Abstract
<jats:p>The article provides a theoretical and analytical review of contemporary foreign research on the phenomenon of leadership competence. The evolution of scholarly perspectives on leadership is examined, from trait theories and behavioral concepts to situational, transformational, authentic, and competency-based approaches. The prerequisites for the emergence of the concept of leadership competence are identified, and the relationships among the concepts of leadership, leadership competence, leadership competency, leadership capability, and leadership effectiveness are clarified. Four major approaches to understanding leadership competence are distinguished: the personality-based, behavioral, competency-based, and integrative-systemic approaches. Their conceptual differences and contributions to the development of contemporary leadership studies are highlighted. The article characterizes the most influential contemporary models of leadership competence developed by R. Boyatzis, L. and S. Spencer, M. Mumford, and D. Day. Based on their comparative analysis, current views on the structure of leadership competence are generalized, and its value-ethical, cognitive, emotional, socio-communicative, and organizational-managerial components are identified. The author proposes a definition of leadership competence as an integrative characteristic of personality, formed through learning and the acquisition of experience, that ensures the effective performance of leadership functions in various social and professional contexts. The study identifies the main controversial issues in contemporary research related to the absence of a unified definition of leadership competence, terminological diversity, and the relationship between universal and context-dependent leadership competencies. Promising directions for further research are outlined, including digital leadership, distributed leadership, inclusive leadership, and the development of leadership competence under conditions of uncertainty and social crises.</jats:p>