Lucy Cooke.
Lucy Cooke is an author, National Geographic explorer and broadcaster.
With a Master's in zoology from New College, Oxford, where she studied under Richard Dawkins, Lucy has written four books exploring animal behaviour and evolution. Her recent bestseller Bitch: A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal (2023) challenges feminist paradigms, while The Truth About Animals (2019) was nominated for a Royal Society prize. Earlier works include Life in the Sloth Lane (2018) and the New York Times bestseller A Little Book of Sloth (2013). Her books have been translated into 22 languages and adapted for international television, BBC radio, and the stage.
Using her vast zoological knowledge and exceptional storytelling, Lucy explores what society and businesses can learn from the unique biology and behaviour of animals. Her work reveals profound insights into gender, behavioural patterns, leadership and dominance structures, pack mentalities, and sustainability, drawing unexpected parallels between the animal kingdom and human organisations that challenge conventional thinking and offer fresh perspectives on age-old questions.
keynote speeches.
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Wolves were the original animal hierarchy, with an alpha male on top. However, the “alpha” model of leadership was never real, it was based on a biased view of animal behaviour and discounts the teamwork that embodies wolf society.
In this inspirational talk, Lucy gives a tour of cutting-edge research into the animal kingdom and explains how and why the most successful animal societies don’t thrive on dominance. She also draws on parallels with some of world’s most successful, and unsuccessful leaders, and shares the essential leadership lessons (honed by 3.5 billion years of evolution) to help you lead well and build successful teams.
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Sloths have a bad rap. Being named after a deadly sin has done nothing for their PR. But nature’s slow coaches have been around for over 60 million years, outliving flashier species like the sabre-toothed tiger. As the founder of the Sloth Appreciation Society, Lucy takes inspiration from the Sloth, along with many of Nature’s other great survivors.
In this fascinating talk, Lucy shares the work and life lessons learned from the vast array of species in the animal kingdom, to help create a better, happier, and thriving workforce.
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The octopus is a master of innovation, which is why they have been on the planet for over 330 million years. Ultimately, the key to success is not strength but adaptability, and in an era of rapid change, AI, economic shifts, climate crises, embracing flexibility, innovation, and collaboration is key.
In this talk, Lucy explores lessons from nature’s greatest survivors, from problem-solving urban raccoons to cooperative meerkats, as these pioneering toughies not only offer inspiration but also the perfect antidote to future-proofing success.
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videos.
Speaking Highlight
books.
in the news.
