Social Intelligence: A Critical, Overlooked Leadership Skill
Social intelligence is more important than emotional intelligence for leaders.
Posted May 28, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
I was recently on Scott Allen’s Phronesis podcast discussing social intelligence and leadership . I was somewhat surprised when Scott mentioned that the topic of social intelligence had not been previously discussed in his over 300 episodes. Here is an overview of the role that social intelligence plays in effective leadership.
What Is Social Intelligence?
Social intelligence is the ability to understand social situations and behave effectively within them. We can view social intelligence as a subset of the broad domain of intelligence, or as Howard Gardner (1983) and other intelligence researchers (e.g., Guilford, 1967) suggest, as one of the multiple forms of intelligence. While emotional intelligence focuses on understanding and managing emotions in human interactions, it is only a portion of the larger construct of social intelligence.
Socially-intelligent individuals are able to read social situations, view and interpret others’ social behavior, and perform effectively in a wide variety of contexts.
Our model of social intelligence suggests three, complex social skills:
As you can imagine, these elements of social intelligence are critically important for people in leadership positions (and for people, in general, to be effective in social situations).
While there is much research evidence that suggests that emotional intelligence is important for leaders to possess, our research suggests that social intelligence is even more important. In reality, the very best leaders need both.
Why Do Leaders Need Social Intelligence?
Social intelligence enables leaders to :
How Can Social Intelligence Be Developed?
As discussed on the podcast, there are few programs that focus specifically on social intelligence for leaders, but most comprehensive leadership development programs will incorporate these social skills. Working on honing your observational skills, engaging in active listening, and getting experience in a variety of different settings and contexts all help build social intelligence. Acting and improvisation courses also can help hone the underlying skills associated with social intelligence.
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences . Basic Books.
Guilford, J. P. (1967). The nature of human intelligence . McGraw-Hill
Riggio, R.E. (2014). A social skills model for understanding the foundations of leader communication. In R.E. Riggio & S.J. Tan (Eds.), Leader interpersonal and influence skills: The soft skills of leadership . (pp. 31-49). New York: Routledge/Psychology Press.
Riggio, R.E., Eaton, L.G., & Funder, D.C. (2020). Skill in social situations: The essence of savoir-faire. In A. Kostic & R.J. Sternberg (Eds.), Social intelligence and nonverbal communication . (pps. 333-357). Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan
Riggio, R.E., & Carney, D.C. (2003). Manual for the Social Skills Inventory (2nd ed.). Redwood City, CA: MindGarden.
Riggio, R.E. & Merlin, R. (2012). Guide for social skill training and development . Redwood City, CA: MindGarden.
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Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D. , is the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology at Claremont McKenna College.
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