The article shows the necessity of forming competitive leadership qualities of university students in terms of humanistic interpretation and practical implementation of key provisions of the concepts of long-term social and economic development and the targeted program for the development of education. This need is dictated by the change of the export-raw material model to a more competitive innovative strategy for the development of society. It takes the form of a social order for the formation of an intellectual and technological platform for further developing the leadership qualities of university students, raising the standard of living and quality of the social environment, on the one hand, and increasing the competitiveness of human capital on the other. The need for pedagogical support in the formation of leadership qualities of university students is dictated by the social order of society, the transience of social and economic progress, the responsibility of each individual for his future, the development of new social relations, the desire of the individual to live life according to his own scenario, the opportunity to achieve personal and professional success. Pedagogical support for the formation of competitive leadership qualities is understood as “the fundamental vocational-value reference point”, and the student's internal attitude is capable of increasing or decreasing the potential for the development of competitiveness.