Increased demands from companies regarding the qualifications of applicants make the transition from education and study to employment more difficult. More complex work requires more and different competencies from employees than it did ten years ago. Information and knowledge work is on the rise due to the transformation of society into a service and knowledge-based society: For all groups of employees, from highly qualified professionals in production, research, development, design, marketing, and consulting to skilled workers, work is becoming increasingly complex, flexible, and knowledge-based. These rising demands in the workplace are being passed on to education and study. The author addresses this issue and primarily examines the interplay of motivation and leadership processes within companies in his work.