‘A compelling case for a new, more holistic form of leadership.’ Andrew Winston, Thinkers50
The leaders of today cannot be the leaders of tomorrow.
The Leadership We Need offers a bold, urgent blueprint for a new era of leadership – one that’s tough enough to protect our future, and wise enough to lead with purpose, not ego. Drawing from over a decade of leadership experience and cutting-edge research, Maria Brinck calls out the dominant, masculine monopoly on leadership that has shaped society for millennia – and how it’s failing us in today’s poly-crisis reality.
Brinck argues that the hard way is, in fact, the right way: where we collaborate instead of compete, engage people instead of control them, and live alongside nature rather than dominate it.
We need leadership that serves people and planet.
Through powerful examples of collaborative and service-driven leaders – many of them women – and practical tools including a 10-step roadmap and self-assessments, this book provides a positive path forward for leaders in business, government, and society.
The best of humanity is still ahead. Follow this courageous call to action and create a leadership culture that’s inclusive, balanced, and capable of shaping a future we can all thrive in.
The leaders of today cannot be the leaders of tomorrow.
The Leadership We Need offers a bold, urgent blueprint for a new era of leadership – one that’s tough enough to protect our future, and wise enough to lead with purpose, not ego. Drawing from over a decade of leadership experience and cutting-edge research, Maria Brinck calls out the dominant, masculine monopoly on leadership that has shaped society for millennia – and how it’s failing us in today’s poly-crisis reality.
Brinck argues that the hard way is, in fact, the right way: where we collaborate instead of compete, engage people instead of control them, and live alongside nature rather than dominate it.
We need leadership that serves people and planet.
Through powerful examples of collaborative and service-driven leaders – many of them women – and practical tools including a 10-step roadmap and self-assessments, this book provides a positive path forward for leaders in business, government, and society.
The best of humanity is still ahead. Follow this courageous call to action and create a leadership culture that’s inclusive, balanced, and capable of shaping a future we can all thrive in.
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Reviews
"Dismantles outdated paradigms and offers a practical roadmap for transforming how we lead in business, government, and society. For every leader seeking to lead not just with power, but with humanity."
Kim Coupounas, Partner, Leaders' Quest
"A powerful and timely invitation to reimagine leadership from the inside out. Brinck shows us why inner development is not optional - it's foundational."
Tomas Björkman,Founder, Ekskäret Foundation, Founding Chair, Inner Development Goals
"Essential reading for fortune 500 CEOs and executives, founders and change-makers who know that business-as-usual is no longer viable. If your organization is ready to lead with purpose, regeneration and evolve with integrity, start here."
Anneli Kansbod, CEO, Bemz
"To come out of the many crises we are currently in will require a different set of values and leadership traits. This is a must-read for everyone engaged in our common future!"
Anders Wijkman, Honorary President, Club of Rome, Board Chairman, Climate KIC
A timely exploration of how leadership must evolve to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Drawing from her global experiences-from corporate boardrooms to indigenous communities in the Congo Basin-Maria argues that humanity cannot overcome crises like climate change, inequality, and technological disruption with the same leadership models that created them. For too long, leadership has been dominated by masculine-coded traits such as competition and control. While not dismissing their value, she insists that the future requires balance: empathy, collaboration, and long-term thinking must be elevated as core leadership qualities.
Central to the book is the argument that excluding women from leadership impoverishes humanity's potential. With fewer than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs being women, Maria calls for dismantling the monopoly of masculine leadership and creating cultures where women's authentic strengths are valued rather than suppressed. She also critiques current education systems and economic metrics, urging a redefinition of success around human well-being, not just GDP or shareholder value.
Ultimately, the book is both a warning and a hopeful vision. By embracing inclusive, balanced leadership, Maria believes humanity can not only survive but flourish, unlocking its greatest potential.
This was a really interesting take on the power of feminine leadership with some of the challenges our world currently faces.
I actually found it a hopeful read, filled with interesting stories and perspectives on how more representation of some of the traits more commonly associated with women could help to increase engagement, creativity and problem-solving to the problems that we face in this century. It was a short, easy and enjoyable read with plenty of food for thought.
Thanks to Maria Brinck, John Murray Business and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
The Leadership We Need is a fascinating look at the value qualities commonly associated with the feminine bring to leadership. The writing style was engaging with a fair mix of discussion and stories of other leaders (both male and female) who exemplify these qualities. One critique I have is that this book did get political, and while I didn't necessarily mind it, I feel like the myriad of good points the author made might be overlooked by those who disagree with her politically. The author conceded to this inevitability in the pages of the book, so it does seem it was a conscious choice.
I would like to thank John Murray Business and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Leadership We Need is a well-structured and paced book with some invaluable tips about leadership.
The roadmap and the assessments are a nice addition to the literature on leadership.
To be perfectly honest, while I understand the discussions around patriarchy and male-dominated leadership, I am never keen on concepts such as feminine and masculine energy and leadership as I find them vague and not scientific.
Though, that being said, the values Brinck associates with feminine leadership are awesome.
"A compelling case for a new, more holistic form of leadership that draws on the best of human nature. This call for regenerative leadership is sorely needed."
Andrew Winston, Thinkers50 #3, co-author, Net Positive
"The Leadership We Need will transform how you think, lead, and act. If you care about the future of your organization, your people, or our planet, this is the book you cannot afford to miss."
Ingmar Rentzhog, Founder and CEO, WeDon'tHaveTime.org
"A bold, transformational book and a game changer in an age of converging crises."
Hunter Lovins, Co-Founder, Rocky Mountain Institute, President, Natural Capitalism, co-author, Natural Capitalism
"Maria offers a vision that embraces gender and cognitive diversity, moral clarity, and ethical responsibility. A timely and thought-provoking read."
Hadeel Anabtawi, board member, International Leadership Association, Founder, The Alchemist Lab