Terry Venables endured a miserable return to White Hart Lane as his Leeds side were tormented by Robbie Keane.
Venables both played and managed Spurs, but his new charges proved simply unable to keep track of Keane, who left Elland Road in August for £7m.
Keane made Spurs' first goal and five minutes before the interval scored with a strike of breathtaking technical excellence.
Throughout, the Republic of Ireland striker's movement and link-up play with Teddy Sheringham proved irrestible.
Roaming across the front line, Keane continually teased his former colleagues into challenges, before skipping away from them.
On 12 minutes, from a quickly taken throw-in, Sheringham released Keane, who Teddy Lucic just about managed to hold up on the edge of the box.
But the ball rebounded to Sheringham, who cleverly curled his half-volley past Paul Robinson.
If Sheringham's strike was accomplished, Keane's goal - his fourth of the season - was even better.
Fed by Gus Poyet on the edge of the area, the Irishman bent the ball with the outside of his foot round Robinson's outstretched hand to inflict the perfect revenge on his old club.
In that opening half Leeds were in disarray.
Venables' plans had already been disrupted by the loss of former Spurs player Nick Barmby, who picked up an injury in the pre-match warm up.
Jacob Burns replaced Barmby, but just before Keane's goal Venables withdrew the Australian, introducing Mark Viduka as the Leeds coach sought to rejig his team's shape.
Viduka's arrival provided a focal point for the Leeds attack, but midway through the second half the Australian picked up an injury and in turn had to be replaced by the 16-year-old James Milner.
The youngster made an immediate contribution picking out Lee Bowyer, but Kasey Keller was quick to snuff out the danger - the only real save the American had to make.
Viduka's introduction also saw Leeds revert to four rather than five at the back, which helped to restore a semblance of defensive organisation.
Alan Smith never stopped running but the contribution of Harry Kewell was rather more anonymous.
The win pushed Spurs up to seventh place, nine points behind leaders Arsenal, while Leeds are just four points above the relegation zone.
The defeat means Leeds have now just won once in nine league games.
Tottenham: Keller, Bunjevcevic, King, Richards, Carr, Freund, Anderton (Redknapp 78), Poyet (Iversen 90), Ziege (Davis 68), Sheringham, Keane.
Subs not used: Hirschfeld, Perry.
Booked: Poyet, Ziege, Bunjevcevic.
Leeds: Robinson, Kelly, Woodgate, Lucic, Wilcox, Bowyer, Burns (Viduka 37, Milner 82), McPhail, Bakke, Kewell, Smith.
Subs not used: Martyn, Duberry, Richardson.
Booked: Bakke, Wilcox, Burns, Kewell, McPhail, Smith, Bowyer.
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
Att: 35,718