Leading My Way

Leading My Way is the remarkable life story of Danica Purg, the visionary founder of the IEDC-Bled School of Management, one of the world's leading business and management schools, and longtime president of CEEMAN (the International Association for Management Development in Dynamic Societies). She has been awarded the highest national orders in France and Brazil, the International Educator of the Year Award, and was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. From a small Slovenian village in postwar Yugoslavia to the global stage of management education, Purg forged an approach to leadership rooted in humanity, courage, and imagination. Her memoir traces a journey shaped equally by family warmth, political turbulence, international encounters, and the belief that leaders must balance global wisdom with local responsibility. The book follows her rise from a determined young student to a pioneering educator who built the first business school in Central and Eastern Europe. Along the way, she navigated the upheavals of socialism, the Cold War, and the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, transforming IEDC into a space where dialogue continued even as war raged nearby. Through stories of students crossing borders under threat, executives confronting purpose, and cross-cultural programs in Sarajevo, China, and beyond, Purg reveals how leadership development can be an act of reconciliation and renewal. Interwoven with reflections on Peter Drucker, the arts, Eastern European transformation, and the hidden champions of dynamic societies, this memoir is both a personal saga and a guide to leading with integrity. Leading My Way offers a powerful message: the best way to predict the future is to create it - with empathy, clarity, and a commitment to the common good.