Elesa Zehndorfer PhD

I am a leadership academic, researcher, consultant, TEDx speaker & writer.

A little background: I first qualified as a personal trainer thirty years ago, and I have subsequently developed a deep appreciation for the role of physiology in driving self-leadership and team performance. Having subsequently earned a leadership-focused PhD from the Institute of Sport & Leisure Policy at Loughborough University, I went on to lecture in sports & business faculties (with a principle focus on leadership) for two decades. I now combine a deep love of leadership theory with a granular, empirically-informed application of physiology theory to fields as diverse as politics (how we vote), finance (how we trade & invest) and team performance (the corporate world).

Consider, for example, that we humans are primates (great apes, in fact), vulnerable to even small changes in our environment. If we breathe more polluted air, we are more likely to develop anxiety & depression. If we see fake news that upsets us, the limbic area of our brain takes over, and we become less able to be critical in our response. If our local sports team wins, the incumbent political party is more likely to win elections in the days that follow. Every one of those examples relates to performance and our self-leadership capabilities and I've written books covering all of these concepts for a globally leading academic publisher. Combining a knowledge of our evolutionary physiological design with leadership theory can be incredibly powerful!

Interested specifically in politics & finance? If so, check out my Psychology Today blog titled Political Animals & Animal Spirits and forthcoming book Post-Truth Politics: A Brave New World? Alternatively, click on the icons below to find out more about my work.

Corporate & Self-Leadership

I am an eMBA leadership lecturer with 20 years experience as an academic. Previously the general secretary of a global 70-nation sport federation, I am well versed in the practical challenges of senior leadership.

I am also co-founder of Lakeside Partners GmbH and a TEDx speaker. In my academic & consulting roles, I utilise a range of academic leadership models such as transformational, full range, charismatic & motivational leadership models, pragmatically applying them to real-world scenarios.

Burnout

I approach burnout from the multiple perspectives of physiology, fitness and leadership theory.

Having recently consulted to a major private equity owned healthcare firm, and to individuals seeking help with burnout, my goal is to help corporations & individuals improve their wellness & burnout strategies to eradicate this widespread and debilitating phenomenon.

Wellness & Fitness

I first qualified as a fitness pro & personal trainer thirty years ago, and a love of science, fitness and physiology continues to influence everything that I do.

I went on to earn a PhD from Loughborough University, with recent fitness qualifications including a Harvard Medical School HMX Online Physiology certification, and Michael King Pilates Matwork certification. I am currently studying for the ACSM Personal Trainer certification.

Writing & Storytelling

I am a multi-award winning writer. Six of my (leadership-themed) books have been published by global publisher Taylor & Francis, with my debut political novel released in 2022 by Blackheath Publishing. I have also written book chapters and academic journal articles. Two of my books were Amazon Hot New Releases.

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I also specialise in the science of storytelling, and write for clients across the globe in the fields of medical & science writing, sport, finance & business.