Leadership Theories in the Practice of Training Social Sphere Specialists in Higher Education Institutions

The article explores leadership theories in the context of training future professionals in the social sphere. It analyzes transformational, servant, emotional, and situational leadership models as the most pedagogically relevant. The potential for integrating these leadership approaches into the educational process is examined. The paper also presents findings from an empirical study that confirm the effectiveness of transformational leadership in the social sector. The results of a survey of future social sphere specialists and future masters of physical education and sports were compared and the role of leadership competencies in the organization of health and sports events was shown. Recommendations are offered for developing leadership competencies among students of social specialties.