Albanian rights sold for GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD! Now 6 territories!

We are thrilled to announce that the Albanian rights for GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD, have been acquired by Shtëpia Botuese “Jakup Ceraja”! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Established in 2018, the publishing house “Jakup Ceraja” operates from Kosovo, but publishes Albanian writers and works by international authors translated into Albanian. In their five years of operation, they have published more than 50 books to date.

GENTLE POWER has garnered excellent reviews by critics and experts and generated a lot of media interest in both Lahti and her book:

Emilia Elisabet Lahti is a pioneering researcher and rising star in the new human potential movement. Gentle Power, her first book, is a bold invitation into what’s possible as a human being. Infused with a powerful combination of backbone, heart, and original research, Lahti gently but persuasively challenges readers to question perceived limitations and, ultimately, transform barriers into frontiers.
― Joshua Steinfeldt, host of The Courageous Life podcast, mindfulness teacher, and professional coach

“Lahti examines how attachment styles can be employed to understand ourselves and others with more compassion and thereby assist us into evolved forms of leadership. Throughout Gentle Power, Lahti kindly nudges us toward bold self-inquiry and genuine, life-changing empowerment.”
― Diane Poole Heller, PhD, author of Crash CourseThe Power of Attachment, and Healing Your Attachment Wounds

Nobody has taught me more about sisu than Emilia Elisabet Lahti. In this beautiful book, Elisabet shows us how strength and toughness are not the same thing. A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fulfillment.”
― Angela Duckworth, PhD, MacArthur Fellow, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Originally published in the US in January 2023 by Sounds True, the title has now been sold to 6 territories!

Download the English edition of GENTLE POWER here!

Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Emilia Elisabet Lahti

The Finnish philosophy of sisu shows us a new way to look at power—not as force and domination but as the harmonious expression of human character in everyday actions. With Gentle Power, Finnish-born Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti shares an illuminating guide to an emerging shift in the way we define true strength—an approach that balances resolve with reason, grit with compassion, and personal success with service to the collective good. Lahti explores sisu, world traditions, and modern research to provide a new way to approach leadership, resilience, and our power to create change.

Power is fundamental in our lives—we express it in every conversation, relationship, and choice we make. All too often, we equate force and domination with power, while gentleness and compassion are considered “soft” or “weak.” The destructive nature of this skewed perspective has never been more obvious, yet there is reason to hope.

GENTLE POWER: A REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD, AND SUCCEED USING THE FINNISH ART OF SISU
Sounds True, 2023, 194 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
ALBANIA/KOSOVO: Shtëpia Botuese “Jakup Ceraja”
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company
JAPAN: Kadokawa
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

GENTLE POWER by Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti sold to Kadokawa in Japan!

We are thrilled to announce that the Japanese rights for GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD, have been acquired by Kadokawa! The deal was closed by Elsa Lindström and Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency in collaboration with Tuttle-Mori Agency, Japan.

Kadokawa is one of the largest publishers in Japan. They publish works in a wide range of categories including business books, education books, lifestyle-related publications, literature, light novels, comics, children’s books and others.

This is the fifth territory for this revolutionary title on self-compassion, originally published in the US in January by Sounds True. Previously the rights have been acquired in China by Cheers Publishing, in Thailand by Amarin, and in Latvia by Zvaigzne ABC.

Rights to GENTLE POWER are still available in e.g. Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Taiwan, Korea etc. The world needs new ways to look at power to create change. Get to know our wonderful, awarded author Emilia Elisabet Lahti, founder of Sisu Lab and Gentle Power Academy in this lovely video: Gentle Power Author video. 

Download the English PDF for GENTLE POWER here!

GENTLE POWER has garnered excellent reviews by critics and experts and generated a lot of media interest in both Lahti and her book:

“The book prompts readers to consider how they might develop their own compassionate power, urging them to be curious about what’s actually happening in a given conflict and to approach interactions with others without preconceived ideas. When we embody our sisu, Lahti says, we “open our eyes wide to whatever is at hand … with curiosity and courage that are soft around the edges.” – Spirituality & Health Magazine

“In this beautiful book, Elisabet shows us how strength and toughness are not the same thing. A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fulfillment.” Angela Duckworth, PhD, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Gentle Power is a brilliant and refreshing idea. Lahti is a rare combination of real-life adventurer and scientist. With the warmth and authenticity typical to her writing, she outlines an inviting path toward our highest expression through the power of everyday relationships.” Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

 

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu
Sounds True, January 2023, 194 pp.

