Emotional intelligence helps define who we are as people. It can shape our reactions to different situations and our daily interactions and activities. Emotional intelligence can also drive our response to stress and pressure. Pressure to succeed can be overwhelming, and in some cases debilitating. This is true for individuals as well as organizations, and schools are no different. With national attention on school and student achievement, leaders in education are faced with significant pressure to succeed. One way for educational leaders to increase their level of academic success is by increasing the level of emotional intelligence in building leaders. High levels of emotional intelligence in those in leadership positions can lead to a higher level of optimism within the workplace as well as a higher level of student achievement. Higher levels of optimism and greater student achievement can alleviate some of the national pressure put on schools and educational leaders.