The purpose of this doctoral dissertation is to theoretically and empirically examine the phenomenon of leadership, and to develop a model that will identify factors which influence organisational performance, and which are related to the role of the leader. Given its actuality, the possibility of empirical investigation and comparison with the results of previous research, the theory of authentic leadership was selected as a paradigm of modern leadership. The study aims to: a) analyse existing knowledge about leadership and organisational performance; b) develop a conceptual model of interdependence between authentic leadership and organisational performance; c) systematically formulate research results, as well as design guidelines for their practical application in the hospitality industry. In order to empirically test the proposed hypotheses in the context of the hospitality industry, a multilevel conceptual model was developed which allowed establishing relationships between organisational characteristics, individual psycho-sociological factors of leaders and followers, and organisational performance. The developed model reflects the integrative and multilevel nature of authentic leadership and is in accordance with contemporary trends in leadership research. Statistical data analysis was performed using the method of descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analysis. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used as a statistical analysis software. Data analysis was conducted on 226 questionnaires. The research results partially confirm the hypothesis of the indirect impact of leadership on organisational performance, with significant mediation relationships differing in terms of the way of measuring organisational performance. The findings also indicate that, with all the predicted organisational characteristics, only the organisational structure has statistically significant impact on the perception of authentic leadership. In this dissertation the research field of leadership is expanded, in that apart from examining the impact on individual attitudes and behaviors of followers, the impact of leadership on organisational performance is also assessed. By integrating individual and collective level of organisational activity, the theory of leadership is aligned with economic and organisational theory.