86. Pallavi Jha, Chairperson & MD, Dale Carnegie Training, India

In the Season 18 curtain raiser, our host, Kaushik Bose talks with Pallavi Jha, who is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Dale Carnegie Training India, with over 21 years of experience leading their India operations. They discuss a lot about leadership (including introverted leaders), AI, and their impact on organizations. Overall, the discussion offers insight into developing strong, ethical leadership amidst technological transformations. They begin by discussing how perspectives on leadership have changed globally and in India over the past two decades. Pallavi notes impacts from globalization, technology advances, workforce demographic shifts, and India's emergence on the global stage. She debunks myths that leaders must be extroverted visionaries and says leadership is situational - we can all lead in different contexts. The discussion then touches on identifying high-potential leaders. The focus then changes to the effects and opportunities of artificial intelligence. Pallavi sees both risk and opportunity for leaders in AI's disruption of businesses and jobs. For employees, she advocates addressing fears through education, reskilling and psychological safety in change processes. For HR leaders facing new tech demands, Pallavi recommends clarity on AI uses and change management support.