Inspiring Laragh Woman Wins London Business Book Award - How Lollipops Changed Everything!

'The Power of a Lollipop' by Wicklow woman Dr Feena May has been named People, Culture & Management Book 2026, chosen from a record 340 entries.

A leadership book that began with a bag of lollipops on the front line in Bosnia has won at the Business Book Awards in London.

The Power of a Lollipop: A Model for Inspiring Leadership, by Dr Feena May from laragh in Co. Wicklow has won the People, Culture & Management award at an awards gala.

The judges chose it unanimously.  The lollipops were real. Feena May had just turned twenty-four, six months into her first job after university, when she was working the crosslines in Bosnia for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1992.

She kept a giant bag of lollipops behind her seat. One day, taking a convoy of children home to their families, she was caught in crossfire. When the shooting eased, she walked over and offered lollipops to the soldiers on both sides.

The guns were lowered, the soldiers took their time choosing a colour, and the convoy was let through. By the end of that seventeen-month mission she had given out 3,826 lollipops. The delegation kept count.

That first mission became a 28-year career with the ICRC, ending as Chief Learning Officer. It also left her with a question she spent two doctorates answering: why do we use the same word, leader, for people who do great good and people who do terrible harm?

Dr. Feena May - Edwin Ladd - Mr Ladd Media© | The Business Book Awards 2026 -721 - Photos by: Edwin & Mehrban from Mr Ladd Media - The Business Book Awards 2026

Her answer is the Lollipop Model, five elements that anyone can practise at any level: Presence, Relating, Sensemaking, Action and Service.

“Our decision was unanimous,” said Javairia Qadir, head judge for People, Culture & Management.

“The Power of a Lollipop does storytelling beautifully. Behind the stories is a simple, practical model that any leader can use, and a reminder that small actions can make a big difference.”

“Good leadership just won,” said Dr May. “A year ago this week, I launched this book at the Brockagh Resource Centre in Laragh, with family, friends and neighbours around me.

To see it chosen from so many strong books is a real honour, and I’m grateful to the judges, to my publishers Girl Friday Productions, and to everyone who has read the book and talked about it.

What the lollipops taught me is that people feel your presence before you say a word. You might not have lollipops. You always have your presence.”

The Business Book Awards, now in their ninth year, drew a record field this year from business authors around the world.

Judges shortlisted 130 finalists across 14 categories, and Dr May’s book was chosen from a shortlist of 12 in its category. The Times featured the book among this year’s winners in its business pages on 18/09/2026.

Today Dr May is CEO of The Inspiring Company, which designs and leads leadership programmes for public, private and humanitarian organisations. She is building The Good Leadership School and writing her second book, Leading a Good Life.

Dr Feena May - The Power Of A Lollipop 

Feena May is a visionary leader who began her career on the frontlines of global relief with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

As the ICRC’s former chief learning officer and now CEO of The Inspiring Company, she has worked in over twenty countries, guiding teams and empowering leaders to create meaningful impact.

With two doctorates in leadership and a proven track record of building transformative leadership programs across sectors, Feena combines practical wisdom with academic rigor.

A passionate advocate for leadership that truly matters, she inspires individuals and organisations to drive change and make a difference in the world.