Title: Leadership in crisis: emotional intelligence and effectiveness at Luxe Salon and TechWerse Enterprises

Authors: Jane Ali; Hawwa Shiuna Musthafa

Addresses: Leadership and People Management, University Canada West, 1461 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 0E5, Canada ' Leadership and People Management, University Canada West, 1461 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 0E5, Canada

Abstract: Leadership plays an important role in shaping organisational success, whether in small businesses or large enterprises. Effective leaders improve collaboration, productivity, and loyalty, but leadership development is rarely instantaneous or without challenges. This study examines two case studies that highlight the complexities of leadership. The first follows a well-known hairdresser who acquires a salon and must navigate the transition from stylist to business owner while managing existing employees and implementing new business strategies. The second case explores the leadership struggles of Sarah Matthews, the newly appointed CEO of TechWerse Enterprises, whose lack of emotional intelligence (EI) leads to declining employee morale and disengagement. The study further discusses an intervention program involving 360-degree feedback, executive coaching, and empathy training to enhance Sarah's leadership capabilities. These two cases emphasise the importance of EI in leadership development and the need for targeted strategies to improve leader effectiveness and organisational performance. The two cases study provide a teaching guide to show the differences in context and the similarity of leadership struggles. The concepts of EI, leader development and follower morale are the basis of this comparison

Keywords: leadership development; emotional intelligence; leadership traits; organisational vision; cultural competence; credibility; trust; organisational change; resistance; employee engagement; workplace dynamics; executive coaching; self-awareness; transformational leadership; business transition; team motivation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTCS.2025.149406

International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies, 2025 Vol.15 No.4, pp.319 - 330

Received: 18 Mar 2025
Accepted: 31 Mar 2025
Published online: 29 Oct 2025 *

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