At a session at the Odisha Literary Festival 2026 on September 6, the conversation moved beyond political leaders to a larger question: What kind of leadership does a changing society need, and what does it mean for young people entering the world of work?

The discussion, moderated by Ravi Shankar, journalist and author, brought together corporate and political experiences to examine leadership, workplace pressures, ethics, youth movements and the changing nature of careers.

Santrupt Misra, Member of Rajya Sabha (Odisha), argued that leadership should not be restricted to politics. He identified three evolving forms. Leadership based on “power, control, authority”, another centred on “engagement, motivation and inspiration”, and a third focused on “purpose and meaning” and the self-actualisation of one’s mission in life.

The panel discussion also examined how corporate life and politics share a fundamental dependence on people. Sanjiv Sarin, former CEO and MD of Tata Coffee and author, noted that while the modes of engagement differ, both require trust, communication and the ability to work with people.

Pressure, ethics and...

The speakers also discussed the pressures that come with professional and public life. Sarin stressed the importance of defining personal boundaries and remaining clear about the values one is unwilling to compromise.

Misra illustrated the distinction between acting under pressure and acting purely out of self-interest through an example from his corporate career. He argued that decisions made under genuine threat or duress should not automatically be treated as a failure of personal values, while choices made solely to serve one’s own interests raise a different ethical question.

Rise of youth leadership

The discussion briefly turned to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), with the speakers viewing youth-led mobilisation as an expression of dissatisfaction with established systems.

Misra said such formations represented “the new energy in society today”, while Sarin argued that young people organising around causes was not new. What has changed, they suggested, is the way young people can mobilise without traditional leadership structures.

Break the hierarchy

For young people, however, one of the strongest takeaways from the discussion was about employment. Misra identified unemployment and particularly underemployment as a fundamental challenge and called for a rethink of how society values careers.

“We need to dismantle the caste hierarchy of careers,” he said, pointing to the traditional preference for professions such as the civil services, medicine and engineering.

“Being an outstanding plumber is being more important than an MTech with no job,” Misra said, arguing that young people should be encouraged to pursue different career paths based on their natural abilities.

The larger challenge, he suggested, is not simply creating jobs, but creating a society where excellence is respected regardless of the profession and where young people have enough choices to find work that matches their abilities, interests and aspirations.