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Abstract
This research explored trustee competencies and executive leadership styles in the context of institutional financial performance indicators. The performance indicators were established using the Methodology for Regulatory Test of Financial Responsibility Using Financial Ratios of the U.S. Department of Education. Specifically, the New Work Model of trustee effectiveness, a competency-based approach developed by Chait, Holland and Taylor, was used to investigate the relationship between six trustee competencies and the performance indicators. The Full-Range Leadership Theory developed by Bass and Avolio was used to examine the relationship between nine factors of transformational, transactional and nontransactional leadership and the performance indicators. An analysis of the data in this study concludes that transformational leadership styles in presidents appear to exert greater influence over financial performance indicators than trustee competencies. The data did not support a relationship between trustee competencies and performance indicators. With respect to leadership, the research indicated that presidents who used transformational leadership styles also tended to lead institutions that have stable or increasing financial performance.