Public relations professionals identify leadership challenges, essential competencies and deficiencies among emerging leaders

Purpose This study examines the leadership competencies most valued and most lacking among emerging public relations professionals, identifies the challenges they face in meeting these expectations and evaluates how current professional resources support their leadership development. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a two-round Delphi process with personal interviews. To enrich the findings, 20 personal interviews with emerging and senior public relations professionals were conducted. Findings The Delphi process identified core competencies, gaps, resources and challenges for emerging leaders, with the second round resulting in a top 10 list of issues faced by leaders, essential competencies and deficiencies. Personal interviews further expanded and deepened the expectations of effective public relations leadership, especially the gap between ethical and diversity ideals and their application in practice. Participants viewed emerging leaders as positioned at the intersection of societal transformation and industry restructuring, seeking identity and value expression amid uncertainty – while constrained not only by individual capabilities but also by the strength of organizational culture and institutional support. Originality/value This study offers a dual-perspective examination of emerging leadership in public relations by integrating insights from both senior and emerging professionals, revealing a disconnect between how leadership potential is assessed and how it is experienced. While senior professionals rely on experiential benchmarks, emerging leaders often operate with limited experience and insufficient structural support.