This research investigates the relationship between strategic leadership and employee performance in the Turkish aviation sector. A comprehensive survey with 47 questions (excluding demographic data) was conducted, with 316 valid responses gathered from a sample of 350 employees working in various aviation companies. Statistical methods such as frequency analysis, reliability testing, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), t-tests, ANOVA, linear regression, and correlation were used to analyze the data at a 0.05 significance level. The results indicate that strategic leadership perceptions account for 43% of the variance in employee performance, highlighting a moderate positive relationship between the two variables. In addition, demographic factors such as gender and age affect how employees perceive leadership, indicating differences in leadership perceptions across different groups. This study contributes to the strategic leadership literature by providing unique insights into how leadership practices influence employee performance in the context of the aviation industry, underscoring the need for customized leadership approaches in this dynamic field.
