About
The Power of a Lollipop
Sitting at the intersection of inspiration and common sense, The Power of a Lollipop reveals how a simple human gesture of connection became
the cornerstone to a powerful new vision of leadership.
In her twenty-eight years with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Feena May, PhD, travelled around the globe. No matter where she was posted, she always brought a bag of lollipops. May came to understand that offering a lollipop could often bring calm to even the tensest moments in the field, creating openness, trust, and connection. From these experiences the seed for the idea of the Lollipop Model was planted.
The heart and soul of leadership, whether in a small organization or on the global stage, is to create a positive impact. In The Power of a Lollipop, May guides leaders through simple and powerful tools to define their leadership style, build skills, and bring inspiration to employees while fostering a positive and authentic workplace culture. Both pragmatic and effective, the Lollipop Model brings joy, humour, and refreshing common sense to the complex world of leadership
The latest review
The Lollipop Model of Leadership
November 18, 2025 by Twan van de Kerkhof
The Power of a Lollipop is one of the best and most original leadership books I’ve come across in years. It’s a delightful blend of solid theory, practical advice, and sheer fun. Authored by Feena May, CEO of The Inspiring Company and former Chief Learning Officer at the International Committee of the Red Cross—not to mention her stint as a clown—this book is a treasure trove of insights. Disclaimer: This review is more of a love letter than a critique because I agree with nearly everything May writes.
ELP is the leading platform in The Netherlands for authentic dialogue on leadership. ELP equips leaders to grasp outside-in perspectives, uncover critical insights, and spark meaningful change through Dialogue and reflection. The true test of leadership comes in the moments that matter most. ELP helps leaders rise to those moments with clarity, purpose and strength.
Members participate in live and online ELP Leadership Dialogues to learn from top-tier presenters and peers across sectors, disciplines, and generations. ELP hosts ten live Leadership Dialogues in Amsterdam annually, four in Eindhoven, ten online sessions, and one Annual Conference. Most members attend four to five sessions per year.
See Home – ELP
Buy 2 – Get 1 🙂
Black Friday Special
It’s Black Friday week, where you get great deals.
I thought we’d do a great deal with a difference – pay for 2 books, and get one signed copy posted to you !
Yes there is method in the maddness. We are making Black Friday about giving too ……
In our special Black Friday deal, you will buy 2 copies of the book. You will get a signed copy and one copy will go, on your behalf, to a young person. Feena has teamed up with Jigsaw’s NERAT team (www.jigsaw.ie) to work on leadership in post-primary schools.
It’s part of our commitment to build good leadership at all levels.
