Enhancing Organisational Performance Through Effective Leadership In Nigeria’s Public Organisations

Abstract

This study examined the role of effective Leadership in enhancing organizational performance in Nigeria’s Public Organizations.   The study was guided by three specific objectives which included the identification of leadership functions necessary to enhance organizational performance.  The study was a desk research; hence, secondary source of data was used through the review of theoretical and empirical literature relevant to the study.  The study adopted Fielder’s contingency theory as theoretical framework of analysis.  The findings clearly indicate that though leadership plays vital roles in improving organizational performance, many people in leadership positions in public organizations do not readily understand what constitute leadership functions, qualities and the dynamic nature of leadership styles.  A major implication of the study is that organizational performance in Nigeria’s public organizations will continue to deteriorate if nothing is urgently done to address the leadership  challenge.  The study therefore, recommends among others that organizational leadership should have a full knowledge of the functions and responsibilities of their positions to enable them perform effectively. It was also recommended that organizations should invest in the development of strategic human resources and leadership skills in situational analysis as such skills will help them find out important contingency factors that influence their leadership style.

Key words: Organization. Leadership. Performance. Effectiveness.