“Who?”
When I tell people I wrote a book about Dag Hammarskjöld, I often get one of two reactions: a respectful nod from someone who kinda-sorta vaguely remembers that he was a United Nations Secretary-General or a blank stare followed by, “Who?”
It’s a fair question. In a world overflowing with political headlines, celebrity memoirs, and tawdry gossip, why write a book about a man who died in 1961? Why devote yourself to researching, writing, and stewarding the legacy of someone long gone from the world stage?
The Gateway
In many ways, Dag chose me.
As is not uncommon, I learned about Dag by going backwards. In the latter part of 2023, I watched Oliver Stone’s docu-series JFK: Destiny Betrayed. (Which I highly recommend, BTW.) And in one of the episodes, the bizarre details of Dag’s murder are discussed. I sat there like, “Wait a minute. WHAT?!?”
And so it goes. I checked out a couple of books related to his death and watched Mads Brügger’s “documentary” Cold Case Hammarskjöld. The thing is: people learn about Dag’s murder and fixate on the worst night of his life. It’s a lot like watching the Zapruder film in a constant loop and forgetting that JFK was actually a person. In Mads’ movie whenever he makes a comment about not caring much about Dag anyway, it’s heartbreaking.
My question became, “Who was this man in life? What was he about? What did he stand for?” The local library had two books, both of which were down in the basement storage area because no one had asked about Dag Hammarskjöld in decades. That night, I had what I consider not to be a dream but an actual experience of spiritual communication. And it became clear to me that Dag didn’t want the only thing people say about him to be, “Oh yeah, that guy got killed under bizarre, implausible circumstances, huh? Sounded like something out of a movie.”
“Are you gonna write anything?”
One book portrayed Dag as admirable but cold and unknowable. The other, written by Dag’s actual friend Bo Beskow, shows someone totally different. Funny. Warm. Witty. Clever. Interesting. A Renaissance Man. The godfather of Bo’s own daughter, Maria.
I was interested but what could I do? I was working in HR & staffing at the time and recording episodes for my nighttime podcast, the con-sara-cy theories. I had a microphone and a laptop but that was that.
Or so I thought.
I sat down last summer (July 9, 2024, to be exact) to record an interview with Dr. Greg Poulgrain, author of JFK vs Allen Dulles. (I also recommend his book highly.) We were kibitzing and chewing the cud a bit before I hit the record button and I said something like, “What happened to JFK is awful. Yet we know as Americans that sometimes it happens. It’s like how LBJ made the comment that he’d take the odds of being VP because American presidents don’t always make it. But someone killed Dag. I still can’t believe it. Someone murdered Dag. That’s the unkindest cut of all.”
And Greg looked at me and said, “Well, what about you? Are you going to write anything?”
I was a bit coy because I hadn’t planned to. I guess I didn’t think I could.
And then that night, there was Dag’s spirit. He said so clearly and plainly, “That man asked you a question. What do you think about it? Do you think you ever would?”
I knew immediately: this is going to happen.
We’re All Telling Stories
I wrote Decoding the Unicorn not just to inform, but to connect—to show that leadership doesn’t have to be loud, that moral courage can be quiet, and that sometimes the most powerful legacy is left not in shouting, but in service. And I wanted to show that Dag was not some cold, aloof, unknowable snob who belongs solely to the Ivory Tower folks.
Dag’s story is one of resilience, grace under fire, and the enduring search for meaning. In some aspects, it’s also my story: the story of a woman who’s had the privilege to walk beside someone extraordinary—not to hero worship but to understand.
Explore more:
- Sensitivity Is Not a Flaw: How Highly Sensitive People Can Thrive in a Loud World
- What If the Real Revolution Happens Inside?
- The Listener’s Edge: What Dag Hammarskjöld Taught Us About Active Listening
New to Dag’s life and legacy? Start here.