The literature about authentic leadership seems to be fragmented, there are several conceptions and theoretical models of authentic leadership, which may be potentially contradictory (Gardner et al., 2011).

Given the definition of ethical leadership, which most of the authors refer to by Brown, Trevino and Harrison (2005), which is 'the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making', reported by Walumbwa et al. (2011, pg.204), what is the reaction that employees have to ethical leadership and what is their behavioural change, if there is any? This question arises from the fact that very little research seems to have been done on the ethical leaders' followers' experience and emotions. In my literature review of ten peer-reviewed articles, searched on the University of Sunderland library website and through Google Scholars, I have identified three major themes which seem to be evidence of little attention paid to followers and I have drawn my conclusions.