Leadership Style and Staff Performance in Taraba State Civil Service

This study examines the relationship between leadership styles and staff performance in the Taraba State Civil Service, situated in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. Leadership quality is widely recognised as a determinant of public sector performance, yet empirical studies on leadership in smaller Nigerian state civil services remain sparse. The study employs a survey research design, collecting data from 255 civil servants and their immediate supervisors across five state ministries. Data are analysed using regression analysis and mean score comparisons. Burns' Transformational and Transactional Leadership Theory provides the theoretical framework, positing that transformational leaders who inspire, challenge, and develop their followers elicit higher performance than transactional counterparts who rely on reward-punishment exchanges. Findings indicate that transformational leadership is positively and significantly associated with staff output quality, job satisfaction, and organisational commitment, while laissez-faire leadership is associated with the lowest performance scores. The study also finds that most supervisors in the Taraba State Civil Service exhibit predominantly transactional or laissez-faire leadership traits due to limited leadership development opportunities. Recommendations include the mandatory introduction of leadership training programmes for middle and senior managers, the establishment of mentorship schemes, and the incorporation of leadership competency assessments into annual performance appraisals. Keywords: leadership style, staff performance, Taraba State, civil service, transformational leadership.