Examining the Effectiveness of Leadership Styles on Project Performance: A Case Study of Road Development Agency (RDA)

The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of leadership styles on project performance within the context Road Development Agency (RDA). The research aimed to establish the types of leadership styles affecting project performance, examine the influence of leadership styles on project performance, and lastly investigate the challenges faced by project managers in applying leadership styles affecting project performance at RDA The research leaned on explanatory research design and employed non- random sampling to select participants. The research employed a mixed method approach; data was collected using a self-administered questionnaires and review of relevant documents. The sample size for this study was approximately 60 project team members and leaders at RDA. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 31 and then the researcher produced descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percent, mean and standard deviation. The research considered ethical factors during data collection methods. Every respondent that was involved in the study was entitled to the right of privacy and dignity treatment. The findings of this study revealed that leadership styles significantly influence project performance at Road Development Agency (RDA). Key leadership styles namely, transformational, transactional and democratic leadership style were found to have a direct and measurable impact on project performance and employees. Transformational and transactional leadership style had high influence on project performance followed by democratic leadership style. Transformational leadership had 78% influence, transformational had 80% influence while democratic leadership style had 66% influence on project performance. Furthermore, the study revealed a positive correlation between effective leadership style, employee job satisfaction, and organizational goals alignment. This suggests that the presence of strong leadership not only enhances performance but also fosters a professional environment conducive to personal and institutional growth. The challenges in implementing leadership styles were; political interference, inadequate resources to carry out projects, communication breakdown, project scope creep, tight deadlines to complete projects and ineffective time management skills. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were proposed; capacity building and training of staff, mentorship and coaching, performance appraisal and adequate resource allocations -developed and well communicated budget.