In today's fast-paced dynamic work environment, organizations are recognizing the important role played by leadership in attaining and sustaining individual, unit, and organizational effectiveness. This paper briefly reviews extant literature and builds a logical framework depicting the interrelationships between leadership and the contextual factors of societal culture and patrimonial behaviours in sub-Saharan Africa. The article concludes by outlining a future research agenda for leadership in sub-Saharan Africa.