Exploring the impact of Nurse Manager Leadership Styles on Nurses' Job Performance at Hamad Medical Corporation: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Nurse performance is vital to patient safety and organizational effectiveness. Leadership style is a recognized determinant of performance, influencing consistency, adaptability, and professional growth. Understanding these dynamics is particularly important in multicultural healthcare environments. Objective: This study explored the impact of nurse manager leadership styles on nurses’ job performance at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 980 registered nurses recruited through random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X), and the Nursing Performance Instrument (NPI). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26, applying descriptive statistics, and Spearman’s correlation, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis H tests. Results: The workforce was predominantly female (72.1%), married (83.7%), and expatriate, with a mean age of 40.4 years. Transactional leadership (2.57 ±085) was the most common style, followed by transformational (2.20±1.05), while passive-avoidant leadership was minimal (1.49±0.97). Transformational leadership demonstrated strong positive associations with consistency of practice and adaptability. Transactional leadership supported compliance but was less effective in stimulating innovation, while passive-avoidant leadership was negatively correlated with performance outcomes. Conclusion: Transformational leadership emerged as the most effective style for enhancing nurse performance, while transactional leadership sustained compliance without fostering long-term growth. Strengthening transformational leadership among nurse managers at HMC may improve clinical outcomes, adaptability, and organizational performance.