The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of leadership style and compensation on work motivation and its implications for the performance of the staff of the Merangin Regency Secretariat, Jambi, Indonesia. Research on 245 respondents from the Merangin Regency Secretariat staff, Jambi, Indonesia. The research method uses descriptive research and survey methods. The analysis model uses SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis. The results showed: (1) There was a positive and significant influence of leadership style on work motivation, (2) There was a positive and significant effect of compensation on work motivation, (3) There was a positive and significant influence of leadership style on employee performance. (4) There is no effect of compensation on employee performance, (5) There is a positive and significant effect of work motivation on employee performance. From the results of the analysis of direct and indirect effects, motivation in this study is an intervening variable. The work motivation variable is intervening, especially for the compensation variable. It is recommended to the Merangin Regency Secretariat, Jambi, to improve employee performance, it is necessary to pay attention to the variables of leadership style, compensation, and work motivation.Abstrak: Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk menguji pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan dan kompensasi terhadap motivasi kerja dan implikasinya terhadap kinerja staf Sekretariat Kabupaten Merangin, Jambi, Indonesia. Penelitian terhadap 245 responden karyawan Sekretariat Kabupaten Merangin, Jambi, Indonesia. Metode penelitian menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif dan survei. Model analisis menggunakan analisis SEM (Structural Equation Modeling). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: (1) ada pengaruh positif dan signifikan gaya kepemimpinan terhadap motivasi kerja, (2) ada pengaruh positif dan signifikan kompensasi terhadap motivasi kerja, (3) ada pengaruh positif dan signifikan gaya kepemimpinan pada kinerja karyawan. (4) tidak ada pengaruh kompensasi terhadap kinerja karyawan, (5) terdapat pengaruh positif dan signifikan motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan. Dari hasil analisis efek langsung dan tidak langsung, dapat disimpulkan bahwa motivasi kerja dalam penelitian ini adalah variabel intervening. Variabel motivasi kerja adalah intervening, terutama untuk variabel kompensasi. Direkomendasikan kepada Sekretariat Kabupaten Merangin, Jambi, untuk meningkatkan kinerja karyawan, perlu memperhatikan variabel gaya kepemimpinan, kompensasi, dan motivasi kerja.