Sumer Datta @SumerDattaa

It took me years to learn that not all criticism is feedback. Some of it is just projection in disguise. When you’ve been in the people business for as long as I have…four decades and counting, you develop a certain muscle. Not just for reading people. But for reading between…

4 years ago, in 2020, I suffered a brain hemorrhage. I found myself in a coma for about four months, fighting for my life. Most people would have thought about retirement or slowing down. But not me. Even in those critical moments, I was fighting to come back, driven by just…

This is the HR challenge that keeps me awake at night. We ask HR to change the engine. Then we don’t give them the keys. That's exactly what we're doing to HR leaders across every industry, every day. Last month, I sat across from a brilliant CHRO who looked defeated. She'd…

POSH complaints in India jumped from 71 in 2013-14 to 1,160 in 2022-23, across just 300 listed companies (Centre for Economic Data & Analysis, Ashoka University). That’s a 620% increase in a decade. It might sound like progress in reporting. But after four decades in HR, I can…

The loudest culture problems often begin in silence. And more often than not, it’s the silence of leaders. I’ve spent decades in HR, across boardrooms, crisis rooms, and culture-building rooms. And this is the most consistent red flag: It’s rarely the toxic employee who breaks…

I just watched a brilliant young mind quit after his first performance review. The system didn't fail, it worked exactly as designed. And that's the problem. A close friend's son called me yesterday asking for advice. This kid has always been exceptional - top of his class, and…

My daughter outclassed 4 decades of my leadership experience with 1 dinner conversation. Last weekend, my daughter and I got into a debate at the dinner table. Politics, as usual. I was presenting my case with the confidence of someone who's spent decades leading teams and…

This kid cleaning grocery store floors while living on food stamps, signed a $19 billion deal. Crazy fact: he never finished his college degree. Jan K.'s story destroys every assumption we make about success in hiring. + Born in a Ukrainian village without hot water or…

“You should be grateful to have a job.” This one sentence has quietly ruined more company cultures than any recession ever has. And yet, it’s still muttered in boardrooms. Whispered by managers. Implied in policies. Baked into systems that were never built to value people, only…

We celebrated Mother’s Day this Sunday. But by Monday, we were back to punishing women for becoming mothers. It’s called the motherhood penalty, and it’s real. Just yesterday, I came across a post by Mishita Sinha She cleared all interview rounds, had impressive credentials,…

This is how you can spot a future leader in just one conversation. They don’t need validation. In fact, they’ll make you question if the rules even matter. As someone who’s seen the ins and outs of corporate life for four decades, I can tell you this: Real leadership doesn’t…

My first paycheck from my own company, Noble House Consulting Pte. was ₹1,250, and I spent ₹3,000 celebrating it. In 1989, I was a young man with dreams and determination when I founded Noble House as a recruitment company. But let me tell you, those first years were brutal.…

During an event, someone asked me, “Why did you leave behind your high-paying job in finance to start a career in the HR industry?” I started my career as a management accountant at Escorts Kubota Limited, one of the leading companies in India, with plans to stay for five years.…

I started my first company, Noble House Consulting Pte., from a garage with just ₹500 in my pocket. No investors. No safety net. Just a vision and my relentless grit. About a year and a half in, Ravi Virmani joined me as my partner. Together, we turned a small operation in a…

The two questions I ask in every interview will surprise you. Because they aren’t about skills or experience. They are: 1️⃣ What are you scared of? 2️⃣ What’s the most exciting thing you’ve worked on? Over the years, these two questions have become my compass. They tell me far…

I was recently watching The Diplomat on Netflix, and it hit me hard. The series isn’t just about international crises and political maneuvers, it’s a raw, unfiltered look at how high-stakes careers can fracture personal relationships. Kate Wyler, the US ambassador, juggles…

🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨 My X account was hacked a week ago, and I recovered it just three days ago. Now, I’m being targeted by a blackmailer using fake screenshots and fabricated stories to extort money. These scammers are dangerous and prey on fear. PLEASE don’t fall for it! Never…

This is the real reason women in senior roles don’t succeed. + It’s not about competence. + It’s not about capability. + It’s not even about opportunity anymore. It’s about power. And the fact that too many men still don’t know how to take orders from a woman. We celebrate…

Here’s a hard topic nobody wants to discuss. The workforce isn’t losing women - it’s driving them out. After a career break, most women aren’t looking for handouts or sympathy. They’re looking for a real chance - a fair shot to pick up where they left off and thrive. Years…