Recently, public schools have seen an increase in obstacles and challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and school leaders have had to pivot and adjust to meet these ever-changing demands (McLeod & Dulsky, 2021). Principals in today's schools have had to discover new and innovative ways to successfully lead, motivate and support their school communities. This emerging leadership includes the leader's ability to utilize emotional intelligence and leadership skills effectively and intentionally. The purpose of this qualitative study was to take a deeper look at investigating the school principal's utilization of emotional intelligence and effective leadership skills. This research utilized a phenomenology approach where the researcher gathered anecdotal experiences through interviews of experienced principals. Furthermore, this study provided an in-depth look at the application of emotional intelligence and effective leadership in today's schools. Research questions were intentional and purposefully aimed at gathering specificity on the topics of effective leadership and emotional intelligence which can support the self-efficacy of a principal. Key findings included the importance of a school leader to create a positive environment where all stakeholders can thrive. Most notably, the findings demonstrated the importance of the school leader and the attitude and behaviors of the school leader affect the overall climate of the school community. Specific themes and subthemes emerged from the study which could substantially support the effectiveness, support and longevity of today's school leaders. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]