Emotional intelligence (EI) is now one of the traits leaders prize most, the idea being that it supports an array of other soft skills like connecting with your team. But apparently, it's a little like a sugary cake slathered in way-too-sweet frosting--there's a point where having too much gets icky and sets you back.

In a study from EMLyon Business School, France and Manchester Metropolitan University, researchers asked workers in the National Health Service (NHS) to rate the emotional intelligence of their 309 managers. The participants also rated their managers on staff satisfaction, their ability to implement change and the effort they put into their jobs. The researchers accounted for factors like age and gender in interpreting their results.

Surprisingly, the managers in the top 15 percent for emotional intelligence ranked lower for job effort and staff satisfaction than managers whose emotional intelligence was in the top 65 to 85 percent. Managers with the most emotional intelligence also ranked as less effective at implementing re-organizational changes happening within the NHS at the time of the study, although participants rated them well for continuing involvement.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.