With a rich history of fostering growth in companies like Microsoft, PepsiCo, and Tata Steel, I bring global expertise in talent management and leadership development—now enhanced by AI-driven transformation. Based in Seattle and available for worldwide travel, I deliver in-person workshops and keynotes that blend human insight with intelligent systems.
I simplify complex ideas through storytelling and visual thinking, supported by research and augmented by AI tools that personalize learning and accelerate leadership impact. As an executive coach, I’ve helped CEOs and CXOs become more effective leaders by crafting personal brands that not only attract top talent but also leverage data-informed strategies to align with their vision.
Whether guiding digital upskilling, embedding AI into leadership practices, or designing adaptive talent ecosystems, I help organizations future-proof their workforce while staying deeply human.

Described by Forbes magazine as “One of India's most interesting globalists".  Voted as No 1 HR Influencer on Social Media by SHRM. With more than a million followers on social media, he is one of the most influential voices on talent management. 

Author of two bestselling books: The Digital Tsunami; Don't Hire the Best - how to hire for culture fit. His book Dreamers & Unicorns explains why leadership, talent and culture are the new growth drivers. This book introduced the powerful framework of Work-Worker-Workplace to understand trends in talent management.
His much-awaited book titled "Career 3.0 - Six Skills You must have to Succeed" has introduced the term Career 3.0 into everyday language. 

He is the former Chief Learning Officer for Wipro and alumnus of PepsiCo, Colgate and Tata Steel.

He teaches at the Executive Doctoral Programs program for Chief Learning Officers that is run by the Univ of Pennsylvania.  He was honored as "Distinguished Alumnus of XLRI" - India's premier Business School where he taught L&D for five years.

You can find his writings on Forbes, Harvard Business Review, HBR Ascend, Wall Street Journal, SHRM South Asia blog, DDI, Duke Corporate Education, and The Conference Board. His columns for The Economic Times, People Matters and Business Line newspaper ran continuously for five years.

Email: abhijitbhaduri@live.com 
On twitter @AbhijitBhaduri
Subscribe to his newsletter (copy and paste this url) https://bit.ly/3XADEaA

Abhijit Bhaduri

In Zoom meetings when people
don't switch on their camera, 
I can still deliver the talk
But I hate it. 

I hear this often.
For weddings.
For alumni meets.
For family gatherings.

And yes - Zoom works.
It connects faces.
It is an efficient use of time

But human relationships aren’t built on screens.

How do I recreate that moment
when you meet a college friend after years
there’s a smile, a hug, a twinkle in the eye?

How do you put inside jokes,
conversations in the cafe...
and unplanned conversations
into a screen?

Human relationships are built through
moments spent with no agenda. 
No preplanned outcomes achieved

Use Zoom to get the transactions done
BUT to build human relationships,
become inefficient, travel the distance

Want to be more creative? 
Talk to people, look them in the eye
Talk to a stranger and leave as friends.

That is a photo at the last 
Governing Council meeting at 
MICA | The School of Ideas

Talent Development || Ex-Partner & GM Global L&D, Microsoft || Evangelist LinkedIn, Adobe & SHRM || Keynote Speaker || 6x Author || Executive Coach

Work doesn’t just pay salaries.
It provides certainty.

And when certainty disappears, anxiety takes over.

People don’t ask:
“What is the company strategy?”

They ask:
 “What about me?”
My loans? My family? School Fees?


Here’s the truth leaders avoid:
People can handle bad news.
They struggle with no news.

So what is HR’s real role in uncertainty?
Not predictions.
Not false optimism.
But honesty.

Even “we don’t know yet” is powerful -
because it gives psychological safety.

Uncertainty is not the enemy.
Silence is.

When people know where they stand,
they don’t panic - they prepare.

Two people.
Two different pressures.
One identical sentence.

“I’m not paid enough.”

The CEO says it while juggling shareholders, boards, media, activists, regulators.
The employee says it while juggling reskilling, new metrics, shifting bosses, and the quiet fear of redundancy.

Salary has more to do with fairness
and what you can buy with it

From the inside, both believe the pay is unfair.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Work doesn’t just pay money.
It pays for certainty, status, and identity.
But we must feel that we are fairly paid

When certainty drops, the mind converts ambiguity into unfairness.
Neuroscience tells us that uncertainty activates the same threat circuitry as physical pain. Your brain doesn’t distinguish well between a tiger in the bushes and a performance review with unclear criteria.