Rights sold:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC
JAPAN: Kadokawa
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

Reading materials:
English edition

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Publishing Perspectives is discussing Finnish Non-fiction!

Publishing Perspectives is discussing Finnish Non-fiction!

We are very proud to share that Publishing Perspectives dedicated the intro of their rights roundup last week to Finnish Non-fiction from our agency! The article discussed how ” all things related to Finland and Finnish-ness” are especially in demand internationally and quoted our CEO Elina Ahlbäck saying ““It feels to me, that Finns do have something unique in their concepts for nonfiction, leadership, and personal growth.”

The segment discussed three of our non-fiction highlights, all of which had recent rights sales:

  • Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way by Asko Känsälä, which is now sold to Estonia 
  • Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, which was published by Sound True in the US early this year and has been sold to Thailand, China, and most recently to Latvia 
  • How Finland Survived Stalin From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950 by Professor Kimmo Rentola, which will be published by Yale University Press  in the UK and US later this year and was sold to Greece and Poland recently.

If you are looking to enrich your list with a Finnish perspective, we have full English translations for all three titles for you to read!

Download the English PDF for LEADERSHIP AS MASTERY here!
Download the English PDF for GENTLE POWER here!

Download the English PDF for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN here!

Johtajasta mestariksi / Leadership as Mastery: The Finnish Way
Tammi, January 2023, 174 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Tammi (orig.)
ESTONIA: Ühinenud Ajakirjad
Reading materials:
Full English manuscript

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu
Sounds True, January 2023, 194 pp.
Rights sold:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing
Reading materials:
English edition

HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: FROM WINTER WAR TO COLD WAR, 1939-1950
STALIN JA SUOMEN KOHTALO
Otava, 2016, 240 pp.
Rights sold:
FINLAND: Otava (orig.)
ESTONIA: Äripäev
GREECE: Papadopoulos Publishers
POLAND: REBIS
WORLD ENGLISH: Yale University Press
Reading materials:
English manuscript

About author


Asko Känsälä

Asko Känsälä (b. 1957) is a Finnish business builder and leader with a successful career as deputy CEO in the Finnish market leading telecommunication and digital services company Elisa; coach, investor, and grandfather to 10 grandchildren. He is passionate about inspirational leadership and has worked in manufacturing industry, public administration, banking, and ICT, as well as for four years in Japan.

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

About author


Kimmo Rentola

Kimmo Rentola (b. 1953), PhD, is a historian and professor emeritus of political history, at the University of Turku from 2006 to 2014 and at the University of Helsinki since 2014. In his research, Rentola has specialized in the history of the Cold War, the relationships between Finland and the Soviet Union, and both Finnish and Nordic communism. His other research areas are the youth movements of the 1960s and the history of intelligence agencies.

His latest title, How Finland Survived Stalin, won the Lauri Jäntti Award for non-fiction literature in 2017, while his previous book Vallankumouksen aave (‘The Ghost of the Revolution’) won the Scholarly Book of the Year Award in Finland in 2007.

GENTLE POWER is conquering the world: Rights sold in Latvia, US, China and Thailand!

We are thrilled to announce that the Latvian rights for GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu by Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD, have been acquired by Zvaigzne ABC! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Originally published in the US in January 2023 by Sounds True, the title has also been sold to China to Cheers Publishing, and Thailand to Amarin.

Life is an ultramarathon. The best path is to access your sisu and keep your heart open. Author, and founder of Sisu Lab and Gentle Power Academy, Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD, describes GENTLE POWER:
Love is our base element of life and love has always been there waiting for us to remove the veils that conceal it. Power is our base element too, and together with love it lays the blueprint for how we express our energy and potential in life. I call their harmonious expression gentle power.  This book is the result of my lifelong struggle to learn about love and power through trial and error. Every failure I meet reveals itself as a lesson in love and power.”

GENTLE POWER has garnered excellent reviews by critics and experts and generated a lot of media interest in both Lahti and her book:

“The book prompts readers to consider how they might develop their own compassionate power, urging them to be curious about what’s actually happening in a given conflict and to approach interactions with others without preconceived ideas. When we embody our sisu, Lahti says, we “open our eyes wide to whatever is at hand … with curiosity and courage that are soft around the edges.” – Spirituality & Health Magazine

Read Emilia Elisabet Lahti’s cover feature and 7-page interview for Spirituality & Health here: https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/running-on-gentle-power
Listen to Forging Mettle Podcast: The yin and yang of gentleness and power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Sv5GJjUAI

“In this beautiful book, Elisabet shows us how strength and toughness are not the same thing. A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fulfillment.” Angela Duckworth, PhD, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Gentle Power is a brilliant and refreshing idea. Lahti is a rare combination of real-life adventurer and scientist. With the warmth and authenticity typical to her writing, she outlines an inviting path toward our highest expression through the power of everyday relationships.” Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Download the English PDF for GENTLE POWER here!

