Gentle Power

A manual for the evolution of everyday leadership based on the Finnish science of sisu - from a leading researcher and teacher on the topic.

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Our world is awakening to the fact that the old version of strength, based on dominance, force, and greed, can no longer sustain us. Yet in Finland, among fierce winters and nightless summers, there has long been a different understanding of strength - one that seeks to balance resolve with reason, and values winning gracefully over winning at all cost. This philosophy is called sisu, and it is quickly becoming recognized as a guiding light through times of crisis.

In Gentle Power, Finnish-born author Emilia Elisabet Lahti presents the first comprehensive book on sisu as a universal quality and outlines a path to putting its principles into action harmoniously. Though modern research has consistently shown the benefits of “soft” skills, we often equate gentleness with weakness - and habitually elevate the toxic use of power. What makes “gentle power” so effective is that it is based on sisu and other time-tested approaches - not just for learning new tools but for personally embodying balanced, discerning, and empathic forms of strength.

“Imagine if leadership, parenting, activism, and even politics were devoid of harshness and ignorance,” Lahti writes. The idea is extraordinary, yet sisu shows us it is possible. With Gentle Power, you’ll discover a gateway to healthy strength and fortitude that will elevate your life - and help you become part of a new era of collective transformation.