PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the strategies that helps leaders be authentic in order to be able to respond proactively and become effective in helping their organisations they lead in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, 25 business leaders from diverse sectors were interviewed to understand what sustained them in an adverse context.FindingsResults reveal various dimensions of authentic leadership in a disruptive environment. Authentic leaders have to exhibit distinct behaviours that stems from re-examining oneself to reaffirming organisational purpose. Reimagining the work is emerged as the newer dimension to the authentic leadership considering the context of COVID-19.Practical implicationsThe results of the study provides insights for anyone leading organisations in today's disruptive business environment. The findings of this study can be used further to undertake quantitative studies to test professional relationships and understand the leadership strategies at different time frames.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the strategies that leaders successfully follow to withstand the COVID crisis and highlights the different roles and behaviours that helped leaders to address the crisis confidently.