The Youngest one in The Room l Leadership, Self-Doubt & the Inner Battlefield with Dayna Adelman

Description

Why does the Bhagavad Gita still resonate so deeply with modern leadership? Why does the Bhagavad Gita feel more relevant than ever in today’s boardrooms, startups, and leadership conversations? In this powerful episode of Beyond the Battlefield, we explore how the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita mirrors the invisible emotional struggles leaders face today. Through the lens of the Bhagavad Gita, this conversation unpacks self-doubt, burnout, ego, vulnerability, emotional overload, and authentic leadership. The timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita reveal why the greatest battlefield is often internal — hidden beneath performance, confidence, and success.In this deeply reflective conversation, Ankur Pancholi sits down with Dayna Adelman — global corporate affairs leader, storyteller, and author of The Youngest One in the Room — to discuss the pressure leaders silently carry every day.What happens when capable people walk into boardrooms while internally questioning themselves?Why do so many leaders feel emotionally exhausted while trying to appear composed, intelligent, and in control?And in an era of AI, automation, comparison culture, and constant pressure… how do we remain deeply human?Drawing parallels between Arjuna’s breakdown on the battlefield of कुरुक्षेत्र and the realities of modern corporate life, this episode explores vulnerability, burnout, women in leadership, reverse mentorship, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, psychological safety, attachment to outcomes, and the courage to say:“I don’t know.”Dayna shares honest reflections from her own journey of being the youngest — and often the only woman — in leadership rooms across multiple countries and cultures. Together, Ankur and Dayna unpack why true leadership is not about controlling people or performing confidence… but helping others rise while remaining authentic to yourself.The conversation also explores leadership in the AI era — why intelligence alone is not wisdom, why awareness matters more than information, and why human consciousness, di