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Emilia Elisabet Lahti

The Finnish philosophy of sisu shows us a new way to look at power—not as force and domination but as the harmonious expression of human character in everyday actions. With Gentle Power, Finnish-born Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti shares an illuminating guide to an emerging shift in the way we define true strength—an approach that balances resolve with reason, grit with compassion, and personal success with service to the collective good. Lahti explores sisu, world traditions, and modern research to provide a new way to approach leadership, resilience, and our power to create change.

Power is fundamental in our lives—we express it in every conversation, relationship, and choice we make. All too often, we equate force and domination with power, while gentleness and compassion are considered “soft” or “weak.” The destructive nature of this skewed perspective has never been more obvious, yet there is reason to hope.

GENTLE POWER: A REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD, AND SUCCEED USING THE FINNISH ART OF SISU
Sounds True, 2023, 194 pp.

READING MATERIALS
English edition

RIGHTS SOLD:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company
LATVIA: Zvaigzne ABC
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Celebrating today the US publication date of GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti!

Celebrating today the US publication date of GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti!

Warmest congratulations, Emilia Elisabet Lahti, for the US publication of GENTLE POWER by Sounds True! GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu is being released in the US today, January 24th.  You can join us in the celebrations by listening to Elisabet Lahti at The Courageous Life – Interview and Podcast where she wonderfully explains and talks about Gentle Power:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SKciXFvY0ml71mVtCSbAD

The book prompts readers to consider how they might develop their own compassionate power, urging them to be curious about what’s actually happening in a given conflict and to approach interactions with others without preconceived ideas. When we embody our sisu, Lahti says, we “open our eyes wide to whatever is at hand … with curiosity and courage that are soft around the edges.” – Spirituality & Health Magazine

Read the full review here:  https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/reviews/books/2022/12/28/book-review-gentle-power

Nobody has taught me more about sisu than Emilia Elisabet Lahti. In this beautiful book, Elisabet shows us how strength and toughness are not the same thing. A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fulfillment.” —Angela Duckworth, PhD, MacArthur Fellow, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

This captivating and heartfelt book invites readers on a compelling journey to their fullest expression of power and leadership.” —Emma Seppälä, PhD, Yale School of Management, author of The Happiness Track

A beautiful book written by one of the most important voices in positive psychology. Part balm and part rallying call, this book is a deep well for the weary positive champions who are searching for a way to transform the lives of others and to discover a more powerful path to an empowered, connected, and hopeful world.” —Shawn Achor, New York Times bestselling author of Big Potential and The Happiness Advantage

Gentle Power is a brilliant and refreshing idea. Lahti is a rare combination of real-life adventurer and scientist. With the warmth and authenticity typical to her writing, she outlines an inviting path toward our highest expression through the power of everyday relationships.” —Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, host of The Psychology Podcast and Founder and Director of the Center for Human Potential

Lahti examines how attachment styles can be employed to understand ourselves and others with more compassion and thereby assist us into evolved forms of leadership. Throughout Gentle Power, Lahti kindly nudges us toward bold self-inquiry and genuine, life-changing empowerment.” —Diane Poole Heller, PhD, author of Crash Course, The Power of Attachment, and Healing Your Attachment Wounds

Emilia Elisabet Lahti is a pioneering researcher and rising star in the new human potential movement. Gentle Power, her first book, is a bold invitation into what’s possible as a human being. Infused with a powerful combination of backbone, heart, and original research, Lahti gently but persuasively challenges readers to question perceived limitations and, ultimately, transform barriers into frontiers.” —Joshua Steinfeldt, host of The Courageous Life podcast, mindfulness teacher, and professional coach

Congratulations, Emilia Elisabet and Sounds True!

The rights of Gentle Power have also been sold to China and Thailand. Rights for all other languages are still available – join the gentle revolution!

Download the materials here!

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution In How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using The Finnish Art Of Sisu (Sounds True, Jan. 2023) 

By Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD
The Finnish philosophy of sisu shows us a new way to look at power—not as force and domination but as the harmonious expression of human character in everyday actions. Finnish-born Emilia Elisabet Lahti explores sisu, world traditions, and modern research to provide a new way to approach leadership, resilience, and our power to create change.

