Show Notes
Varun Sharma has spent years working in green energy and hydrogen. So why is he now taking on defense and oil & gas clients?
Kwame Christian welcomes Varun back to the show to unpack "pragmatic idealism": holding on to your ideals while staying honest about how power actually works. Drawing on a decade in Estonia on NATO's eastern edge, a father who served in the military, and his years in government, Varun explains why strength prevents conflict instead of inviting it, why doing nothing is still a choice with consequences, and why polarization is costing us the middle ground.
Kwame also asks the question he poses to audiences in his trainings: would you rather have every negotiation skill in the world, or all the power and leverage? Varun's answer reframes the whole question. Plus: China, batteries and the geopolitics of the energy transition, AI and job losses, and Varun's three-step process for making hard decisions when your values pull in different directions.
CONNECT WITH VARUN
Sapient Ventures: https://sapient.ventures
Varun's previous episode: Stop Talking: How to Use Silence to Win Any Deal
Connect with Kwame:
Request A Customized Workshop For Your Company
Follow Kwame Christian on LinkedIn
negotiateanything.com
Click here to buy your copy of Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life!
@kwamenegotiates across all social platforms
#Negotiation #DecisionMaking #Geopolitics
More from Big Swings Only
You don't need to be rich or a finance expert to start building wealth. NerdWallet's Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola are living proof.
You saw Kelly Chase say, "I don't." You saw the gasps. The tears. The headlines.
You’ve hit the goals, earned the promotions, and it still feels like it’s never enough. The problem isn’t your ambition. It’s where your ambition is coming from.
Vanessa Van Edwards once lost a dream TV deal over small talk. After 20 years of research, she knows how to turn small talk into real connection.
Kwame Christian sits down with psychologist, marriage and family therapist, and founder of Growing Self Counseling & Coaching, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby, and it quickly turns into two high achievers comparing notes on the hidden cost of always chasing the next win.