Elesa Zehndorfer PhD

I am a Managing Partner at Austrian consulting firm Lakeside Partners GmbH, Head Trainer at Fit to Perform, an eMBA lecturer, research fellow & award-winning writer focusing on leadership & performance. My seventh book, Post-Truth Politics: A Brave New World? (published by Taylor & Francis) was released February 2025. I have also written leadership titles covering fields as diverse as finance, politics, science, the environment, charisma & general management. I earned my (leadership-focused) PhD from Loughborough University in 2006.

As a Thought Leader for Hartford Funds, I wrote articles helping brokers develop a stronger bond with clients, while my recent TEDx talk was well received by an awesome 600-strong TEDx crowd. Having formerly sat on the executive board of a major international sports federation for many years, I understand the complexities of applying leadership theory to practice at the highest organisational level.

Using storytelling constructs in my work is deeply important to me - and research also confirms its importance in connecting leaders with their teams. The powerful neurological & evolutionary benefits it confers means that I have made it a cornerstone of my approach.

I also run the Psychology Today blog Political Animals & Animal Spirits and was recently appointed a Senior Advisor to the Paddy Ashdown Research Forum. I also have the pleasure of being the Research Officer for high-IQ society British Mensa. You can read more about my books here.