Power is fundamental in our lives—we express it in every conversation, relationship, and choice we make. All too often, we equate force and domination with power, while gentleness and compassion are considered “soft” or “weak.” The destructive nature of this skewed perspective has never been more obvious, yet there is reason to hope. With Gentle Power, Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti shares an illuminating guide to an emerging shift in the way we define true strength—an approach that balances resolve with reason, grit with compassion, and personal success with service to the collective good.

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Original publication: Sounds True, January 24, 2023, 194 pp.

Rights sold:

WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.),
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company,
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Interview With Elisabet Lahti About Gentle Power

“Life is an ultramarathon. The best path is to access your sisu and keep your heart open.”
– Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD in Spirituality & Health Magazine

Are you looking for a gentle but powerful start into the new year? Then we have the interview for you! Our author Emilia Elisabet Lathi was interviewed by Spiritualty and Health Magazine about her book GENTLE POWERA Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (Sounds True, Jan. 2023). 

In the interview, Emilia Elisabet Lahti explains:

Gentle power is the choice about how we do what we do. For example, to deliver a “no” with energy and grace and power and an open heart is one of the highest expressions we can have. Learning to do that is a worthy life’s work. It’s easier to say yes, to avoid conflict and then build an inner grudge. A powerful no with an open heart is going to benefit me and it’s going to benefit everyone around me. Someone’s going to witness it. Maybe it’s a child, maybe it’s a teenager, maybe it’s my boss, maybe it’s someone else. At some point, they’re going to remember that example in a key moment. It’s a seed and it’s going to sprout and go toward the light.

The interview also features an excerpt from her book:

“The Magic of the Belly: An Excerpt from Gentle Power

To start with, sisu comes from the word sisus, which translates as “the innermost part” or “the guts.” In 1745 Finnish theologian Daniel Jusenius defined sisucunda as the specific location in the human body where extremely strong (and even violent) affects originate. The ancient Greeks had much earlier proposed that the source of personal power lies with the intestines, and Greco-Roman poet Persius mused, “Magister artis ingenique venter” (“That master of the arts, that dispenser of genius, the belly”). Even so, after centuries of contemplation and research, the belly’s full function remains a mystery to most of us. … Isn’t it paradoxical that although the belly is considered the seat of strength and power in various cultures, it’s the softest and most vulnerable spot of the human body.

As I began my research, I discovered that the link between the gut and resilience is more than just a series of anecdotes on ancient scrolls. Recent research in gastroenterology suggest that gut microbes are part of an unconscious system that regulates our behavior responses to stress, pain, emotions, and other people. Researchers have been able to influence the brain chemistry of mice by changing the balance of bacteria in their gut, causing them to become bolder and less anxious.

Furthermore, transplanted gut microbiota between strains of mice transmitted behavioral traits along with microbiota. Recipients would take on traits of the donor’s personality—for example, relatively timid mice would become more exploratory. Recent microbial transfer therapy in children with autism spectrum disorder showed significant improvement in behavioral systems.”

You can read the full interview here.

Congratulations, Emilia Elisabet!

GENTLE POWER will be published by Sounds True in January 2023 (World English) and rights have also been sold to China and Thailand. Rights for all other languages are still available – join the gentle revolution!

Happy New Year 2023!

Download the materials for GENTLE POWER here!

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Original publication: Sounds True, January 24, 2023, 194 pp.

Rights sold:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.),
CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company,
THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

 

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti sold in Thailand in pre-empt to Amarin Books!

GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti sold in Thailand in pre-empt to Amarin Books!

A much-needed antidote to the myth of mind over matter, and a touching, honest story of one woman’s journey to discover the true origins of grit and fullfilment.”
– Angela Duckworth, PhD, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, #1 New York Times Bestseller.

We are over the moon to announce a wonderful pre-empt deal in Thailand for Emilia Elisabet Lahti’s beautiful book GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (Sounds True, Jan. 2023). Thailand’s No. 1 Publisher Amarin Printing and Publishing acquired the Thai rights for publication in 2024.  The original English language edition of GENTLE POWER will be published in the US by  Sounds True  on January 24, 2023.  In China, Cheers Publishing Company will publish GENTLE POWER in 2023.

Amarin Books, the Thai publisher, loves this unique book, a gift to the world:

Gentle Power is now more than ever of the essence in powerful leadership and in successful life in general. We are so excited and honored to bring the important messages from this great highly relevant book to Thai audience nationwide.”
– AMARIN Printing and Publishing

Hooray and Congratulations, Emilia Elisabet! Join the happy family of Gentle Power Publishers! World Rights available (excl. China, English, Thai).