So what happens?

• Leaders feel under-rewarded for invisible cognitive load.
• Employees feel under-rewarded for emotional strain and career risk.
• Both sides anchor on compensation because it’s measurable.
• The real issue — psychological safety and predictability — goes unnamed.

Money becomes a proxy for stability.

In the AI economy, this gap widens.
Leaders manage volatility.
Employees experience volatility.
Both feel exposed.

The companies that will thrive aren’t the ones that simply “pay more.”
They are the ones that reduce unnecessary uncertainty:

– Clear performance expectations
– Transparent strategy
– Honest conversations about reskilling
– Fair process, even when outcomes are hard

Because when people understand the game has been played fairly, they complain less about the score.

The debate isn’t about salary.
It’s about perception of fairness.

And perception, in organizations, is reality’s more powerful cousin.

In times of disruption, the real leadership question isn’t “How much are we paying?”

It’s “Where are people feeling the invisible question of fairness?”

That’s where trust is either built — or quietly eroded.

When work threatens any of these five—
Status. Certainty. Autonomy. Relationships. Fairness

people don’t revolt.
They retreat.

Quietly.
Psychologically.
First.

That’s the part organizations miss.

The real role of HR isn’t policies.
It isn’t pulse surveys.
It isn’t culture decks.

It’s protecting identity at work.

Status is where identity begins.

We learn it early.
“My brother works abroad.”
“My cousin got into a top school.”
“My family knows people.”

Different countries.
Same instinct.

Status isn’t arrogance.
It’s dignity.

Now look at what happens during a layoff.

Income disappears, yes.
But so does something deeper.

Confidence.
Your voice in conversations.
Your sense of relevance.

At work.
At home.
In your own head.

That’s why layoffs don’t just disrupt careers.
They fracture identities.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Status isn’t destroyed by bad news.
It’s destroyed by silence.

Ambiguity.
Vague roles.
Leaders going quiet.

That’s when people feel invisible.

And when people feel invisible, they don’t quit immediately.
They disengage.
They detach.
They stay — but leave emotionally.

So the real work of HR isn’t handing out titles.

It’s creating clarity.

Clear roles.
Clear expectations.
Clear communication — especially when things go wrong.

Because when people feel seen, they stay invested.
When they feel erased, they exit long before they resign.

This series is about Identity at Work.

Next: CERTAINTY.

Work doesn’t just pay salaries.
It provides certainty.

And when certainty disappears, anxiety rushes in to fill the gap.

People don’t ask,
“What’s the company strategy?”

They ask,
“What happens to me?”

EMIs.
Family plans.
Career momentum.

The day someone loses a job,
the shock doesn’t stop at the employee.
It travels home.

Here’s the truth leaders often underestimate:

People can absorb bad news.
What they can’t absorb is indefinite uncertainty.

Uncertainty isn’t created by change.
It’s created by silence.

So what is HR’s real role in uncertain times?

Not predictions.
Not forced optimism.
Not comforting slogans.

But honesty.

Even “we don’t know yet” has power.
Because it restores psychological safety.
Because it tells people where they stand.

Certainty isn’t about guarantees.
It’s about orientation.

When people know their position,
they don’t panic.
They prepare.

This series is about Identity at Work.

Next: AUTONOMY.

How AI is transforming 
global job markets

Which skills 
will matter most in the next 5 years

How individuals and businesses can adapt

What the AI‑driven future means 
for your career, finances, and daily decisions

Whether you're a professional, 
founder, student, 
or simply curious about the future, 
this session will give you clarity, 
direction, and actionable insights

📅 Sunday, 7:30 PM IST  
🎙️ Live Interview with Ben Shiller

Jobs, Markets & the New Reality — Live with Author Ben Shiller

62 notebooks.
All hand-drawn.

This is how Mikel Cirkus spots trends 18 months before they happen.

But here’s the thing.

He spots the trends without using the AI or data.

He simply walks into unfamiliar places and pays attention.

Food industry event? It reveals the future of snacking.

Street art across countries? It reveals what people are feeling globally.

His method is simple.

Blank notebooks. Black ink pens. Freehand drawing.

