Trading places

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify differences, if any, that exist in leadership style, behaviors, and competencies to drive performance between public/non‐profit and for‐profit organizational leaders. Design/methodology/approach The study describes the results of in‐depth interviews with leaders in small to medium‐sized organizations in California. Approximately half of the leaders work in non‐profit and public organizations, while the other half work in for‐profit companies. Findings The findings reveal both similarities and differences between the two groups. Originality/value The results are a first step in examining the key leadership competencies required for success in each sector and serve as a springboard for future research.