THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP STYLES IN SHAPING NURSING TEAM PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Leadership in nursing is a critical determinant of team performance, job satisfaction, and patient care quality. As the healthcare landscape grows increasingly complex, effective leadership has become essential to addressing workforce challenges, improving team dynamics, and fostering resilience among nurses. This paper explores the impact of various leadership styles—transformational, transactional, servant, and laissez-faire—on nursing team performance, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and influence on outcomes such as job satisfaction, innovation, and burnout. Transformational and servant leadership emerge as the most effective styles, promoting collaboration, trust, and professional growth, while transactional leadership is suited for task-oriented, high-stakes scenarios. Conversely, laissez-faire leadership often leads to confusion and reduced team cohesion. Mediating factors, including workplace relationships, communication, resilience, and organizational support, play a pivotal role in shaping the success of leadership approaches. However, implementing effective leadership is not without challenges. Workforce shortages, leader burnout, resistance to change, and inadequate organizational resources create barriers that must be addressed to optimize leadership effectiveness. This paper emphasizes the need for leadership development programs, organizational support, and policies that prioritize nursing leaders' well-being and professional growth. By fostering adaptive and supportive leadership, healthcare systems can enhance team performance, reduce turnover, and improve patient outcomes, ensuring sustainable, high-quality care delivery.