betray that respect. For the most part it's pretty easy, obviously don't do things that would hurt someone's feelings. At the same time, you have to be the leader though, and be assertive. However, I have found that when you are strong and confident, people will look to you for approval, rather than judge you. Still, I imagine that if I launched into a tirade telling a friend how stupid they were, I would lose a lot of respect from them. Jokes are one thing, but I really try to hold back on the insults. But I guess that's just being a good friend.

Mostly though, I learned to listen to my instincts, because sometimes I'll be formulating a plan, or something to say, and my instincts will tell me what kind of reaction that would get. Being a lifelong introvert, the first instinct is often "NO DON'T DO IT!!!" which is obviously irrational, so I have to overcome that obstacle sometimes.

The best point of leadership is confidence and respect