ABSTRACT The purpose of` the study was to explore the leadership styles of head teachers and its perceived effects on performance in basic schools in the West Mamprusi District. The objectives of the study were to find out the leadership styles of head teachers in public basic schools, establish the perceived effect of the leadership style of heads of schools on school performance and to determine the causes of leadership failure in public basic schools. The study adopted descriptive survey design and used a questionnaire to collect quantitative data. The target population for the study was all head teachers and assistant head teachers in the Mamprusi West District. All the 64 head teachers and their assistants in the West Mamprusi District participated in the study. The study found, among others, that the head teachers displayed democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles by including teachers in decision making all the time and involving teachers in making academic policies for the school, gave full mandate to staff to make academic decisions without interference and also gave staff the freedom to do anything in the best interest of the school respectively. The head teachers’ leadership style promoted interpersonal relationship between head teacher and teachers and inspired teachers to improve upon their instructional capabilities. It is recommended based on the findings that the Ministry of Education should collaborate with the Ghana Education Service to organize regular training workshops on leadership styles that promote teaching and learning