That’s it. No digital tools.

He believes that handwritten notes create better retention, connection, and something hard to replicate.

Join the chat and ask us anything!

Mikel Cirkus on How To Use Drawings To Discover Trends

I've been noticing a pattern. 
In uncertain times, it's not always what leaders say,

sometimes it's what they DON'T say. 

What's hit your team hardest?

In uncertain times, it's not always what leaders say—sometimes it's what they don't say. What's hit your team hardest?

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Conor Grennan is Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business, where he builds generative AI fluency across the institution. He is also CEO and Founder of AI Mindset, an AI consulting company that trains professionals, leaders and organizations on a new and effective framework for generative AI rooted in behavioral shifts. 

Conor has worked with teams across industry, including at OpenAI, McKinsey, NASA, Google, PWC, ServiceNow, JP Morgan, DaVita Healthcare, Providence Health, BlueCross/BlueShield, American Securities, WelshCarson Private Equity, and more.

He is also a NY Times and #1 international bestselling author, published in 15 languages, a sought-after keynote speaker, and serves on the Board of Directors of the SHRM Foundation. His AI insights have been featured in Entrepreneur, the Washington Post, BBC, Forbes, Business Insider, Vox, and other media. He co-hosts the AI Applied Podcast (top 20 in Business News) and has 100k followers on LinkedIn that track his generative AI insights.

Outside of his work in AI, Conor has been named a Huffington Post Game Changer of the Year for his humanitarian work with trafficked children in Nepal, and in 2014 was given the Unsung Hero of Compassion Award by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from NYU Stern, and lives in Connecticut with his family.

Conor Grennan

AI adoption is way slower than you think.  I've seen it in the hundreds of companies I've worked with - and tomorrow I'll talk about what AI Mindset is doing about it. Check out these figures:


We keep seeing the stat that "everyone is using AI now." But that's not what I've seen out in the world. So I checked the actual numbers. (Sources are at the end.)


They tell, let's say, a different story.


8.1 billion people on the planet. 


86% have never meaningfully used AI.


We're in the middle of what people call the biggest technological shift since the internet, and 6 out of 7 humans have barely touched it.


Even "1.1 billion monthly users" number is misleading.


Most of those people opened ChatGPT once, asked it to write a birthday message, and never came back. 


The number who actually pay for AI? Around 40 million. That's 0.5% of the world, man. It's tiny.


For perspective: 

> Netflix has 301 million paying subscribers. 
> Spotify has 252 million. 
> Every AI product on Earth combined has about 40 million.


The AI power users group is relatively tiny.


People paying for AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code number about 1.3 million. 
One in every 6,200 humans on Earth. 
That's the single red dot in the visualization above.


If you're reading this on LinkedIn, you're in a bubble.


This matters.


AI Mindset works with some of the biggest companies in the world, driving AI adoption, end to end, at scale. If you are a company feeling behind - don't stress. But the opportunity is HUGE.


Three things worth sitting with:


First:

Even if you believe you are doing AI really well - I would just push gently on that. What does that look like? Is it using a bunch of use cases? Is it a roll out of Copilot? Or is it people thinking differently on every task?


Second:

The AI industry has a distribution problem, not a product problem. The tech is good enough. Getting it into the hands of the other 86% is an onboarding problem, a trust problem, an education problem.


Third:

Let's be humble about predictions. People say AI will replace entire industries within two years. Maybe. But 6 out of 7 humans haven't used it once. The internet took a decade to go from 1 billion to 4 billion users.


AI is going to be transformative. But the adoption curve is far earlier than most people in our bubble realize. If you're in the 14%, don't just learn the tools - learn how to bring other people along.


Because right now, 86% of the world is waiting.


Tune in tomorrow, friends!


(Sources: DataReportal Digital 2026, Backlinko, The Information, Microsoft Q4 2025 Earnings, Netflix Q4 2025 Earnings, Spotify Q3 2025 Earnings)


+++++++++

UPSKILL YOUR ORGANIZATION:

AI Mindset helps transform the biggest companies in the world by drive behavioral transformation at scale. DM me, or check out our website.

CEO, AI Mindset | Former Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern | MasterClass Instructor | NY Times and #1 Int’l bestselling author | Board Member, SHRM Foundation

In just 59 seconds, Jensen Huang explains why AI training is not what you think. Put another way: Forget AI for a second. Consider what you're actually getting paid for. It's not just work - it's discernment.


