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Meet The Leader

‘I’ll show you a real leader’ - Platon, the photographer of power, on finding humanity in all of us

Apr 22, 2025
58:09

Platon has made over 20 Time magazine covers with his portraits of people such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George Clooney, Silvio Berlusconi, Mohammed Ali, Adele and Sinead O'Connor.

But he has also photographed people who are the opposite of famous and powerful - and recently published a book called The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights - which contains work done over 15 years around the world telling the stories of refugees and other oppressed people.

He tells us what makes a true leader, and how the meaning of a photograph can change over time, and depending on who is looking at it. Video version of this interview:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIUGFUza2ec&t=37s

Links:  https://www.platonphoto.com/ Platon is a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader https://www.weforum.org/communities/artsandculture/ Transcript:  https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/platon-power-photography-humanity   Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA

Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader’s most ‘vital’ role: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNwmJJMRt4o&t=337s

 

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