Award-winning filmmaker Deeyah Khan’s ability to build bridges between polarised ideological factions can be used in boardrooms to strengthen teamwork and leadership. She is a a globally-recognised voice in conflict resolution whose work focuses on dialogue and empathy. Deeya’s courage in the face of division and antipathy has resulted in two Emmys, a BAFTA, an RTS Award and the Peer Gynt Prize in her native Norway. She is currently the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Artistic Freedom and Integrity.... Read more
Deeyah Khan is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Her work, which focuses on dialogue and empathy, takes a human-centric approach to leadership in today’s polarised world, This has won her two Emmys, two Peabody Awards and a BAFTA, as well as Norway’s prestigious Peer Gynt Prize. Deeyah’s ability to build bridges between seemingly intractable divides translates well into leadership and organisational environments. She helps leaders and teams communicate complex and controversial issues in order to foster a work culture where people feel seen, heard and valued.
Deeyah has spent more than a decade on the frontline of some of the world’s most polarising conflicts, engaging with extremists, jihadists, white supremacists and domestic terrorists. Her work is defined not by confrontation but by courageous curiosity as she seeks to understand the human stories behind hateful ideology. Her unique insights and skills in listening and creating empathy-based approaches have in many cases led to conflict resolution between opposing factions. At the heart of her work lies a simple but transformative principle: people rarely change because they are instructed to, but because they feel understood.
Deeyah Khan’s prize-winning documentaries navigate extreme divides and are recognised for their emotional honesty, moral courage and measurable social impact. These include Banaz: A Love Story (2012), Jihad (2015), America’s War on Abortion (2020) and White Right: Meeting the Enemy (2017). Following the filming of this last title, senior members of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM) in the US left the organisation after decades of involvement. They credited their engagement with Deeyah as a catalyst for their decision.
Born in Norway to immigrant parents, Deeyah founded her own production company in 2010. Its aim is to create space for more inclusive and diverse stories. In 2016 she was named by UNESCO as its Goodwill Ambassador for Artistic Freedom and Integrity.
Organisations increasingly mirror the divisions of wider society. Deeyah explores how leaders can interrupt cycles of “us vs. them” thinking, manage controversial conversations without reputational damage, and reduce internal polarization through constructive dialogue.
Often dismissed as “soft”, empathy is a strategic capability. Deeyah shows how human-centred understanding strengthens decision-making, supports leadership in high-emotion environments, and builds trust during cultural or reputational crises.
Leadership success depends not only on what is said, but on how it is heard. Deeyah demonstrates how to communicate hard truths without triggering defensiveness, influence across power and ideology, and align teams around shared values rather than just KPIs. This is storytelling as strategy — not performance.
Today’s leaders must address emotionally charged and controversial issues without damaging trust. Drawing on her experience navigating extreme ideological divides, Deeyah explores how to communicate difficult truths without triggering defensiveness, lead through uncertainty with credibility, and create space for disagreement without fragmentation.
In an era of polarization and complexity, leaders must engage difference without deepening division. Drawing on her work across ideological extremes, Deeyah shows how active listening, trust-building, and values-based leadership help teams navigate conflict constructively and foster environments where people feel heard, respected, and aligned.
Across the world, societies are experiencing growing division and erosion of trust. Having spent years engaging directly with extremists and deeply polarised communities, Deeyah offers insight into the roots of “us vs. them” thinking and what interrupts it, sharing lessons on empathy, dignity, and dialogue for societies and organisations alike.