The buoyant research interest in the constructs of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership (TFL) is a testament to the crucial role of emotional skills at work. EI is often described as an antecedent of TFL and several empirical studies report positive realtionships between these variables. On close inspection, however, there may be methodological factors such as common method variance, that potentially undermine the validity of findings. Using a multi-rater assessment (n=277) this study sought to overcome the problem of method variance whilst at the same time evaluate its potential presence by compaing same source and non same source data. Findings suggest that when using a strong methodological design, no relationship between EI and TFL is found. Thus, these findings renew the demand for scientific riguour in the design of studies to enhance their validity. The theoretical ramifications of the study are such that management scholars need to re-conceptualise the relationship between EI and TFL