Emotional Intelligence Amongst Millennials: Male vs. Female Leaders in the IT and ITES Sectors

The millennial generation constitutes the majority of the present day workforce. As per the birth year and age group they presently belong to, many millennials are already in managerial roles and many shall occupy key leadership roles in their respective organizations. Leadership being an emotion-laden process requires the millennials to be adaptable so that they can motivate their team members or followers, understand their requirements, and reduce their stress levels. Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in addressing these workplace issues and correlates positively with leadership. The study is focused on Indian information technology (IT) and ITES organizations as it is one of the biggest employers and contributes majorly towards the country's economy. The present study tries to compare the level of emotional intelligence of millennials across gender, management levels, qualifications, and years of experiences. Practical implications related to gender diversity and inclusion of women in leadership roles has also been discussed.