Analysis of the Relationship Between Leadership Style and Employee Performance in Zenith Bank, Enugu State

Leadership style shapes employee behaviour and performance, and understanding this relationship in the commercial banking context of Enugu State, South East Nigeria, informs management development priorities for the sector. This study analysed the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance at five Zenith Bank branches in Enugu metropolis. A survey of 175 bank employees was conducted using validated questionnaires measuring three leadership styles: transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire, against employee performance indicators of task completion rate, customer satisfaction scores, and supervisory performance ratings. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression were employed. Results showed that transformational leadership had the strongest positive relationship with employee performance (r = 0.67, p < 0.01), followed by transactional leadership (r = 0.48, p < 0.01). Laissez-faire leadership was negatively correlated with performance (r = -0.32, p < 0.05). Transformational leadership explained 44.9% of variance in task completion rate. Employees under transformational leaders reported higher job satisfaction (mean: 4.1 vs. 3.0 out of 5) and lower turnover intention. The study also found that leadership style effects were stronger for experienced employees (more than 3 years tenure) than for new entrants. The study concludes that transformational leadership is the most effective approach for driving performance in Zenith Bank's Enugu branches and recommends leadership development programmes incorporating transformational leadership competencies for all branch managers. Keywords: leadership style, employee performance, transformational leadership, Zenith Bank, Enugu State