Download the materials here!

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution In How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using The Finnish Art Of Sisu (Sounds True, Jan. 2023) 

By Emilia Elisabet Lahti, PhD
The Finnish philosophy of sisu shows us a new way to look at power—not as force and domination but as the harmonious expression of human character in everyday actions. Finnish-born Emilia Elisabet Lahti explores sisu, world traditions, and modern research to provide a new way to approach leadership, resilience, and our power to create change.

Power is fundamental in our lives—we express it in every conversation, relationship, and choice we make. All too often, we equate force and domination with power, while gentleness and compassion are considered “soft” or “weak.” The destructive nature of this skewed perspective has never been more obvious, yet there is reason to hope. With Gentle Power, Dr. Emilia Elisabet Lahti shares an illuminating guide to an emerging shift in the way we define true strength—an approach that balances resolve with reason, grit with compassion, and personal success with service to the collective good.

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu

Sounds True 2023, 194 pp.
Rights sold: WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.), CHINA: Cheers Publishing Company, THAILAND: Amarin Printing and Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Love is our base element of life – learn more about GENTLE POWER by Emilia Elisabet Lahti

LOVE IS OUR BASE ELEMENT OF LIFE, and love has always been there waiting for us to remove the veils that conceal it. Power is our base element too, and together with love, it lays the blueprint for how we express our energy and potential in life. I call their harmonious expression gentle power.”

Thus starts Emilia Lahti’s GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead and Succeed to be published in the US by Sounds True in January 2023.

The book introduces the original concept of gentle power, a universal strategy for how to draw from the deep well of inner strength and fortitude in order to lead more effectively in all aspects of life.

Download the English manuscript here

Sold to China pre-publication, this title calls us to look at ourselves and our life from a new perspective, to find strength and courage in a time when the world seems dark.


PRAISE FOR Emilia Lahti and GENTLE POWER: 

“Emilia is as gritty as anyone could be. And with all that will, there is also heart and humor and intellect. I admire her work on sisu but just as much admire the way she leads her life!”
– Angela Duckworth, Associate Professor and MacArthur Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

“At present, the world is changing rapidly and competition is fierce. Both organizations and individuals have a deep sense of anxiety and insecurity, which in turn intensifies the instability and misjudgment of leaders in organizational management. GENTLE POWER offers a particularly good view. What kind of leadership style will we use to lead the new world? The positive, pliable and fully empathic leadership style proposed by the author offers an antidote to today’s anxious business world. It’s a great example of applying the latest research in positive psychology to the real world.”
– Cheers Publishing, China

“Emilia is a wonderful, caring, compassionate and giving person with super intelligence – I know now why people have started labeling her the new social scientist on the block.”
– Robert Easton, CEO, Accenture Australia & New Zealand

About the Author:   EMILIA ELISABET LAHTI (DSc, MSSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

 

GENTLE POWER: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead and Succeed
Sounds True, 2023.
200 pp.

RIGHTS SOLD: 
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)

CHINA: Cheers Publishing

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Emilia Lahti’s GENTLE POWER now pre-empted in China!

We are extremely excited to announce that Chinese rights for GENTLE POWERA REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD AND SUCCEED have been acquired in a pre-empt by CHEERS.

Since their establishment in 2005, with the mission of “dialogue with the greatest minds and evolve with the smartest people”, CHEERS has published more than 1200 books with over 30 million readers throughout China.
They excel in titles about business management, science and technology trends, humanities and social sciences,

Emilia Lahti’s GENTLE POWERA REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD AND SUCCEED, is an upcoming title on co-creating the next level of company and community cultures based on the science of sisu.
The book introduces the original concept of gentle power, a universal strategy for how to draw from the deep well of inner strength and fortitude in order to lead more effectively in all aspects of life.

Download the English proposal by clicking here

The World English rights for this future bestseller have already been pre-empted by Sounds True in the US and they will publish the original English language edition in Fall 2022/Spring 2023.


Emilia Lahti is an international keynote speaker, human rights activist, ultra-runner and world’s first academic researcher on the Finnish concept of sisu. A  former student of Angela Duckworth, she has spoken at dozens of companies and campuses, including Facebook and UC Berkeley, and her work has been featured in Business Insider, Forbes, and Scientific American, among other places. More info at: https://www.emilialahti.com/

As a part of her research and quest to understand how individuals unearth dormant life energy, Emilia trained to complete Ironman triathlons and a 2400km/50-day run/bike journey across New Zealand and joined a martial arts academy in the mountains of North China. Her upcoming first international book Gentle Power is the result of a decade of research and life on five different continents.

