Introduction
Emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and effectively express one’s own emotions and to understand and influence the emotions of others—has emerged as a powerful concept influencing psychology, education, business, healthcare, and personal development. From its academic origins in the 1990s to its widespread application across diverse domains today, emotional intelligence has transformed how we understand human capabilities beyond traditional cognitive measures. This article identifies the 100 most influential individuals who have developed the theoretical foundations, research methodologies, assessment tools, and practical applications of emotional intelligence across multiple fields and contexts. These influential figures include researchers who established the scientific basis of the concept, practitioners who developed applications in various settings, critics who refined the construct through productive challenge, and communicators who brought emotional intelligence into mainstream awareness and practice.
Foundational Theorists and Early Researchers
1. Peter Salovey (b. 1958)
Co-developer of the first formal model of emotional intelligence with John Mayer in their landmark 1990 paper. As a Yale psychologist and later university president, Salovey’s work established the scientific foundation for emotional intelligence as a distinct set of mental abilities involving the processing of emotional information, influencing all subsequent research and application.
2. John D. Mayer (b. 1953)
Co-creator of the ability model of emotional intelligence with Peter Salovey, whose rigorous research approach and commitment to scientific measurement established emotional intelligence as a legitimate psychological construct. His ongoing refinement of emotional intelligence theory through empirical research has maintained the scientific integrity of the concept amid its popularization.
3. Daniel Goleman (b. 1946)
Former New York Times science journalist whose 1995 book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” popularized the concept globally, expanding the original ability model to include traits like motivation, empathy, and social skills. His work brought emotional intelligence into business, education, and public consciousness while developing applications for leadership and organizational performance.
4. Howard Gardner (b. 1943)
Developmental psychologist whose multiple intelligences theory, particularly the concepts of interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences, provided crucial groundwork for emotional intelligence research by establishing the legitimacy of non-cognitive intelligences.
5. Reuven Bar-On (b. 1944)
Developer of the term “emotional quotient” (EQ) and the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), the first commercially available assessment of emotional intelligence. His mixed model incorporating emotional and social competencies expanded the construct’s measurement and application in clinical and organizational settings.
6. Jack Mayer
Researcher who collaborated with Salovey and Caruso to develop the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), establishing standardized measurement of ability-based emotional intelligence that has been crucial for scientific validation of the construct.
7. David Caruso
Emotional intelligence researcher and practitioner who co-developed the MSCEIT and has focused on practical applications of ability-based emotional intelligence in organizational settings, bridging research and practice.
8. Richard E. Boyatzis (b. 1946)
Organizational theorist who developed competency-based approaches to emotional intelligence and collaborated with Goleman on emotional competence frameworks for leadership development that have been widely implemented in organizational settings.
9. Robert K. Cooper
Author and consultant whose early work on applying emotional intelligence in leadership contexts helped establish practical business applications, including his “EQ Map” assessment.
10. Antonio Damasio (b. 1944)
Neuroscientist whose research on the role of emotions in decision-making, particularly through his somatic marker hypothesis, provided crucial neurological foundations supporting the concept of emotional intelligence.
11. Joseph LeDoux (b. 1949)
Neuroscientist whose research on the amygdala and fear conditioning established neurological underpinnings of emotional processing that inform emotional intelligence theory and practice.
12. Esther Orioli
Co-founder of Q-Metrics and developer of the EQ Map, one of the first assessments designed specifically for workplace applications of emotional intelligence.
13. Maurice Elias
Psychologist whose work connecting emotional intelligence to social-emotional learning in schools established foundational educational applications that have influenced school programs worldwide.
14. Paolo Lopes
Researcher who has conducted important studies on the predictive validity of emotional intelligence measures, helping establish the construct’s relationship to real-world outcomes.
15. Mark Brackett (b. 1967)
Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence whose RULER approach has implemented emotional intelligence training in thousands of schools, demonstrating effective educational applications.
Research Leaders and Construct Developers
16. Carolyn Saarni (1945-2015)
Developmental psychologist whose research on emotional competence in children established foundational understanding of how emotional capabilities develop throughout childhood and adolescence.
17. Gerald Matthews
Psychologist whose critical examination of emotional intelligence measurement has helped refine assessment approaches while challenging methodological weaknesses.
18. Richard Roberts
Researcher who has contributed to the measurement and validation of emotional intelligence assessments, particularly examining their psychometric properties.
