Interpersonal skills as predictors of leadership effectiveness among secondary school administrators in Cameroon

This study investigated the predictive relationship between interpersonal competencies and leadership effectiveness among secondary school administrators in Cameroon, a context where principals are frequently appointed based on teaching seniority rather than formal leadership preparation. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design, data were collected from 320 teachers across public, lay private, and confessional secondary schools in three Cameroonian divisions (Kong-Khi, Mezam, and Mfoundi). Respondents rated their principals' interpersonal skills and leadership effectiveness via an online questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.789). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, employing Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple linear regression. The regression model revealed that interpersonal competencies significantly predicted leadership effectiveness, explaining 65.9% of the variance (R² = 0.659). Teamwork and collaboration emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.402, p < 0.001), followed by communication competence (β = .329, p < 0.001) and conflict management competence (β =0.267, p <0 .001). Pearson correlation analysis confirmed strong, positive, and statistically significant relationships between all three competency dimensions and leadership effectiveness (r > 0.68, p < 0.001).  The findings underscore the necessity of redefining the Cameroon Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSEL) to prioritize interpersonal and emotional intelligence training. Educational policymakers and teacher-training institutions must shift from purely administrative preparation to targeted development of relational, collaborative, and culturally resonant (Ubuntu-informed) leadership competencies. By quantifying the predictive weight of specific interpersonal skills within the Cameroonian socio-cultural context, this study provides empirical evidence that relational competencies are central determinants of school leadership effectiveness, bridging the gap between global emotional intelligence theories and local educational realities.