Project success rate declined from 62% in 2012 to 60% in 2015 despite advances in methods and tools. Project managers need emotional intelligence and leadership style to reduce the risk of project failure. Successful projects are assets to the organization and to the whole community. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership, passive avoidance leadership, emotional intelligence, and project manager performance. Project managers from different industries in the states of Virginia and Maryland, and the District of Columbia were administered the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Self-Report of Emotional Intelligence, and Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales questionnaires. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis indicated the full model (nine predictors) significantly predict project manager performance, F(9, 92) = 8.330, p = .002, R2 = .449. The R2 value (.449) indicated approximately 45% of the variance in project manager performance was accounted for by the linear combination of the predictor variables. Inspirational motivation was the only significant contributor to the model (t = 3.213, Ã? = 3.959, p = .002). The result indicated that project manager performance tends to increase as inspirational motivation increases. The results of this study may have implications for positive social change include the potential for business leaders to enhance project manager performance through employing inspirational, motivational, and charismatic leadership techniques. Business leaders who improve project managers' performance increase the propensity of organizational success. Successful organizations are sources of economic growth which reduces poverty and improves the quality of life.