Examining the Effects of Leadership Styles on Administrative Effectiveness in Local Government: A Case Study of Lusaka City Council

This study empirically investigated the relationship between leadership styles and administrative effectiveness at Lusaka City Council (LCC), Zambia. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, collecting data from a sample of 50 LCC employees across 14 departments using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using STATA, with scale reliability verified via Cronbach's alpha. Results revealed that transformational (α = 0.8403) and democratic (α = 0.6489) leadership styles are the most dominant, positively influencing employee motivation, innovation, and ethical conduct. Over 90% of respondents confirmed that supervisors inspire a clear vision and encourage creativity. Transactional leadership (α = 0.8701) also contributed positively through accountability and reward-based systems. In contrast, autocratic (α = 0.4212) and laissez-faire (α = 0.3649) styles exhibited weak reliability and minimal prevalence. Administrative effectiveness (α = 0.9915) was significantly enhanced under participatory and ethical leadership, evidenced by improvements in service delivery (60%), productivity (56%), and accountability (58%). The study concludes that transformational and democratic leadership are pivotal to administrative excellence at LCC. It recommends strengthening these leadership styles through targeted training, enhancing financial autonomy, improving staff capacity building, and integrating robust accountability and ICT systems to sustain administrative effectiveness.