Podcast

Bold Questions. Unfiltered Answers.

• Is following the rulebook always the right call?
• When should HRs break policy for the greater good?
• What’s more valuable in culture: fairness or empathy?
• Can Dharma be defined in the workplace?
• Will AI ever replace human wisdom?

Mic Drop Moment

“Any idiot can write rules. Wisdom is knowing when to break them.” – Anand Neelakantan

No Prep. Just Perspective. (Rapid Fire)

• One epic every HR should read: Ramayana’s Bali-Ram debate
• The biggest trap HRs fall into: Mistaking rules for wisdom
• One quality AI will never have: Karuna (empathy)
• What’s HR’s real role? Balancing consequences with compassion

Food for Thought: Why This Matters for HRs

The modern HR leader is no longer just an administrator of policies but a custodian of judgment. Technology, AI, and digital transformation can make workplaces efficient, but they can’t answer the toughest leadership dilemmas:

• Should you discipline a high performer who breaks values?
• When do you prioritize the organization over the individual?
• How do you balance fairness with empathy when rules clash with human realities?

Anand Neelakantan reminds us that these aren’t new struggles. The Ramayana and Mahabharata are filled with Dharma Sankatas, moments where leaders had to decide not just what was lawful, but what was right.

For today’s HRs, the takeaway is clear:

• AI ≠ Wisdom. Tools can summarise history, but they can’t interpret intent.
• Rules ≠ Dharma. Following the handbook blindly can cause injustice.
• HR = Interpreter. Your role is to bridge rules with reality, policies with people, systems with compassion.

HR leaders who embrace this mindset don’t just enforce compliance—they shape trust, culture, and resilience. In the age of algorithms, HR must become the source of wisdom.

Listen now: Anand Neelakantan’s Lesson on HR Dharam Sankatas on The CHRO Mindset Podcast