Abstract: Performance excellence is on the whole, an emerging area nevertheless, leadership is regarded globally as its pre-eminent enabler. Understanding of leadership and leadership system in this context is also emerging and has to date focused more intently on activities than attributes. Leadership for performance excellence is approached from varying perspectives. Included among these are consideration of the contribution of gender differences, the importance of values and ethics, the balance of core values and competencies, identification and deployment of values at the corporate level and application in the public sector.