This goes to a key question: What should our young people study? What do we need to know? What will AI replace?


>> Senior-level work, not senior-level judgment


This is a line from my son Finn Grennan when he talks about Gen Z entering the workforce: AI can produce senior-level work, but not senior-level judgment.


As in, we can all create something that LOOKS good with AI. But is it? Probably not.


Maybe before you needed 10 graphic designers, now you need 2. Not because AI is better at design, but because it produces quality work faster. 


Before, at human speed, you needed 10 people. Now you need a few folks who can tweak, redirect, edit, approve.


AI can't do that.


>> So what now?


Start using AI as a team below you. Augment what you do, not by replacing your thinking but by delegating to AI while you edit, approve, discern, guide.


This isn't about agents. This is still the chatbot stage. Don't get ahead of yourself. This is NOW.


But you have to upskill. Companies, if you want to grow and differentiate, the key is to turn everyone into managers.


Tons of software engineers are already doing this. The rest of us need to catch up.

+++++++++

UPSKILL YOUR ORGANIZATION:

When your organization is ready to create an AI-powered culture—not just add tools—AI Mindset can help. We drive behavioral transformation at scale through a powerful new digital course and enterprise partnership. DM me, or check out our website.

Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern | NY Times and #1 Int’l bestselling author | CEO, AI Mindset (Consulting/Training) | Board Member, SHRM Foundation | AI Instructor, MasterClass

Trump just ordered every federal agency to stop using Anthropic's AI, posting that he would "NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS." Sam Altman is trying to broker a deal to save the situation (tho he agrees with Anthropic). Over 400 employees at Google and OpenAI signed a letter telling their companies to stand with Anthropic against the Pentagon. 


Okay - take a breath. 


First, Sam Altman explicitly agrees with Anthropic's guardrails - he's saying that he thinks there is a way of cooperating without loosening their guardrails.


Now let's talk about what's actually going on. Because this is gonna have BIG implications for humanity.


THE DISPUTE


Anthropic's Claude is the only AI model running on the Pentagon's classified systems. It was reportedly used during the operation to capture Maduro last month through Palantir.


The Pentagon demanded Anthropic allow Claude to be used for "all lawful purposes." 


Anthropic said fine, except two things: 

1) No mass surveillance of Americans
2) No fully autonomous weapons without a human in the loop.


The Pentagon said no deal. 


Defense Secretary Hegseth gave them a 5:01 PM Friday deadline. Comply, or lose the $200 million contract, get labeled a "supply chain risk" (a designation normally reserved for adversarial nations like China), and potentially face the Defense Production Act.


Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei: "We cannot in good conscience accede to their request."


Pentagon Undersecretary Emil Michael called Amodei a "liar" with a "God complex."


OPENAI STEPS IN


Altman sent a memo to OpenAI staff saying they share Anthropic's red lines and are working on their own Pentagon deal with the same guardrails. 


On CNBC he said he doesn't think the Pentagon should be threatening these companies.


Hundreds of Google and OpenAI employees signed an open letter: "They're trying to divide each company with fear that the other will give in. That strategy only works if none of us know where the others stand."


Bipartisan senators asked both sides to compromise. Even the retired general who ran Project Maven said everyone loses if you put a bullseye on Anthropic.


Then Trump posted. Called Anthropic "Leftwing nut jobs." Ordered a six-month phase out.


THIS IS BIG


There are no international rules governing AI in warfare. None. 


The UN has been trying since 2014. The Geneva Conventions were written when a machine picking its own targets was science fiction. Ukraine's autonomous drones proved it's not.


So who decides the rules for AI in war? Anthropic says: until the world figures this out, we hold our own line. The Pentagon says: that's not your call.


We need a Geneva Convention for AI in conflict. Not eventually. Now.


Because the rules for the most powerful technology ever used in warfare are currently being decided through angry social media posts and contract disputes between a five-year-old startup and the Department of Defense.

Today's top headline in The Wall Street Journal is exactly backwards. The Hype: "AI tools like Claude Cowork are about to vaporize the entire SaaS industry!" Except - no.


