New Book from Penguin Business Offers a Practical Guide for Managers and Founders Navigating AI, Mental Health, and Multi-Stakeholder Realities

Penguin Business (Penguin Random House India) announces the release of Leadership Beyond the Playbook, a groundbreaking leadership companion by Roopa Kudva, former MD & CEO of CRISIL and Managing Partner at Omidyar Network India. This book is a must-read for managers, founders, and leaders navigating today’s complex, fast-evolving landscape. Eschewing clichés, acronyms, and rigid frameworks, Kudva delivers a clear, case-led guide to crafting a personal leadership path that drives impact in a world shaped by AI disruption, multigenerational workforces, and diverse stakeholder demands.

What’s Inside: A Roadmap for Tomorrow’s Leaders

Structured across 12 concise chapters, Leadership Beyond the Playbook tackles both timeless and cutting-edge leadership themes, blending first-principles thinking with actionable insights. From defining purpose and strategic clarity to mastering stakeholder dynamics and addressing mental health, the book equips leaders to thrive in a messy, contradictory world. Topics include:

• Purpose and Strategic Clarity: Uncover the “hidden engine” of career fulfillment and think beyond the immediate.
• Future of Work: Lead through generational shifts, AI integration, and mental health challenges with empathy and ethics.
• Resilient Decision-Making: Learn to “bounce forward” in the face of uncertainty.
• Stakeholder Management: Navigate new dynamics with a fresh cast of stakeholders.
• Women’s Leadership: A candid exploration of shaping authentic leadership paths.
• From Strategy to Execution: Bridge the gap with systems and habits that turn intent into results.

The book closes with a DIY Leadership Kit, featuring 55 reflection questions, 70 action steps, and a 90-day action plan to help readers immediately apply its insights.

Real-World Lessons from Indian and Global Innovators

Kudva draws on compelling case studies to ground her insights in real-world challenges and triumphs. Indian startups like Pratilipi (resilience during a funding slowdown), Wiom (pivoting in broadband access), Zetwerk (rapid diversification), Zomato (data-driven decisions), Lenskart (customer innovations), and Nykaa (communication excellence) are featured alongside global examples like DBS Bank’s digital transformation and Zillow’s bold decision to shut down its home-buying business. These stories make the book both relatable and inspiring for leaders across corporate and startup ecosystems.

Why This Book Matters Now

• Navigating a Complex World: Leaders today face unprecedented challenges—AI disruption, shifting workforce expectations, and competing stakeholder priorities. Kudva offers clarity and purpose to stay grounded while driving results.
• AI Done Right: Far from hype, the book examines AI’s real-world implications—its successes, failures, and the critical role of human judgment and ethics in its adoption.
• Mental Health as a Leadership Priority: Kudva underscores why mental health is no longer just an HR issue but a core leadership responsibility, with evidence highlighting its human and economic impact.
• Practical and Actionable: The DIY Leadership Kit empowers readers to start building their leadership path immediately, with tools to translate big-picture ideas into daily habits.

About the Author: Roopa Kudva

Roopa Kudva brings nearly four decades of leadership experience to this book. As MD & CEO of CRISIL, she tripled revenues and quadrupled market capitalization. At Omidyar Network India, she spearheaded investments for India’s “Next Half Billion.” A respected board director for organizations like Infosys, Nestlé India, and IIM Ahmedabad, Kudva has been recognized as CNBC-TV18’s Outstanding Woman Business Leader and repeatedly named among India’s most powerful women by Business Today and Fortune India. An IIM Ahmedabad alumna, her insights are both profound and practical.

Acclaim from India’s Top Business Leaders

Leadership Beyond the Playbook has earned praise from luminaries like Nandan Nilekani, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Uday Kotak, Ronnie Screwvala, Anand Mahindra, Arundhati Bhattacharya, and Falguni Nayar:

• “Leaders of the future will need both empathy and first-principle thinking … insights that apply for startups and large institutions.” — Nandan Nilekani
• “Timely, insightful and deeply relevant.” — Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
• “Section on women leaders … frank and relatable.” — Uday Kotak
• “Gets to the heart of what leadership demands … refreshingly free of jargon.” — Ronnie Screwvala
• “Profound and practical in equal measure.” — Anand Mahindra

Get Your Copy Today

Leadership Beyond the Playbook is available now from Penguin Business. Whether you’re a seasoned executive, an emerging founder, or an aspiring manager, this book offers the tools, clarity, and inspiration to lead with impact in a rapidly changing world. Order your copy today and start crafting your leadership path!