Leadership and performance management, although commonly assumed to be associated, are rarely studied together. This silo approach sadly deprives research of a deeper understanding of the link between the two constructs. It also results in the pursuance of a perspective of performance management that often does not factor in leadership influence. A challenge for contemporary researchers, therefore, is to isolate and determine the relative importance of leadership, for the successful implementation of performance management and, ultimately, organisational outcomes. At the core of this study was the quest to understand the role leaders played in the successful implementation of performance management in the Eastern Cape Municipalities. Among the triggers for the study was the Auditor-General's year-onyear lamentation that leaders did not set the correct tone by implementing sound performance management processes, and evaluating and