LEADERSHIP STYLES AND ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH: A STUDY OF THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR LEADERSHIP STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT (CENTRE LSD), NIGERIA

<doi>10.24250/jpe/2/2025/MO/AM/</doi>

Abstract

Leadership is widely recognized as a critical driver of
organizational success and sustainability. In an era
marked by rapid change, complexity, and heightened
competition, the ability of organizations to grow and adapt
is increasingly tied to the leadership styles practiced within
them. This study investigated the relationship between
leadership styles and organizational growth in the African
Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre
LSD). A cross-sectional research design was adopted, and
a structured questionnaire was used to gather data from a
sample of 285 staff members of Centre LSD. The study was
anchored on the Full Range Leadership Theory as its
theoretical framework. The theory provides a
comprehensive framework for understanding the impact of
different leadership styles on organizational outcomes such
as growth, innovation, and resilience. This theory is
particularly relevant for studying how these leadership
styles collectively contribute to organizational growth.
Correlation and multiple regression analyses were
employed to test the hypothesized relationships between the
identified leadership styles and organizational growth with
the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)
version 23. Findings reveal that transformational
leadership significantly contributes to organizational
growth by inspiring innovation, employee engagement, and
a shared vision. Transactional leadership also plays a role,
particularly in ensuring task completion and maintaining
operational stability. Adaptive leadership emerged as a
critical factor in enhancing the organization’s
responsiveness to change, learning culture, and long-term
resilience. The study concluded that an integrated
leadership model, combining transformational, transactional, and adaptive elements, offers a more holistic
framework for achieving sustainable organizational
growth. The study recommended, among others, that the
African Centre for LSD should develop and implement
tailored leadership training programs that emphasize
transformational and adaptive leadership qualities. These
programs should focus on vision creation, emotional
intelligence, strategic foresight, and change management
necessary to inspire innovation and drive long-term
organizational success. The study implies that adopting
effective leadership styles, particularly transformational
and adaptive approaches, can significantly enhance
organizational growth by improving staff motivation,
strategic decision-making, and overall institutional
performance at Centre LSD.