<![CDATA[There is a lack of understanding of how trait emotional intelligence (EI) impacts contextual performance, especially in challenging contexts, and the mediating processes involved, particularly the combined and sequential influence of political skill and self-efficacy. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to addresses the under-researched relationship between trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and contextual performance, specifically exploring the sequential mediating roles of political skill and self-efficacy among teacher-leaders in the challenging context of Northeast Nigeria . Self-report data were collected from 292 teacher-leaders (x̅ age = 45.08 6.87; x̅tenure = 15.50 7.21) in Nigerian polytechnics and analysed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS. The results supported a significant direct effect of trait EI on contextual performance, and perceived self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship. Interestingly, while political skill correlated positively with both trait EI and contextual performance, it did not exhibit a significant mediating effect. However, the analysis revealed a significant overall sequential mediation effect involving both political skill and perceived self-efficacy, explaining 60.4% of the variance in contextual performance. Thus, the study recommends political skill and perceived self-efficacy as tools for staff selection and assessment processes. This study links personality traits to teacher-leader performance, mediated by emotional intelligence, political skill, and self-efficacy, within the framework Self Determination Theory.]]>
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