PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to demonstrate and verify the influence of emotional intelligence skills on the performance of teachers in private higher educational institutions.Design/methodology/approachThis quantitative study is based on the positivism research philosophy and the deductive research. Data are collected form Lebanese educational institutions; 304 teachers are surveyed using the convenience sampling technique. Hypotheses are verified through the one-way ANOVA and the multiple linear regression (step-wise) technique with a Sig. value of 0.000 < 0.05.FindingsThe study verified that teachers' demographics have a direct impact on their performance. It also proved that emotions have an impact on teachers' behaviors; emotions are important energy re-sources that help them cope with difficult situations. Teachers with a high level of emotional intelligence are in tune with their own emotions. It is demonstrated that self-awareness, self-management, self-motivation and social skill have a positive statistical influence on the teacher's performance. Lebanese Private Educational Institutions system should be endowed with emotional intelligence to provide teachers with more effective abilities which would eventually reflect on the student's cognitive abilities especially attention and memory.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by studying the emotional intelligence in Lebanese educational institutions which was studied in different countries except Lebanon. It is verified that integrating the emotional intelligence into Lebanese educational systems would play a decisive role in optimum academic performance; institutions should establish as a benchmark the skills related to emotional intelligence.