The Age of Outrage
by Karthik Ramanna
A first-of-its-kind look at the outrage gripping organizations worldwide—and how leaders can respond to it
How to lead in a polarized world
Outrage is everywhere—on the left and the right—and many companies have found themselves in the crosshairs. Go Fund Me was pressured to cut off funding to protesting truckers in Ottawa. Disney’s CEO was dragged down for mishandling both sides of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Facebook and other tech companies have been accused of manipulating elections. People are angry with the world—in some cases, rightfully so—and now view companies as they do governments, as targets of their ire and potential forces for social change. Managing outrage has moved from being an occasional leadership challenge, like handling a PR crisis, to a necessary and critical leadership capability, like strategic thinking or financial acumen.
Based on his popular Oxford leadership program and case studies on organizations such as IKEA, Nestle, the Vatican and others, Karthik Ramanna offers practical steps to make sense of the outrage, work with relevant stakeholders to progress through it, and emerge stronger for it. Ramanna’s pragmatic framework, developed through years of experience with organizations, helps leaders “turn down the temperature,” analyze root causes, develop and implement responses that are mission-consistent, and build resilience.
The essential guide for leaders and their teams in this new era of polarization.
Advance Praise
“In a world prone to outrage, leaders must navigate with grace, resilience, and strategic insight. This book provides the tools for managing effectively amidst turmoil, ensuring your organization not only endures but thrives.”
—Frances Frei, Professor, Harvard Business School; former Senior Vice President, Uber; and coauthor, Move Fast and Fix Things
“The Age of Outrage is extremely helpful to leaders facing today’s confrontations, prompting them to ask the right questions and presenting a toolbox not only for responding in a measured, de-escalating, and thereby effective manner, but also for enhancing resilience at many levels.”
—Thomas Becker, Global Vice President of Sustainability and Mobility Strategy, BMW Group
“We live in an era of outrage and outages, and Ramanna has masterfully created a very thoughtful and timely leadership playbook to deal with these complex but very relevant issues of today. A must-read for every leader and for aspiring future leaders.”
—Koushik Chatterjee, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Tata Steel
“Karthik Ramanna helps CEOs and other top leaders survive a crisis in the age of social media. His chapter on temperate leadership should be required reading for executives from Wall Street to Main Street who would otherwise be tempted to suppress dissent.”
—Brooke Masters, US Financial Editor, Financial Times
“The Age of Outrage offers a transformative read for anyone interested in understanding and navigating the complexities of leadership in turbulent times. His framework for managing outrage is particularly insightful, promising valuable strategies for leaders across various sectors. A must-read for those looking to lead effectively in an era where outrage seems omnipresent.”
—Sir Sajid Javid, former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer; former UK Home Secretary; and former Conservative Party MP
“As Karthik Ramanna writes, we urgently need to update our leadership playbook for these tumultuous times. His framework for how to shape and live by your organization’s values should be required reading for leaders making decisions that will determine our future.”
—Congressman Seth Moulton, US House of Representatives (D-Massachusetts); former candidate, Democratic nomination for US President
“Reading The Age of Outrage, one wonders how many communications calamities might have been avoided with the benefit of these insights. Karthik Ramanna has produced a user’s manual for the current context. Not taking sides, he helps leaders in both the private and public sectors understand the instability of this moment—and act accordingly.”
—David Rhodes, Executive Chairman, Sky News Group; former President, CBS News; former Vice President, Fox News
23 September
23 September
23 September
New York City
(private event)
17 October
23 September
23 September
Canberra, Australia
(private event)
23 October
23 September
23 October
Vienna, Austria
(private event)
24 October
24 October
23 October
London, UK
(Royal Academy)
31 October
24 October
31 October
Chicago, Illinois
(Booth School of Business)
1 November
24 October
31 October
Palo Alto, California
(Stanford GSB)
5 November
5 November
5 November
Toronto, Canada
(Rotman School of Management)
6 November
5 November
5 November
Boston, Massachusetts
(Harvard Business School)
7 November
5 November
7 November
New York City
(Harvard Club of New York)