diff --git a/pkg/config/leaderelection/leaderelection.go b/pkg/config/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
index edbd10fb1d..1f6cff9d86 100644
--- a/pkg/config/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
+++ b/pkg/config/leaderelection/leaderelection.go
@@ -29,8 +29,20 @@ import (
 // See https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/issues/107454 for
 // details on how to migrate to "leases" leader election.
 // Don't forget the callbacks!
-// TODO: In the next version we should switch to using "leases"
 func ToLeaderElectionWithConfigmapLease(clientConfig *rest.Config, config configv1.LeaderElection, component, identity string) (leaderelection.LeaderElectionConfig, error) {
+	return toLeaderElection(clientConfig, config, component, identity, resourcelock.ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock)
+}
+
+// ToLeaderElectionWithLease returns a "leases" based leader
+// election config that you just need to fill in the Callback for.
+// Don't forget the callbacks!
+func ToLeaderElectionWithLease(clientConfig *rest.Config, config configv1.LeaderElection, component, identity string) (leaderelection.LeaderElectionConfig, error) {
+	return toLeaderElection(clientConfig, config, component, identity, resourcelock.LeasesResourceLock)
+}
+
+// toLeaderElection returns a leader election config that you just need to fill in the Callback for. The input
+// resourceLock must be a value from the k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/resourcelock package.
+func toLeaderElection(clientConfig *rest.Config, config configv1.LeaderElection, component, identity, resourceLock string) (leaderelection.LeaderElectionConfig, error) {
 	kubeClient, err := kubernetes.NewForConfig(clientConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		return leaderelection.LeaderElectionConfig{}, err
@@ -57,7 +69,7 @@ func ToLeaderElectionWithConfigmapLease(clientConfig *rest.Config, config config
 	eventBroadcaster.StartRecordingToSink(&v1core.EventSinkImpl{Interface: v1core.New(kubeClient.CoreV1().RESTClient()).Events("")})
 	eventRecorder := eventBroadcaster.NewRecorder(clientgoscheme.Scheme, corev1.EventSource{Component: component})
 	rl, err := resourcelock.New(
-		resourcelock.ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock,
+		resourceLock,
 		config.Namespace,
 		config.Name,
 		kubeClient.CoreV1(),
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controllercmd/builder.go b/pkg/controller/controllercmd/builder.go
index 977ca34a21..5ed852a25d 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controllercmd/builder.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controllercmd/builder.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package controllercmd
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/rest"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/resourcelock"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/record"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/metrics"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/metrics/legacyregistry"
@@ -59,19 +61,29 @@ type ControllerContext struct {
 	OperatorNamespace string
 }
 
+type leaderElectionResourceLock string
+
+const (
+	LeasesResourceLock           leaderElectionResourceLock = resourcelock.LeasesResourceLock
+	ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock leaderElectionResourceLock = resourcelock.ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock
+)
+
+var ErrInvalidResourceLock = errors.New("the leader election resource lock is not supported")
+
 // defaultObserverInterval specifies the default interval that file observer will do rehash the files it watches and react to any changes
 // in those files.
 var defaultObserverInterval = 5 * time.Second
 
 // ControllerBuilder allows the construction of an controller in optional pieces.
 type ControllerBuilder struct {
-	kubeAPIServerConfigFile *string
-	clientOverrides         *client.ClientConnectionOverrides
-	leaderElection          *configv1.LeaderElection
-	fileObserver            fileobserver.Observer
-	fileObserverReactorFn   func(file string, action fileobserver.ActionType) error
-	eventRecorderOptions    record.CorrelatorOptions
-	componentOwnerReference *corev1.ObjectReference
+	kubeAPIServerConfigFile    *string
+	clientOverrides            *client.ClientConnectionOverrides
+	leaderElection             *configv1.LeaderElection
+	leaderElectionResourceLock leaderElectionResourceLock
+	fileObserver               fileobserver.Observer
+	fileObserverReactorFn      func(file string, action fileobserver.ActionType) error
+	eventRecorderOptions       record.CorrelatorOptions
+	componentOwnerReference    *corev1.ObjectReference
 
 	startFunc          StartFunc
 	componentName      string
@@ -157,6 +169,14 @@ func (b *ControllerBuilder) WithLeaderElection(leaderElection configv1.LeaderEle
 	return b
 }
 
