ATYPICAL: FIVE STRATEGY RULES FOR A NEW WORLD
BY PRATEEK RAJ
WESTLAND BUSINESS, 2025
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A REFLECTION ON THE CURRENT MODE OF CAPITALISM AND A CALL TO ACTION TO RETHINK EVERYTHING—LEADERSHIP, STRATEGY, INNOVATION, AND EVEN PROGRESS ITSELF.
Called 'a manifesto for building humane, resilient, and future-ready organisations' by the Hindu Business Line, 'a path-breaking book that provides a refreshing perspective to the principles of business, management, and economics for our times' by the New Indian Express, and 'an eclectic and empathetic reimagination of corporate practices' by Raghuram Rajan - Atypical is a reflection on the current mode of capitalism and a call to action to rethink everything - leadership, strategy, innovation, and even progress itself.
Debates on the philosophy of progress have long turned on the question of where societies derive their capacity for renewal. Progress in these traditions has been conceived either as a product of markets and technology, or as a matter of justice and redistribution. Yet both trajectories often overlook how marginalised or “atypical” voices contribute epistemically to progress itself.
Atypical intervenes in this debate by advancing the claim that empathy and engagement with excluded perspectives are not merely ethical imperatives but structural and epistemic necessities for progress. In an era dominated by artificial intelligence and technocratic expertise, lived experience—whether of marginalised communities, frontline workers, or overlooked stakeholders—remains a reservoir of insight that data-driven reasoning cannot replicate.
At the micro level, the book translates this philosophical claim into rules for organisational practice. Whereas strategy scholarship has emphasised markets, positioning, and innovation, Atypical demonstrates how organisations thrive by institutionalising empathy as a strategic capability. It argues that listening to atypical voices fosters foresight, resilience, and creative recombination of ideas—constituting a form of dynamic capability critical in volatile environments.
By bridging political philosophy with organisational strategy, Atypical offers a dual contribution: to the macro-theoretical discourse on progress, it positions marginalised voices as epistemic drivers of change; to the micro-practice of organisations, it codifies how these voices can be systematically integrated into strategy. In uniting these levels, the book reframes inclusion as not only a moral good but as a structural condition for human and institutional progress.
Media and Events
Book Talks
Fudan University, 7th International BRICS symposium, on June 27, 2025: "Atypical Testing: A governance mechanism to make invisible externalities visible"
Mid Day on Instagram Live, March 28, 2025, 5 pm IST: "Why do we need to rethink our business strategies?",
Ashtanga Yoga Sadhna, Bengaluru on March 15, 2025 7:30 to 8:30 am IST.
Bangalore International Centre on March 13, 2025, 6:30 to 7:30 pm IST: "Business beyond Capitalism"
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore on February 28, 2025, 3 to 4 pm IST: Book launch
UCL Global Business School of Health, Healthcare Executive Programme, on February 26, 2025: "Hearing the atypicals to develop better strategies"
Book signings
Bahrisons, Midland and Kunzum on June 6, 2025, Delhi
Atta Galatta and Champaca on March 13, 2025, Bengaluru
Starmark, Baharsons Booksellers, Oxford Bookstore and Story on March 10, 2025, Kolkata
Blossom Book House, Gangarams Book Bureau, The Bookhive, Higginbothams and Bookworm on March 3, 2025, Bengaluru
Excerpt
"Toyota workers are empowered to be hands-on problem solvers. It comes from management’s trust", The Print, 29 Mar, 2025
"The promise of Charity-Owned Businesses", ProMarket, March 24, 2025
“Learning to lead with a Himalayan mindset”, Mint, 24 February, 2025
“A management professor argues that experience and empathy will still be valuable in the age of AI”, Scroll.in, 18 February 2025
Podcasts
"The Atypical Shift: In Conversation with Prof. Prateek Raj on strategy for a new world", IIM Bangalore podcast, 3 Apr, 2025
Articles
“We need DEI initiatives to ensure diverse and atypical perspectives”, Sustainability Karma, 15 February 2025
Reviews
'A manifesto for building humane, resilient, and future-ready organisations...Raj challenges the foundational assumptions of traditional strategy...The relevance of Atypical is especially clear for enterprise leaders grappling with digital transformation, regulatory uncertainty, and stakeholder fragmentation. As organisations strive to modernise their operations and business models, Raj’s message stands out: the future of strategy will belong to those who can stay connected, not just competitive.'— HINDU BUSINESS LINE, 24 May 2025
'A path-breaking book that provides a refreshing perspective to the principles of business, management, and economics for our times. It gives a five point framework towards a sustainable and resilient future.' — NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, 14 April 2025
'Atypical is an eclectic and empathetic reimagination of corporate practices. It draws on academic ideas and business examples to make the novel argument that atypical stakeholders should figure centrally in management thinking.' — RAGHURAM RAJAN, Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
'Clearly, with the world as we know it going through tectonic shifts, entrepreneurs and business leaders need to look at their enterprises with a new lens. In this path-breaking book, my creative colleague Prateek Raj provides one such perspective, embodying empathy, learning from atypical stakeholders and much more. I recommend this insightful volume to anyone interested in a sustainable future for business.' —RISHIKESHA T. KRISHNAN, Professor of Strategy and Ram Charan Chair in Innovation and Leadership Director, IIM Bangalore
'A deeply insightful and refreshing approach to rethinking the principles of business, management and economics for our times. These five transformative rules-focusing on empathy, grounded leadership, innovation, unconventional thinking and collective welfare-provide a practical guide for scholars and practitioners alike to make a meaningful and positive impact in the world.' — TRILOCHAN SASTRY, Co-founder and Chairman, Association for Democratic Reforms Founder, Centre for Collective Development and FarmVeda Professor, IIM Bangalore
'Prateek’s book, based on his course at IIM Bangalore, introduces a more empathetic and grounded approach to leadership. In a world that often prioritizes transactional interactions, this book is a timely call for leading organizations that make a difference.' — KIRAN SETH, Founder and Chairman, Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Among Youth (SPIC MACAY), and Professor Emeritus, IIT Delhi
About the Author
Prateek Raj is an Associate Professor at the University College London (UCL) Global Business School for Health and an Affiliate Fellow at the Stigler Center at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Originally from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Prateek earned a bachelor’s degree from IIT Delhi and a master’s and PhD in Management from UCL. During his doctoral studies, he was a visiting researcher at Kellogg School of Management and Chicago Booth, and also taught at the London School of Economics. Following his PhD, he joined the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, where he led the Inclusive Markets Lab, advancing research, teaching, and advocacy on business models and economic policies that promote inclusive growth. Prateek’s interdisciplinary, impact-driven work has garnered global recognition through prestigious awards and research grants. The MBA course he designed at IIM Bangalore, Strategic Stewardship, serves as the foundation for this book.
Excerpt on the Himalayan Mindset (Mint, 24 Feb 2025)
Book Review in Hindu Business Line (Mint, 25 May 2025)
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