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Salary Negotiations, First Impressions and Office Politics | Sandeep Das | FO455 Raj Shamani

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Jan 8, 2026

Guest

Sandeep Das

In this engaging discussion, Sandeep Das, a storytelling and negotiation leadership coach, shares insights on navigating salary negotiations and office politics. He emphasizes the importance of human-centric skills in the age of AI and offers practical tips for crafting persuasive stories. Sandeep explains how first impressions influence perceptions and discusses the vital role of personal branding in career advancement. With a focus on strategic office dynamics, he reveals how storytelling can become a powerful tool for success.

02:29:37

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ADVICE

Find A Payable Niche

Find your niche at the intersection of what you're good at, what you love, and what the world will pay for.
Revisit this Ikigai-style question every 6–12 months and refine your focus.

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ADVICE

Play Office Politics Smartly

Embrace office politics strategically: manage bosses, build influence and avoid creating enemies.
Make yourself indispensable by keeping key decisions and span of control favoring your role.

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ADVICE

Be T-Shaped: Generalist Plus One Expert

Adopt a T-model: be a generalist broadly and master at least one deep specialty.
Aim to be 'jack of all trades, master of one' to remain valuable in mixed roles.

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Which skills survive AI and non-linear careers

04:15 • 3min

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Human-centric roles that remain valuable

06:53 • 49sec

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Who keeps tech jobs when AI arrives

07:42 • 5min

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Brand, politics and why some managers rise

12:58 • 34sec

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Negotiation: a career multiplier

13:32 • 4min

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Titles, status and client-facing strategy

17:43 • 4min

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How to use storytelling to persuade

21:35 • 14min

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Story formula: problem, tension, solution

35:57 • 3min

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Tension: the core of persuasive storytelling

39:21 • 3min

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First impressions and subconscious signals

42:24 • 5min

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When luxury or modesty matters culturally

46:55 • 8min

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Finding your niche using Ikigai

54:36 • 7min

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Embrace office politics strategically

01:01:08 • 5min

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Merit vs. ecosystem: what really wins

01:06:10 • 2min

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T-model: be T-shaped—specialize and generalize

01:08:05 • 2min

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Build a personal brand beyond your role

01:10:26 • 15min

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Learn daily and teach to retain knowledge

01:25:14 • 4min

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Exposure therapy to overcome regrets

01:29:33 • 6min

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Loyalty vs. selfish career moves

01:35:42 • 18min

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Work-life integration and the five-hour rule

01:53:33 • 8min

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Say no diplomatically and preserve relationships

02:01:30 • 17min

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Don't ask permission—pilot then apologise

02:18:19 • 3min

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Learn to eat alone: leadership loneliness

Billionaire's Apprentice

Anita Raghavan

Anita Raghavan's "Billionaire's Apprentice: The Rise of the Galleon Group" unveils the dramatic story of Rajat Gupta, an Indian-American business titan, and his involvement in one of the largest insider trading scandals in Wall Street history. Gupta, a former managing director of McKinsey & Company, saw his career and reputation shattered when he was convicted of leaking confidential information to Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam. The book meticulously explores Gupta's ascent to the highest echelons of the corporate world and his subsequent fall from grace, laying bare the temptations and ethical compromises that permeated the financial industry. It offers a compelling narrative of ambition, power, and the devastating consequences of greed, revealing the dark side of corporate success and the intricate web of relationships that can lead to downfall.

• Mentioned in 1,349 episodes

Atomic Habits

James Clear

Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth.

Checkout ASUS ExpertBook P Series: https://www.flipkart.com/bbd-eb-intrigue-at-store

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Disclaimer: This video is intended solely for educational purposes and opinions shared by the guest are his personal views. We do not intent to defame or harm any person/ brand/ product/ country/ profession mentioned in the video.

Our goal is to provide information to help audience make informed choices. The media used in this video are solely for informational purposes and belongs to their respective owners.

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(00:00) - Intro
(04:15) - AI Replacing People
(12:38) - Importance of Negotiation
(15:25) - How to Negotiate a High Salary
(25:33) - Importance of Human Skills
(29:50) - Importance of Storytelling
(36:14) - How to Craft a Story
(42:56) - Power of First Impressions
(45:07) - Science of Smiling
(46:12) - Do Cleanliness, Gadgets & Luxury Matter?
(51:49) - First-Gen vs Third-Gen Deal Mindset
(54:26) - Finding Your Niche with Ikigai
(01:01:16) - Why You Should Embrace Politics
(1:05:50) - Is Merit Enough to Become a CEO?
(1:08:03) - The T-Model: Kodawari
(1:10:28) - Why Personal Branding Matters
(1:25:09) - Learning for One Hour Every Day
(1:29:27) - Two Sides of the Brain & Exposure Therapy
(1:35:34) - Never Be Loyal to Your Job
(1:48:21) - Not Being Selfish Limits Career Growth
(1:53:32) - Work-Life Balance & Right to Disconnect Bill
(2:01:29) - Being Likeable vs Being Diplomatic
(2:04:43) - Four Ways to Say No
(2:05:53) - Becoming Fake at Work & Role of Humility
(2:11:55) - Raj’s Fears
(2:18:25) - Don’t Ask for Permission
(2:21:20) - Learning to Eat Alone
(2:26:53) - Closing Thoughts
(2:28:53) - Outro

In today’s episode, we have Sandeep Das, Storytelling & Negotiation Leadership Coach, Best-Selling Author and visiting faculty at IIM B and IIM L. We talk about the skills AI cannot replace, why only a few managers keep getting promoted while others get fired, the role of negotiation in career growth, and why storytelling is one of the most powerful professional skills today.

Subscribe for more such conversations!

Follow Sandeep Das On:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepdasauthor/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeep-das-1b343719/

X: https://x.com/sandydasauthor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SandeepDasAuthor⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠About Raj Shamani

Raj Shamani is an Entrepreneur at heart that explains his expertise in Business Content Creation & Public Speaking. He has delivered 200+ speeches in 26+ countries. Besides that, Raj is also an Angel Investor interested in crazy minds who are creating a sensation in the Fintech, FMCG, & passion economy space.

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About Figuring Out

Figuring Out Podcast is a Candid Conversations University where Raj Shamani brings raw conversations with the Top 1% in India.

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