In this episode, Sujatha and Deepak are in conversation with Pratap Tambe and Christina Dhanuja about caste. Caste is a subject conspicuously absent from conversations concerning workplaces in India, although it is a historical reality and continues to pervade our social spaces - this must be acknowledged to make any meaningful change possible. Pratap and Christina shed light on their personal journeys, professional experiences and engage in a powerful discussion on discrimination, social justice, disruptive innovation, employment practices and much more.

In this episode, Sujatha, Deepak and Amoolya talk to Reena Dayal, about a topic that we tend to tiptoe around, menopause! Specifically, about what happens in the world of work when a woman, typically in her 40s and 50s, on her way to leadership positions, is beset by menopause.

Is it a death knell to the ambitious aspirations of those women, or an inflection point, which can give rise to positive transformation and determine the next phase of her life? We discuss how menopause is defined, the diverse experiences of women going through it, and about what workplaces are doing and can do about this.

Reena is a leadership development coach with more than 2 decades of experience in international corporate HR, who has been coaching mid-career women using insights from neuroscience.

In this episode, Sujatha, Deepak and Amoolya explore what it means to have an Open, Employee first work place. What approaches signal such a culture? What does it mean to walk the talk? And what challenges accompany such an approach. Talking to PG Aditiya and Goutam Reghunath about Talented, the ad agency they founded with a determination to be a markedly different advertising agency, they discuss Talented's open employee handbook, their lessons from this bold experiment and what lies in store in Talented's future.

Many times a problem-solving approach focuses only on what is wrong. Appreciative Inquiry instead takes a positive and enabling approach to individual and organisational growth, grounded in an abundance mindset. In this episode, Vish, Deepak and Sujatha share three stories about their experience with AI and explore the potential as well as challenges associated with an AI approach to human and organisational growth.

In this episode, Sujatha and Deepak speak to Geoff Revell, who co-founded WaterSHED, a Cambodian non-profit organization working on water, sanitation and hygiene. WaterSHED was unique because it was designed to last only for 10 years. They speak on how WaterSHED’s planned exit influenced its goals, values, strategy, day-to-day operations. They also discuss the responses from the various stakeholders

In this episode, Sujatha and Deepak talk with K.J. Joy, an activist-researcher who has been working on people’s rights to natural resources at grassroots and policy levels for over four decades.

Water is an essential resource with competing claims to its use. Conflicts while being inevitable can also lead to resolution of complex problems. Joy’s experiences as an activist, researcher, social scientist and social leader helps our understanding of conflict, its resolution, and management of multi-stakeholder interests.

In this episode, Sujatha and Deepak speak to Sonali Srivastava, founder and CEO of ANODE Governance Lab to uncover the intricacies of Gram panchayats as organisations - their role in Indian society and governance; their transformative potential and changes in Gram Panchayats over the years. They also discuss the different Organisation Development processes, Change Management processes that Sonali has worked with a few Gram Panchayats; their impact on the Gram Panchayats as an organisation and societal institution. Finally, the conversation also touches upon the leadership qualities that cut across corporate, social and civic spaces.
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Credits: Hosted by Deepak Menon & Sujatha Rao

Mixed & Edited by Prashanth Venkateshan

Production Support from Sowmya Karun and Bhuvana Shiva

Cover Art by Sanjali Ranjan

Intro & Outro Music by Derek Clegg

If you're still reading this, THANK YOU and hurry up and go subscribe!

In this episode, Deepak and Sujatha speak to Lt. General A. Arun on what makes the Indian army autonomous, adaptable and agile on the ground, even though the army can be bureaucratic with very clear common and controls. We discover a systematic way of building camaraderie, bonding and team spirit amongst the soldiers, the efficacy of different leadership styles and the difference between leadership and management. 
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The predominant narrative in the social sector ecosystem is what the Not-Profit Ecosystem can learn from the For-Profit Sector - in a sense about becoming more professional. Rarely if ever, the counter narrative is heard - of what the for-profit or the commercial sector can learn from non-profits, charities and social enterprises. In this open conversation, Sujatha and Deepak speak to Ravi Sreedharan, Founder and Director of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) and unpack lessons from the social world that the business world can learn from.
Ravi Sreedharan is the Founder and Director of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM). He worked in the corporate world for 24 years, most of it with the MNC Bank – HSBC in Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Cairo. At HSBC, Ravi held numerous senior positions including CEO & President Director of Bank Ekonomi (member of HSBC Group), in Indonesia. He quit a successful corporate career in 2011, at the age of 49 to return to India and pursue a career in Social Work. Before founding ISDM, Ravi was part of the leadership team at Azim Premji Foundation 2011 to 2015. Ravi is an Engineer from IIT-BHU (1985) and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad (1988). 

Credits: Hosted by Deepak Menon & Sujatha Rao

Mixed & Edited by Prashanth Venkateshan

Production Support from Sowmya Karun and Bhuvana Shiva

Cover Art by Sanjali Ranjan

Intro & Outro Music by Derek Clegg

If you're still reading this, THANK YOU and hurry up and go subscribe!

The predominant narrative in the social sector ecosystem is what the Not-Profit Ecosystem can learn from the For-Profit Sector - in a sense about becoming more professional. Rarely if ever, the counter narrative is heard - of what the for-profit or the commercial sector can learn from non-profits, charities and social enterprises. In this open conversation, Sujatha and Deepak speak to Ravi Sreedharan, Founder and Director of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) and unpack lessons from the social world that the business world can learn from.
Ravi Sreedharan is the Founder and Director of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM). He worked in the corporate world for 24 years, most of it with the MNC Bank – HSBC in Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Cairo. At HSBC, Ravi held numerous senior positions including CEO & President Director of Bank Ekonomi (member of HSBC Group), in Indonesia. He quit a successful corporate career in 2011, at the age of 49 to return to India and pursue a career in Social Work. Before founding ISDM, Ravi was part of the leadership team at Azim Premji Foundation 2011 to 2015. Ravi is an Engineer from IIT-BHU (1985) and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad (1988). 

Credits: Hosted by Deepak Menon & Sujatha Rao

Mixed & Edited by Prashanth Venkateshan

Production Support from Sowmya Karun and Bhuvana Shiva

Cover Art by Sanjali Ranjan Intro & Outro Music by Derek Clegg

If you're still reading this, THANK YOU and hurry up and go subscribe!