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This week Andrew and Ellen swing into the Spider-Verse to examine Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy and Spider-Man Noir: heroes, emerging leaders, reluctant mentors, and different versions of what responsibility can become.

They explore whether Spider-Man is really a leader at all, asking when responsibility becomes over-functioning, when sacrifice becomes martyrdom, and what happens when talented young people are used but not properly nurtured. Along the way, they discuss mentoring, reverse mentoring, burnout, succession planning, kindness, cynicism, emotional honesty, and why “with great power comes great responsibility” is not much help if nobody teaches you how to carry it.

A layered, multiversal and surprisingly human leadership case study.

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In this episode of The Leadership Multiverse, Ellen is joined by keynote speaker, former military officer, intelligence specialist and business leader Stuart Barker to explore the leadership lessons of one of science fiction’s most unlikely heroes: Sarah Connor.

From waitress to warrior, protector to mentor, Sarah Connor’s journey across the Terminator franchise is a masterclass in leadership under pressure. She has no title, no formal authority and no special powers. Yet she becomes a leader capable of influencing others, preparing for an uncertain future and making difficult decisions in the face of overwhelming adversity.

If leadership is ultimately about influence, courage and preparing others for a future you may never see yourself, Sarah Connor might be one of science fiction’s most compelling leadership case studies.

Listen now for a fascinating discussion about crisis leadership, resilience and the power of purpose.

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In this episode of The Leadership Multiverse, Ellen is joined by special guest, Elisa Pratt to explore the leadership lessons of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.

Katniss is not a conventional leader. She doesn't seek power, status or a platform. She steps forward to protect her sister and becomes, almost against her will, a symbol of resistance, hope and disruption. That makes her a fascinating study in reluctant leadership, authenticity, personal brand and the uncomfortable politics of being turned into a figurehead.

Ellen and Elisa discuss Katniss as an imperfect but powerful leader: reactive, principled, emotionally driven, sometimes strategic, often resistant to being managed, and deeply shaped by the world around her. They consider what her story reveals about symbolic leadership, volunteer leadership, board dynamics, political performance, influence, empathy, rebellion and the limits of charisma.

Along the way, they ask whether Katniss belongs more naturally in Star Wars, Star Trek or the Avengers, whether she deserves more credit as a transformational leader, and why the messiest leaders are often the most interesting.

A thoughtful, lively conversation about the Mockingjay, leadership under pressure, and what happens when the person everyone follows never really wanted to lead.

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