Unwinnable
No More
The Leadership Memoir That Dares to Tell the Truth
From the boardrooms of London to the edge of burnout, faith, and legacy — this is the story of what it takes to lead when the rules were never written for you.
"I didn't plan to write a book — I just knew it was time to tell the story no one else would"
— Amna Zaidi
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This Isn’t Just a Story — It’s Your Mirror
Gritty Real Unfiltered
Gritty Real Unfiltered
Unwinnable No More is part memoir, part manual — and a personal manifesto for leaders who’ve had to fight twice as hard to be heard.
“For the ones who were told to stay in their lane.
For the ones who weren’t handed the script.”
— Amna Zaidi
As Featured In
This Book Will Change the Way You Lead
Whether you’re navigating boardrooms, breaking glass ceilings, or simply holding your ground in spaces that weren’t built with you in mind — Unwinnable No More was written to meet you there.
This isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about becoming more of who you already are — with strategy, with clarity, and without apology.
Calm in the chaos
A voice that lands
Tools to turn self-doubt into strategy
Your own leadership design
Permission to lead differently
The Five Stages of Leadership Design:
- 1. Shock – The identity fracture no one prepares you for. Everything looks fine on the surface — but inside, you’re asking, “Who am I expected to be here?”
- 2. Survival – Building success while hiding your true self. You’re climbing, achieving — but shrinking. You become who they’ll accept, not who you are.
- 3. Stillness – Slowing down to hear your inner voice. The noise quiets. You stop performing. And that’s when clarity finally shows up.
- 4. Strength – Leading from your values — not their rules. You reclaim your space. Speak without shrinking. And build a voice that holds.
- 5. Shift – Leaving a legacy that outlives the obstacles. You stop trying to win the old game — and start designing a new one.
“The biggest risk isn’t making the wrong move. The biggest risk is doing nothing.
Because in a game where everything is changing, standing still is the fastest way to lose.”
— Amna Zaidi, Unwinnable No More
Meet the Author
Amna Zaidi FCA | CMgr MCMI
- Strategic Advisor
- Speaker
- Mental Health Advocate
Amna Zaidi didn’t write this book to be admired.
She wrote it because too many brilliant people were quietly breaking under pressure, and no one was telling the truth about what leadership really takes.
With over 20 years in senior roles across London’s top-tier banks, Amna has helped CFOs and boards succeed when failure wasn’t an option. She’s led multi-million-pound programmes, advised at board level, and delivered in environments where the pressure was high and the welcome wasn’t always warm.
A Chartered Accountant. A British Muslim woman. A mother.
Amna built her career in spaces where she wasn’t expected to belong, and still found a way to lead on her own terms.
Unwinnable No More shares the story behind the success: the moments no one sees, the internal battles, and the unfiltered truth of leading differently. It’s for those who go first — who lead while carrying more than just the job title.
"I don’t share my story to create copies of myself. I share it so others can go even further."
— Amna Zaidi
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Why This Book
Stands Out
Unwinnable No More isn’t just a memoir.
It's A Movement
Unwinnable No More isn’t here to flatter or fix you.
It’s here to equip you — for boardrooms, brave decisions, and everything in between.
This isn’t another glossy business memoir filled with hindsight and highlights.
It’s the untold story behind the pressure to perform, the strength to stay, and the quiet courage it takes to lead when you were never handed the script.
Composure
Stay grounded under pressure — even when the stakes feel impossible.
Framework
Apply the Five Stages of Leadership Design to shape your own authentic path.
Mindset
Turn imposter thoughts into strategy, and setbacks into your strongest assets.
Impact
Lead with presence and power — without playing by outdated rules.
This book speaks to
The ambitious who’ve been underestimated
The leaders-in-waiting, quietly carrying more than just their job title
Those who were told to sit down, stay quiet, or play small — and led anyway
“This book changed the way I show up in rooms where I used to shrink.”
— Amazon Reader
Unwinnable No More: A Memoir for the Disruptive Leader
Book Synopsis
Unwinnable No More isn’t just a memoir — it’s a blueprint for rewriting your leadership story on your own terms.
Woven through Amna Zaidi’s personal journey is the Five Stages of Leadership Design — a bold, practical framework forged in high-stakes boardrooms and shaped by real-life pressure. This is the truth behind the success: the identity fractures, the quiet resilience, the inner reckoning, and the courage it takes to lead when you were never handed the script.
What begins as a story of survival becomes a masterclass in strategy, reinvention, and self-trust. Whether you’ve felt underestimated, overlooked, or quietly out of place — this book shows you how to turn self-doubt into direction and setbacks into your strongest advantage.
It’s not about how to win by their rules.
It’s about changing the game — and defining success on your terms.
What Readers Are Saying
Real voices. Real impact. Real transformation.
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