The leadership paradox in Ethiopia: a systematic review of full-range leadership styles and employee outcomes (2015–2025)

Abstract This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on the relationship between Full-Range Leadership styles and employee outcomes in Ethiopian organizations, identifying a leadership paradox and its explanatory factors. A Systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, analyzing 18 peer-reviewed studies from 2015 to November 2025 sourced from databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The review showed that transformational leadership has demonstrated strong positive links to key outcomes, including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and performance. Conversely, the less effective laissez-faire style was found to be prevalent in the public sector, despite its generally negative associations, with a notable exception observed in healthcare settings. The identified paradox is mediated by job satisfaction and organizational learning and is moderated by barriers such as administrative overload and political interference. This study validates and contextualizes the FRL model in a low-income African setting, highlighting contextual dilutions and challenging its universal hierarchy. This study provides evidence-based recommendations for systemic leadership reforms aligned with Ethiopia’s national development goals, targeting policymakers and organizational leaders.