A Comprehensive Examination of the Impact of Various Leadership Styles on the Retention of Healthcare Staff

Abstract

Background: The retention of healthcare staff is critical to maintaining high-quality patient care and operational efficiency within healthcare systems. Leadership styles have been shown to significantly influence employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention. However, the specific impacts of various leadership approaches on healthcare staff retention remain underexplored.

Methods: This review analyzes existing literature to evaluate the relationship between different leadership styles—transformational, transactional, servant, resonant, and laissez-faire—and healthcare staff retention. A systematic analysis of peer-reviewed studies was conducted to identify key themes and correlations between leadership approaches and staff job satisfaction.

Results: The findings indicate a strong positive correlation between transformational leadership and staff retention, as transformational leaders foster an empowering environment that enhances job satisfaction and engagement. Conversely, laissez-faire and passive-avoidant leadership styles were associated with lower retention rates, contributing to staff dissatisfaction and turnover. Transactional leadership demonstrated mixed results, with some studies suggesting a positive impact through incentivization, while others indicated a lack of long-term engagement.

Conclusion: Effective leadership is vital for enhancing healthcare staff retention. Transformational leadership emerges as the most beneficial style, fostering a supportive and motivating work environment. Healthcare organizations should prioritize leadership development programs that emphasize transformational qualities to improve job satisfaction and retention rates among staff.