Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky: Lessons We Can All Learn from an Unexpected Leader

Written by Jessie Asya Kanzer

Narrated by Natalia Payne

This program includes a bonus conversation between the author and editor.

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 native Russian speaker (like Zelensky himself), she picks up on the deep philosophical ramifications behind his words. Rich and yet easily understood, 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."

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press Essentials.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781250345424

Jessie Asya Kanzer

JESSIE ASYA KANZER is the award-winning author of Don’t Just Sit There, DO NOTHING and Unlocking Your Inner Zelensky. She was born in the Soviet Union and left at age eight. A former reporter and actress, she once found herself on the set of a Zelensky film and has been following his story ever since. Kanzer’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and many other publications. She's been interviewed on podcasts and TV programs across the country. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and two cats in Dobbs Ferry, NY.