+// WithLeaderElectionResourceLock sets the resource lock. If not set, controllercmd.ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock will
+// be used for backwards compatibility.
+func (b *ControllerBuilder) WithLeaderElectionResourceLock(resourceLock leaderElectionResourceLock) *ControllerBuilder {
+	b.leaderElectionResourceLock = resourceLock
+
+	return b
+}
+
 // WithVersion accepts a getting that provide binary version information that is used to report build_info information to prometheus
 func (b *ControllerBuilder) WithVersion(info version.Info) *ControllerBuilder {
 	b.versionInfo = &info
@@ -328,8 +348,19 @@ func (b *ControllerBuilder) Run(ctx context.Context, config *unstructured.Unstru
 	// ensure blocking TCP connections don't block the leader election
 	leaderConfig := rest.CopyConfig(protoConfig)
 	leaderConfig.Timeout = b.leaderElection.RenewDeadline.Duration
+	var leaderElection leaderelection.LeaderElectionConfig
+
+	switch b.leaderElectionResourceLock {
+	// default to configmapsleases for leader election
+	// TODO: In the next version we should switch to using "leases" by default
+	case "", ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock:
+		leaderElection, err = leaderelectionconverter.ToLeaderElectionWithConfigmapLease(leaderConfig, *b.leaderElection, b.componentName, b.instanceIdentity)
+	case LeasesResourceLock:
+		leaderElection, err = leaderelectionconverter.ToLeaderElectionWithLease(leaderConfig, *b.leaderElection, b.componentName, b.instanceIdentity)
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrInvalidResourceLock, b.leaderElectionResourceLock)
+	}
 
-	leaderElection, err := leaderelectionconverter.ToLeaderElectionWithConfigmapLease(leaderConfig, *b.leaderElection, b.componentName, b.instanceIdentity)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/controller/controllercmd/cmd.go b/pkg/controller/controllercmd/cmd.go
index fb5bd2afbe..b999841809 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/controllercmd/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/controllercmd/cmd.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/version"
 	"k8s.io/apiserver/pkg/server"
+	"k8s.io/client-go/tools/leaderelection/resourcelock"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/logs"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
@@ -43,6 +44,10 @@ type ControllerCommandConfig struct {
 	// DisableServing disables serving metrics, debug and health checks and so on.
 	DisableServing bool
 
+	// LeaderElectionResourceLock sets the resource lock. If not set, controllercmd.ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock will
+	// be used for backwards compatibility.
+	LeaderElectionResourceLock leaderElectionResourceLock
+
 	// DisableLeaderElection allows leader election to be suspended
 	DisableLeaderElection bool
 
@@ -59,8 +64,9 @@ func NewControllerCommandConfig(componentName string, version version.Info, star
 
 		basicFlags: NewControllerFlags(),
 
-		DisableServing:        false,
-		DisableLeaderElection: false,
+		LeaderElectionResourceLock: resourcelock.ConfigMapsLeasesResourceLock,
+		DisableServing:             false,
+		DisableLeaderElection:      false,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -282,6 +288,7 @@ func (c *ControllerCommandConfig) StartController(ctx context.Context) error {
 		WithKubeConfigFile(c.basicFlags.KubeConfigFile, nil).
 		WithComponentNamespace(c.basicFlags.Namespace).
 		WithLeaderElection(config.LeaderElection, c.basicFlags.Namespace, c.componentName+"-lock").
+		WithLeaderElectionResourceLock(c.LeaderElectionResourceLock).
 		WithVersion(c.version).
 		WithEventRecorderOptions(events.RecommendedClusterSingletonCorrelatorOptions()).
 		WithRestartOnChange(exitOnChangeReactorCh, startingFileContent, observedFiles...).