



Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky
Lessons We Can All Learn from an Unexpected Leader
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Volodymyr Zelensky captivated the world when his country was invaded by Russia in February 2022. His appearances were accompanied by countless inspiring statements. But there's a single one that informs Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky: "We are all simple people."
Jessie Kanzer sees Zelensky as a Spiritual Leader for Our Times. As a Soviet refugee, she picks up on the deep philosophical ramifications behind his words. Rich and yet easy-to-read, the life lessons in Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky are accessible and wise, and are more about starting where you are than about war.
Kanzer herself has a bit part in Zelensky's life story, acting in one of his movies filmed in the States. She's a self-described "spiritual nerd" who followed Zelensky long before he stood before a blue and yellow backdrop on the national stage. She writes, "What is so incredible about our man Volodymyr is that his belief in himself stems not from seeing himself as special, but from seeing himself as ordinary and from knowing there is great power in this ordinariness."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kanzer (Don't Just Sit There, Do Nothing) gleans unremarkable lessons from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's response to the ongoing Russian invasion of his country. Kanzer, who grew up in the Soviet Union and had a bit part ("girl in sports club #1") in a 2009 rom-com in which Zelenskyy starred, captures his unlikely ascent from comedian to actor to politician, and the qualities that make him "a profound philosophical leader of our generation," including the self-confidence to request support and weapons from other countries without groveling, and a steadfast (albeit nonreligious) faith—in himself, and in the Ukrainian people— he nurtured even in the war's "darkest days," which Kanzer contrasts with the "Russian cynicism" that Zelenskyy believes has stymied "any sort of agreement" for peace. Despite some inspiring moments, Kanzer's insights tend to repeat across chapters, making for a somewhat hazy and circuitous structure—the notion of Zelenskyy as an "ordinary superman" recurs often—and the advice itself can feel hackneyed ("There are no limits when you realize you're limitless"). It adds up to an earnest yet lackluster portrait of a leader thrust onto the world stage.