Findings of the study indicate that age and gender do not necessarily dictate one's level of emotional intelligence as measured by the MSCEIT; administrators with competent levels of emotional intelligence impact the school environment in a positive way; and the nature of emotional intelligence in public school administration can best be characterized by the practices the administrator employs. This study will contribute to the literature currently available on the topic of emotional intelligence. In addition, educational mentoring and training programs may gain insight from this study because of its underlying focus on effective school leadership.