RIGHTS SOLD:

WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)
CHINA: CHEERS

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Emilia Lahti is introducing the original concept of GENTLE POWER to the English-speaking world

We are beyond thrilled to announce that World English rights for GENTLE POWERA REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD AND SUCCEED were acquired in a pre-empt by Diana Ventimiglia at Sounds True:

Former student of Angela Duckworth, international keynote speaker and researcher Emilia Lahti’s GENTLE POWERA REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK, LEAD AND SUCCEED, on co-creating the next level of company and community cultures based on the science of sisu, and introducing the original concept of gentle power, is a universal strategy for how to draw from the deep well of inner strength and fortitude in order to lead more effectively in all aspects of life.

Download the English proposal by clicking here

The deal was negotiated by the Gentle Power Team: Agent Rhea Lyons at HG Literary and Elina Ahlbäck at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.

Emilia Lahti’s brand new publisher Sounds True has a mission: To wake up the worldGentle Power will contribute to this mission by offering a tool for accessing and balancing the two inner powers we each hold within—our indomitable life force and immense capacity for love—and will be written in English by Emilia Lahti. Sounds True will publish the original English language edition in Fall 2022/Spring 2023.

Sounds True was founded in 1985 by Tami Simon and has grown into a multimedia publishing company with a library of more than 3,000 titles featuring some of the leading teachers and visionaries of our time: Read more: Sounds True

RIGHTS SOLD:
WORLD ENGLISH: Sounds True (orig.)

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography

Introducing GENTLE POWER by Emilia Lahti

We invite you to the world of GENTLE POWER:  The creator, author Emilia Lahti, is an international keynote speaker, activist, and PhD candidate whose graduate thesis, advised by Angela Duckworth, is the basis of the book. It’s all about how “gentle power,” and not “hard power” or “win at all costs”,  is the key to leading the way through the uncertain and change-filled era we have ahead of us.

Watch a video that the author Emilia Lahti recorded introducing the book, GENTLE POWER, which will change the world:

 

GENTLE POWER: Accessing the Ancient Wisdom Within to Face a New Era
by Emilia Lahti

Based on the author’s pioneering study on sisu, GENTLE POWER shows how this centuries-old Finnish concept of integrity-fueled fortitude is the key to confidently striding into, and conquering, our uncertain future.

Lahti’s work and personal experience shows us that true success can’t be measured by simply keeping score, and it can’t be nurtured by powering through to the finish line at all costs: instead, it is deeply rooted in developing a mighty heart and fighting a fair fight. What’s more, Lahti argues that sisu is a source of hidden energy that is innate within everyone — and it simply needs to be embraced and nurtured in order to access its transformative power.

The world is in dire need of gentle leadership, and through the grounding, self-reflective practice of sisu, we can pursue a higher level of excellence in our professional lives, as members of a family unit, or as part of a greater community.  At once inspirational and informative, GENTLE POWER has the polish and investigative curiosity of Angela Duckworth’s GRIT, but also strongly evokes Brené Brown’s DARING GREATLY, as Lahti frequently pulls from her own personal journey towards her discoveries and doesn’t shy away from her pitfalls and challenges along the way.

Emilia Lahti is an international keynote speaker, human rights activist, ultra-runner and world’s first academic researcher on the Finnish concept of sisu. She has spoken at dozens of companies and campuses, including Facebook and UC Berkeley, and her work has been featured in Business Insider, Forbes, and Scientific American, among other places. More info at: https://www.emilialahti.com/.

 

About author


Emilia Elisabet Lahti

Emilia Elisabet Lahti (PhD, MSc, MAPP), who goes by Elisabet, is an awarded educator, applied psychology researcher, and founder of Sisu Lab that helps create communities and work cultures based on everyday leadership as an expression of courage and compassion. Elisabet holds a master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Tampere in Finland and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Professors Martian Seligman and Angela Duckworth. 

Since initiating the research on the Finnish construct of sisu in 2012, Elisabet’s doctoral work has involved exploring the limits of her own sisu through ultra-endurance running and Eastern martial arts. Her work on sisu has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, BBC, Forbes, and more. Born and raised in Finland, she has lived and taught internationally and given talks at Fortune 500 companies, TEDx, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley.

Bibliography