Аннотация
Introduction: Leadership in healthcare is essential for driving reform, improving service quality, and ensuring organizational adaptability. In Kazakhstan, while leadership development is gaining attention, many healthcare managers still lack formal training. Aim: To assess leadership and managerial qualities among healthcare managers in Kazakhstan and identify potential demographic predictors of leadership traits. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 managers from the Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases and Atlas Dental clinics. Participants completed the MBA.SU “Leader or Manager?” test. Data were analyzed using SPSS v26 with chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results: Most participants exhibited ambiguous personality traits, followed by managerial, with leadership types being least common (χ² = 13.571, p = 0.001). Female managers and those with postgraduate education were more likely to show leadership qualities, though not statistically significant. Discussion: The dominance of ambiguous types reflects a transitional leadership landscape. Limited representation of leadership traits may hinder reform efforts. Trends suggest gender and education could influence leadership development. Conclusion: There is a need for structured leadership training to strengthen healthcare management in Kazakhstan and support ongoing reforms.