Enterprises are currently forced to rethink their business-as-usual management and shift toward corporate sustainability. Worldwide, scholars assert that it takes strategic leadership and management to successfully drive corporate success and sustainability in firms. However, identifying strategic leadership and management factors that drive corporate success and sustainability is limited to date. In particular, the literature calls for further leadership and management studies in small business and SMEs since they are the economic backbone in most nations worldwide. The paper responds to a crucial quest for many leaders and entrepreneurs, specifically small business owners, has become finding what they can do to increase long-term performance, enhance stakeholder satisfaction and drive corporate sustainability. And, to bridge the research gaps and advance our limited knowledge, this paper empirically examines which strategic leadership and management factors significantly and positively drive superior corporate performance and sustainability in small businesses. Using a convenience sampling, data were collected on a voluntary basis from a sample of 280 business leaders and/or entrepreneurs of small enterprises across service and trading sectors in Thailand. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified seven valid and reliable leadership and management factors derived from a sustainable leadership framework and the literature as new constructs in small Thai businesses. These factors are predicted to enhance long-term performance and stakeholder satisfaction, thereby contributing to corporate sustainability within the context of small enterprises. Results from multiple regressions reveal two significant leadership and management factors or predictors (i.e. trusting, innovative team orientation and strong, shared vision) of enhanced financial performance and stakeholder satisfaction, thus contributing to corporate sustainability. Other leadership and management factors examined did not contribute significantly to either dependent variable, namely: empowerment, high quality, long-term consideration, change management, and ethics. Possible explanations are provided. Implications and future directions are discussed later.