19. James Gross (b. 1968)
Emotion researcher whose process model of emotion regulation has informed understanding of key components of emotional intelligence, particularly the management of emotions.
20. Lisa Feldman Barrett (b. 1963)
Neuroscientist and psychologist whose constructed emotion theory has challenged traditional views of emotional processing, influencing more nuanced understanding of emotional intelligence components.
21. Dacher Keltner (b. 1962)
Psychologist whose research on compassion, power, and social emotions has expanded understanding of the prosocial dimensions of emotional intelligence.
22. Kevin Ochsner
Neuroscientist whose research on cognitive reappraisal and emotion regulation strategies has informed understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying emotional intelligence abilities.
23. Moshe Zeidner
Researcher who has critically examined the scientific status of emotional intelligence, contributing important methodological refinements and validity studies.
24. Donald Saklofske
Psychologist whose research on personality and emotional intelligence has explored the relationship between these constructs, helping clarify conceptual boundaries.
25. Con Stough
Researcher who has investigated biological bases of emotional intelligence and developed applications in educational and workplace settings.
26. Neal Ashkanasy
Organizational researcher whose work on emotions in the workplace and emotional intelligence in leadership has advanced understanding of organizational applications.
27. Stephane Côté
Organizational behavior researcher whose studies have examined how emotional intelligence influences workplace outcomes and social interactions.
28. Paulo Lopes
Researcher who has conducted important longitudinal studies establishing relationships between emotional intelligence and social outcomes.
29. Zorana Ivcevic
Researcher at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence whose work has examined creativity, emotional intelligence, and well-being, particularly in educational contexts.
30. Elizabeth Lomas
Researcher who has studied applications of emotional intelligence in information management and organizational contexts.
Assessment Developers and Psychometricians
31. David R. Caruso
Co-developer of the MSCEIT who has focused on applying ability-based emotional intelligence measurement in organizational contexts, creating training programs based on the four-branch model.
32. Glenn Geher
Psychologist who has developed and validated measures of emotional intelligence, particularly examining their predictive validity for relationship outcomes.
33. Benjamin Palmer
Developer of the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory, a workplace-focused emotional intelligence assessment used internationally for leadership development.
34. Sue Langley
Developer of emotional intelligence assessments and neuroscience-based training programs that have been widely implemented in organizational settings.
35. Vladimir Taksic
Researcher who developed the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ) and has conducted cross-cultural studies of emotional intelligence assessment.
36. Nicola Schutte
Developer of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), a widely used research instrument for assessing trait emotional intelligence.
37. K.V. Petrides (b. 1972)
Psychologist who developed the trait emotional intelligence framework and the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), establishing a distinct approach to emotional intelligence conceptualization and measurement.
38. Kateryna Keefer
Researcher who has contributed to the development and validation of emotional intelligence assessments for children and adolescents.
39. James Parker
Psychologist who has developed and validated emotional intelligence measures for youth, particularly the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ-i:YV).
40. Judith Glaser (1945-2018)
Developer of the Conversational Intelligence framework that applied emotional intelligence principles to communication and relationship development in organizations.
Business and Leadership Applications
41. Annie McKee
Leadership scholar who co-authored “Primal Leadership” with Goleman and Boyatzis, developing resonant leadership approaches based on emotional intelligence that have been widely implemented in organizations globally.
42. Cary Cherniss
Organizational psychologist whose research on emotional intelligence in the workplace has established best practices for application and demonstrated return on investment for emotional intelligence development programs.
43. Vanessa Druskat
Researcher whose work on team emotional intelligence has extended the concept beyond individual competencies to collective emotional capabilities that influence team performance.
44. Steven Stein
CEO of Multi-Health Systems and developer of emotional intelligence assessments who has advanced practical applications in organizational contexts.
45. Hendrie Weisinger
Psychologist and author whose applications of emotional intelligence to workplace stress management and performance have influenced organizational training approaches.
46. Joshua Freedman
Co-founder of Six Seconds, a global emotional intelligence network, who has developed practical EQ assessment tools and training programs implemented in business and education internationally.
47. Travis Bradberry
Author and consultant whose emotional intelligence training programs and assessment tools have been widely implemented in corporate settings.
48. Jean Greaves
Co-author of “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” and developer of the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal, a widely used commercial assessment in organizational settings.
49. Marcia Hughes
Consultant whose work applying emotional intelligence to team functioning has created practical frameworks for team development in organizations.
