Assessing Leadership Styles and Their Impact on Nursing Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jordanian Healthcare Institutions

Leadership styles in nursing play a crucial role in determining the performance and jobsatisfaction of nurses, ultimately influencing patient care quality. This study examines the relationshipbetween different leadership styles and nursing performance in healthcare institutions in Jordan. Objective:To explore how transformational, transactional, laissez-faire, and other leadership styles correlate withnursing performance, and to identify socio-demographic factors influencing these relationships. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 registered nurses working in public and private healthcareinstitutions in Jordan. Participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method. Data werecollected through a structured questionnaire that included the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ)to assess leadership styles and a standardized scale to measure nursing performance. The data were analyzedusing descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and correlation analysis. Results: The study found thattransformational leadership was strongly positively correlated with nursing performance (r = 0.68, p = 0.001),while transactional leadership showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.53, p = 0.01). Conversely,laissez-faire leadership was negatively correlated with nursing performance (r = -0.42, p = 0.03). ANOVAresults revealed significant differences in leadership styles and nursing performance based on age, gender,years of experience, and marital status (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicate that transformationaland transactional leadership styles are positively associated with higher nursing performance, suggestingtheir effectiveness in enhancing nursing outcomes. In contrast, laissez-faire leadership may lead to poorerperformance. These results highlight the importance of adopting active and supportive leadership styles innursing to improve job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and enhance patient care quality. Healthcare institutionsin Jordan should consider leadership training programs that promote transformational and transactionalleadership styles to optimize nursing performance.