Chris, I looked at your article and I think you have made some very valid points.  There is a difference between transient emotions and temperament. It may be in the same vein as the nature vs. nurture discussion. As I see it, temperament affects transient emotions. One person is more likely to experience a particular emotion in a given situation based on inherited temperament. Emotions are also learned, however. I may learn to think people are manipulative, or I may learn that people are cooperative. That preconception determines my emotional response. I have explained that idea my fully in my recent book, Connect: Affective Leadership for Effective Results.
People have little control over some emotions (a startle/fear response, for example.) However, they have control over how they respond to those emotions, and that is why EI comes into workplace discourse. If people do not understand the nature of emotions and make no effort to improve their behaviors toward co-workers, clients and others in an organization, they are less productive than they can be. I think for leaders who want to improve the climate of an organization, it is important to consider how to change certain emotion-laden behaviors regardless of cause. My next blog will deal with recommendations Goleman and others made based on research they did. Maybe you will want to read that as well.
Thank you for adding a different view. Lyn