50. Helen Riess
Psychiatrist whose research on empathy in healthcare has developed emotional intelligence applications for medical professionals, improving patient care and provider well-being.
51. Daniel Goleman (b. 1946)
In addition to his foundational work, Goleman’s ongoing focus on emotional intelligence in leadership, ecological awareness (ecological intelligence), and social change has continually expanded applications of the concept in organizational contexts.
52. Chip Conley (b. 1960)
Entrepreneur and author who has applied emotional intelligence principles to hospitality, intergenerational workplace dynamics, and midlife transformation.
53. Simon Baron-Cohen (b. 1958)
Psychologist whose research on autism and empathy has informed understanding of the social components of emotional intelligence and their developmental trajectories.
54. Martyn Newman
Psychologist whose corporate applications of emotional intelligence have focused on leadership development and performance enhancement through his emotional capital framework.
55. Claude Steiner (1935-2017)
Psychologist who developed “emotional literacy” training, a precursor to emotional intelligence applications focused on authentic expression and awareness of emotions.
Educational Applications and Youth Development
56. Roger Weissberg (1951-2021)
Leader in social-emotional learning research and practice whose work with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) established frameworks for implementing emotional intelligence concepts in educational settings nationwide.
57. Eileen Rockefeller Growald (b. 1952)
Philanthropist and founder of CASEL whose support helped establish social-emotional learning based on emotional intelligence principles as a mainstream educational approach.
58. Timothy Shriver (b. 1959)
Chairman of Special Olympics and CASEL board member whose advocacy has advanced emotional intelligence applications for youth development, particularly for children with special needs.
59. Linda Lantieri
Educator who developed emotional intelligence programs for schools, particularly focusing on inner resilience and mindfulness approaches that have been implemented in schools affected by trauma.
60. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl
Educational researcher whose studies on social-emotional learning and mindfulness in schools have established evidence-based approaches to developing emotional intelligence in educational settings.
61. Robin Stern
Psychologist and Associate Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence whose work has focused on bullying prevention and emotional intelligence applications in schools.
62. Karen Stone McCown
Founder of Six Seconds and developer of Self-Science, one of the first emotional intelligence curricula for schools, which has influenced educational applications worldwide.
63. Anabel Jensen
Educator and Six Seconds leader whose development of emotional intelligence curricula has provided practical classroom applications internationally.
64. Patricia Jennings
Mindfulness researcher whose development of the CARE program for teachers has applied emotional intelligence principles to educator well-being and classroom climate.
65. Susan Rivers
Researcher at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence whose work has advanced evidence-based approaches to developing emotional intelligence in educational settings.
66. David Adams
Education leader whose implementation of social-emotional learning programs based on emotional intelligence in urban school districts has demonstrated effectiveness in challenging contexts.
67. Sheldon Berman
Educational superintendent whose district-wide implementations of social-emotional learning based on emotional intelligence principles provided early models of systemic educational application.
68. René Diekstra
Psychologist whose development of Social and Emotional Learning programs in European contexts has advanced international applications of emotional intelligence in education.
69. Katherine Weare
Educational researcher whose implementation of emotional intelligence and well-being programs in UK schools has established evidence-based approaches adapted to European educational contexts.
70. Zins Joseph (1952-2006)
Educational psychologist whose research on social-emotional learning implementation established evidence-based practices for developing emotional intelligence in school settings.
Clinical Applications and Mental Health
71. Marsha Linehan (b. 1943)
Psychologist who developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which incorporates emotional intelligence components including emotional awareness, regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness for treating borderline personality disorder and other conditions.
72. Leslie Greenberg (b. 1945)
Psychologist who developed Emotion-Focused Therapy, which applies principles of emotional awareness and regulation aligned with emotional intelligence to therapeutic contexts.
73. Paul Ekman (b. 1934)
Psychologist whose research on facial expressions and emotions provided foundational understanding of emotional recognition that informs the perception branch of emotional intelligence.
74. John Gottman (b. 1942)
Relationship researcher whose work on emotional communication in couples has applied emotional intelligence principles to understanding relationship success and developing interventions.
75. Jon Kabat-Zinn (b. 1944)
Mindfulness pioneer whose Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program develops attentional and awareness capabilities that support emotional intelligence.
76. Richard Davidson (b. 1951)
Neuroscientist whose research on mindfulness, meditation, and emotional styles has advanced understanding of the neural bases of emotional intelligence and its development.
77. Susan David
Psychologist whose work on emotional agility has applied emotional intelligence principles to psychological flexibility and well-being.
