SPOS #952 – Karthik Ramanna On Outrage And Our Polarized World

Welcome to episode #952 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

We are beyond polarized. Karthik Ramanna has spent his career helping leaders make sense of a world that’s constantly changing. As a Professor of Business & Public Policy at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, Karthik's work explores the difficult intersections of business, politics, and society. With a keen eye on trust-building, corporate responsibility, and the complex dynamics between organizations and their stakeholders, Ramanna has earned a reputation as one of today’s foremost thinkers on leadership in challenging times. In his latest book, The Age Of Outrage - How To Lead In A Polarized World, Karthik delves into a growing issue that leaders everywhere are facing: navigating outrage. And it’s not just the occasional outburst we’re talking about. As companies like Disney, United, and Meta have learned, outrage has become an ever-present force — fueled by societal anxieties and a growing expectation for companies to act as agents of social change. Karthik’s take is that outrage - whether justified or not - has shifted from being an occasional PR crisis to a core leadership challenge. Leaders are now expected to handle these emotional, high-stakes situations with the same rigor as strategic planning or financial management. And if you’re a leader in today’s world, you’ve likely felt the pressure. Drawing on years of experience and case studies ranging from the Vatican to Nestlé, Ramanna doesn’t offer quick fixes or hollow calls for “staying neutral.” Instead, The Age of Outrage offers a practical, mission-driven framework for leaders to cool tensions, engage meaningfully with stakeholders, and make decisions that are both effective and consistent with their organization’s core values. If you’re wondering how to navigate an increasingly polarized landscape, Karthik’s book offers more than just insight — it’s a guide for how to emerge stronger from the very challenges that threaten to tear organizations apart. Enjoy the conversation…

• Running time: 58:12.
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• Here is my conversation with Karthik Ramanna.
• The Age Of Outrage - How To Lead In A Polarized World.
• Blavatnik School of Government.
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• This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction and Background.
• (04:11) - Challenges for Corporations.
• (14:08) - The Importance of Humility and Perspective.
• (27:30) - Navigating the Changing Dynamics of Work and Business.
• (29:52) - The Diversification of Society and the Binary View of Oppressor and Oppressed.
• (34:39) - Getting the Rules of the Game Right for Capitalism.
• (36:46) - The Role of Culture in Managing Outrage.
• (53:02) - The Challenges and Opportunities of AI.