QuoVadamus Leadership Podcast - Interview with Dharam Jhandrasikar


Guest Background and Journey


Professional Experience: Nearly 20 years in IT sector, AI, and machine learning with extensive experience driving large-scale digital transformations


Career Path: Started at IBM, then Oracle, which brought him to the US 15 years ago


Industry Expertise: Spans healthcare (Cenera Tech, Proteus Digital Health), entertainment (Sony), e-commerce (Stitch Fix), and consulting (Globality)


Leadership Evolution: Leadership journey began 3-4 years after starting at Oracle, shaped by the transformational experience of moving from Bangalore to San Francisco


Leadership Philosophy and Approach


Core Leadership Style: Empathetic, structured, and empowering leader who brings clarity during chaos


Key Principle: "Everyone is a CEO in their own role" - believes in giving full autonomy and accountability to team members


Leadership Foundation:


Lead with curiosity, not ego


Clarity is a superpower - people can't execute what they don't understand


Invest in people early as they become essential multipliers


Stay humble and continue learning


Cultural Adaptation and Challenges


Primary Challenge: Cultural shock when transitioning from conservative Bangalore environment to US culture


Adaptation Strategy:


Aligning personal principles with new cultural norms while maintaining collaborative mindset


Bridging cultural gaps through mutual understanding and learning


Viewing cultural differences as opportunities for growth rather than barriers


Technology and AI Perspective


Current Focus: Staying current with AI adoption and transformation, given rapid technological evolution


Industry Impact: Leveraging experience in autonomous processes and intelligent robotic processes to understand AI's transformational potential


Strategic Approach:


Shorter roadmaps (6 months instead of 2-5 years) due to rapid technological change


Focus on short-term, measurable goals


Stay hungry to evolve with new technologies and dimensions


Career Aspirations and Dreams


Childhood Dream: Always wanted to be an aerospace engineer, passionate about aviation and aircraft


Current Interest: Remains deeply interested in aviation industry, both commercial and military aircraft


Future Goals:


Continue thought leadership in enterprise applications, data integrations, and AI


Focus on entrepreneurship as a "conscientious entrepreneur"


Develop products that bring value to people and the world beyond just profit


Advice for International Leaders


Core Message: Stay true to yourself and bring out your passion - people in the US are ready to listen


Success Factors:


Maintain humility and show gratitude


Leverage your unique gifts and knowledge capacity


Stay hungry and passionate about your pursuits


Don't second-guess past decisions - view unsuccessful experiences as learning opportunities


Future Projects and Collaboration


Upcoming Initiative: Supporting a new project focused on helping others relocate and settle successfully in the US


Global Vision: Project has potential for global footprint and significant impact on people's lives worldwide


Space Economy: Interest in participating in the next space economy developments


Holiday Wishes and Closing Thoughts


Wishes everyone a successful, peaceful, and joyful holiday season


Encourages taking time to rest, reset, and recharge


Advocates stepping into the new year with renewed energy and clear intentions