78. Robert Emmons (b. 1958)
Psychologist whose research on gratitude has informed positive emotional practices that contribute to emotional intelligence development.
79. Barbara Fredrickson (b. 1964)
Psychologist whose broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions has expanded understanding of how positive emotional states contribute to emotional intelligence and resilience.
80. Margaret Kemeny
Psychologist whose research on training compassion and emotional balance has developed interventions that enhance emotional intelligence capabilities.
Popular Authors and Communicators
81. Brené Brown (b. 1965)
Researcher and author whose work on vulnerability, courage, and shame has popularized emotional intelligence concepts related to authenticity and connection, reaching millions through her books and talks.
82. Daniel Pink (b. 1964)
Author whose books on motivation and work have incorporated emotional intelligence principles into frameworks for understanding modern workplace dynamics.
83. Malcolm Gladwell (b. 1963)
Author whose writings have popularized aspects of emotional intelligence research and its applications, particularly in “Blink” and discussions of intuitive emotional processing.
84. Arianna Huffington (b. 1950)
Media entrepreneur whose Thrive Global initiative has promoted emotional intelligence applications for well-being and performance in workplace settings.
85. Deepak Chopra (b. 1946)
Physician and author whose integrative health approaches have incorporated emotional intelligence concepts into wellness practices reaching millions worldwide.
86. Adam Grant (b. 1981)
Organizational psychologist whose books and articles have popularized emotional intelligence applications in workplace contexts, particularly related to generosity and meaningful work.
87. Tal Ben-Shahar (b. 1970)
Positive psychologist whose courses and books on happiness have incorporated emotional intelligence principles into practical well-being practices.
88. Tara Brach (b. 1953)
Psychologist and mindfulness teacher whose work on radical acceptance has popularized emotional awareness and regulation practices aligned with emotional intelligence.
89. Shawn Achor (b. 1978)
Positive psychology researcher whose work on happiness has popularized positive emotional practices that contribute to emotional intelligence development.
90. Marc Brackett (b. 1967)
Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence whose book “Permission to Feel” and public outreach has communicated emotional intelligence research to general audiences.
Contemporary Researchers and New Directions
91. Sara Konrath
Empathy researcher whose studies on empathy trends and development have advanced understanding of interpersonal aspects of emotional intelligence.
92. Jamil Zaki
Psychologist whose research on empathy has explored how emotional intelligence components can be developed through intentional practice.
93. Tania Singer
Neuroscientist whose research on empathy and compassion has advanced understanding of the neural bases of interpersonal emotional intelligence and its trainability.
94. Darren Lee
Researcher exploring applications of emotional intelligence in digital contexts and artificial intelligence, expanding the concept into emerging technological domains.
95. Amy Edmondson (b. 1959)
Organizational psychologist whose work on psychological safety has connected emotional intelligence to team learning and innovation capabilities.
96. Sigal Barsade (1966-2022)
Organizational researcher whose studies on emotional contagion and group emotions expanded understanding of how emotions function collectively in organizations.
97. David DeSteno
Psychologist whose research on moral emotions has expanded understanding of how emotions like gratitude and compassion influence ethical behavior and decision-making.
98. Angela Duckworth (b. 1970)
Psychologist whose research on grit has connected emotional intelligence components, particularly self-regulation, to perseverance and long-term achievement.
99. Emma Seppälä
Researcher whose work on compassion and well-being has applied emotional intelligence principles to workplace performance and fulfillment.
100. Richard Boyatzis (b. 1946)
In addition to his earlier contributions, Boyatzis’s recent research on coaching with compassion has advanced understanding of how emotional intelligence can be developed through positive relationships and resonant coaching approaches.
Conclusion
The field of emotional intelligence has evolved significantly since its formal introduction in 1990, shaped by the diverse contributions of the 100 influential individuals highlighted in this article. From its theoretical foundations established by Salovey and Mayer to its global popularization by Goleman, and from rigorous scientific refinement by countless researchers to practical applications across business, education, healthcare, and personal development, emotional intelligence has transformed our understanding of human capabilities beyond traditional cognitive measures. As research continues to advance our understanding of emotional processes and their development, and as applications continue to demonstrate the value of emotional capabilities across contexts, the legacy of these influential figures provides a foundation for ongoing innovation in recognizing, measuring, developing, and applying emotional intelligence to enhance human potential and well-being in an increasingly complex world.
