Leadership appears to always be a current subject when management is approached as an object of study. Furthermore, nowadays, that leadership styles, ethics, and their possibilities to confront contingencies, are questioned with so much more emphasis each time. Taking into consideration the context previously described, it should be pointed out that the central purpose of this work is to explore the most relevant theoretical foundations that support the authentic leadership perspective. To reach the goals outlined, a documentary review was made, based on texts specialized on the area and articles on the subject, published in indexed scientific journals. In general, literature suggests that authentic leaders are the solution to the leadership crisis that exists in today's world. In addition, these leaders are in possession of attributes that embody and give a high sense of integrity, have a moral character and foolproof self-discipline, with a clear purpose and a true concern for others; all of which conveys confidence, hope, optimism, positivism, resilience and plenty of energy. It is concluded that authentic leadership development requires to be integrated into cultural organization, in order to maximize the positives results and sustainability of its competitive advantage, through a true performance, ethic and morally accepted in such times as today's.