This article focuses on the empirical effects of cognitive differentiation and persuasive skills on transformational, transaction, and laissez-faire leadership. Subjects (N = 294) completed measures of independent and dependent variables. Findings confirmed prior findings, however some findings reflected differences. Cognitive differentiation was positively related to transformation leadership (r = 0.16, p = 0.038), unrelated to transactional leadership (r = -0.02, ns), and negatively related to laissez-faire leadership (r = -0.22, p = 0.002). Findings were nearly identical for the persuasive skills variable showing a positive relationship with transformational leadership (r = 0.19, p = 0.021), no relationship with transactional leadership (r = -0.007, ns), and negatively related to laissez-faire leadership (r = - 0.27, p = 0.001). In a regression analysis cognitive differentiation and persuasive skills accounted for 5.4% of the unique variance of transformation leadership (F = 4.02, df = 2,139, p = 0.02). Implications to leadership educators were discussed.