This AI hype utterly undermines how AI actually *is* changing work. Let me share what's in the article and why it is so out of line with what I see in today's enterprises:

+++

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED


The actual article goes on to quote CEO after CEO saying that the big SaaS players are still critical to how work gets done.


This is about markets. It's about future. It's not about AI tearing through enterprise.
  

Jensen Huang at a conference this week: 
"If you were a humanoid robot, would you use a screwdriver or invent a new screwdriver?" 

He called the idea that software will be replaced by AI "the most illogical thing in the world."


Sundar Pichai on Alphabet's earnings call: 
"The companies who are seizing the moment, I think have the same opportunity ahead."


Aaron Levie, CEO of Box: 
"If you had a Claude agent go and review a contract, you still need a place to manage the contracts."


A JPMorgan analyst called it "illogical" to expect every company to "write and maintain a bespoke product to replace every layer of mission-critical enterprise software they have ever deployed."

+++

THE REAL STORY


The market isn't reacting to actual enterprise disruption. It's reacting to uncertainty about future earnings. 


AI is disrupting individual work, not enterprise work. Not yet.


I see this every day. Individual employees are using these tools to do remarkable things. They're prototyping, experimenting, moving faster.


But organizations? They're not replacing Salesforce with vibe-coded alternatives. 


One tech executive in the article put it bluntly: "I'm not going to industrialize my world around a bunch of vibe code."

+++

WHY THIS GAP MATTERS

The history of work has always been leaders defining processes then hiring into those roles.


Can you see that this has completely flipped??


Leaders don't know individual processes. They can't dictate AI transformation from the top because they don't understand the day-to-day workflows that need to change.


Individuals understand AI's potential but lack the authority to redesign processes.


And nobody's investing in the bridge between them - which is upskilling.

+++

THE PATH FORWARD


The companies that will win aren't the ones cutting SaaS subscriptions and hoping Claude Code can replace enterprise software.


They're the ones investing in their people - teaching them to use AI to prototype new ways of working, identify bottlenecks, and redesign workflows from the ground up.


That's when individual productivity gains become organizational transformation.


That's the hockey stick.


Everything else is just incremental.

+++

UPSKILL YOUR ORGANIZATION:

AI Mindset helps transform the biggest companies in the world by drive behavioral transformation at scale. DM me, or check out our website.

I was interviewed in today's The Wall Street Journal about AI and job interviews. This is a huge passion of mine - helping people navigate a job market that's changing fast. Here's the critical message:


First, grateful to Ray Smith for writing this piece. We HAVE to prepare our friends, family, and loved ones for what's coming. Every little bit helps.


Because AI interviews are becoming the norm. 


More and more companies are using AI platforms to conduct first-round video interviews before a human ever sees your face. And most candidates are not prepared for how different it feels.


Here's just one takeaway from this article. 


>> Practice like it's game day


Remember that you will do your best if you can convince your brain that you are talking to a human. It will help you sound human, and it's how AI interacts - like a human.


So what's a great move?


Record yourself answering common interview questions on video. 

- Then watch it on mute first, just looking at your body language and presence. 
- Then listen audio-only for pacing and filler words. 
- Then watch with sound. 


This is how you actually improve - not by rehearsing answers in your head.


Sounds like a lot, right?


Yeah, I get that. But I'll tell you this - if you want something, you have to work your butt off for it.


I think about this with public speaking - I get to do it a lot, I have a lot of experience, and I think I'm pretty good at it. But that's not because I'm just "a good speaker." It's because I work harder than anyone else at it.


When I'm giving a new talk, I do it, over and over, probably 50-60 times. Over and over and over. Till I'd rather dig ditches in the middle of winter.


That's not talent - I'm short on that. It's determination to outwork everyone else and put in the hours.


I say all this to say that if you are worried about something - like prepping for a job, or what AI will do to your role, then get to work. We have some ways of helping with that at AI Mindset and we'll be announcing more soon - but I'm not trying to sell you something here. I'm telling you that this is on you, nobody else.


Read the article, outwork everyone, put in the time, get ready. Things are changing.

taplio

The Battle

Abhijit Bhaduri

Conor Grennan

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAbhijit Bhaduri's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreConor Grennan's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Abhijit Bhaduri

Conor Grennan

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Abhijit Bhaduri's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreConor Grennan's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAbhijit Bhaduri's LinkedIn Performance