July 2, 2025 • 27 mins
This week’s “How She Finds Purpose” insight comes from Uma Subramanian. She says –
“Her journey is unique and the way purpose and meaning looks like in her life might be different from the other women that she's probably listening to. So just trusting her journey and trying to find meaning and purpose in just the day to day flow of life... being open to opportunities, being open to being courageous to, when she sees those opportunities, being able to seize those and follow-up with those.”
Uma Subramanian is a certified executive leadership coach, speaker, and accomplished tech industry veteran, including a 20-year tenure at Microsoft. She’s now the founder and CEO of Limitless Leaders, a global brand that helps mid-career tech professionals become empowered and sought-after leaders. Her mission is to help leaders thrive in their careers without burnout, hustle, or playing politics. Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of two teenagers and now two beloved dogs.
Here are 3 reasons why you should listen to this episode:
- You’ll hear how a bold, unexpected career moment became the spark for purpose-led leadership.
-
You’ll hear how Uma found deep purpose after walking away from a toxic job—and how she turned that moment into a mission to help others.
-
You’ll get a fresh, honest perspective on why your purpose doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s—and how to spot opportunities that are already in front of you.
Connect with Uma at:
https://www.thelimitlessleaders.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/uma-subramanian
Would you prefer to watch or listen to the podcast on YouTube?
Head on over to https://www.youtube.com/@leadershippurposepodcast
Want to connect? Connect with Dr. Robin on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinlowensphd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robinlowensphd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinlowensphd/
Email: Robin@LeadershipPurposePodcast.com
Thank you for listening! Rate, review, & follow on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast player. Talk to you soon!
This episode was produced by Lynda, Podcast Manager for GenX Creative Entrepreneurs at https://www.ljscreativeservices.co.nz
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Welcome to the Leadership Purpose with Doctor Robin podcast.
I'm your host, Robin l Owens, PhD. I'm a college
professor. And when I'm not doing that, I am teaching others
how to find and stay in alignment with their true purpose.
And this is where we talk with women who've made bold career
transitions in search for more meaning and purpose in
(00:24):
their work. So if you're feeling that pull toward more meaning and purpose in
your work or just curious about what's possible when you
pursue purpose over position, then these
conversations are here to encourage, inspire,
and guide you. Okay. Let's get started.
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Leadership Purpose
(00:47):
with Doctor. Robin podcast. I'm so glad you're here and you're listening to
the podcast. I say it all the time and I will continue to say it.
I really appreciate you for listening in. And because you've been
such faithful listeners, you helped us get ranked in the top
5% of all podcasts globally
according to Listen Notes. So thank you for doing that. And if you would
(01:09):
help us keep it going, rate and review the podcast.
Really, really, that would mean a would mean a lot to us and help us
keep going. Alright. And I'm looking forward to today's
conversation. I am talking with Uma
Subbanya, and she is a certified executive leadership
coach, trainer, speaker, and accomplished
(01:31):
tech industry veteran, including a twenty year
tenure at Microsoft, and she is passionate
about empowering leaders. She's the founder and CEO of
Limitless Leaders, which is a global brand that
helps mid career tech professionals, and she's on a
mission to build a community of empowered, sought after
(01:53):
leaders in tech. And she's deeply committed to inspiring
others to live with purpose and intention,
which, of course, I especially appreciate. And she says outside
of work, she's a proud mom of two teenagers and a beloved
dog. Welcome, Uma. Thanks a lot. One
correction. Just two weeks ago, we got two dogs. We got a
(02:15):
second puppy. Now it's two and two.
Yes. Now it's two and two. Two children and two doves.
Yes. Well, congratulations.
I figured you would so much. You're new addition to your family.
Thank you. And thanks, Robin, for having me. It's an honor to be
here. It's a delight to have you. I can't wait to get into those conversations.
(02:38):
Now you heard us. Well, you heard me read your introduction. But why
don't you tell us in your own words two things? Well, we know one thing
about you. You have a new member of your family, but tell us something else
about you and then about the work you do. I'm an avid reader.
So I if you saw me when I was five years old,
you would have seen me with a book in hand. So
(03:01):
that's me. And even if I if you let's say we were you're in
LA. I'm in Washington state. If I were driving and doing a
road trip to LA and you saw me in a car right next to you,
you will see my husband driving and me with a stack of books
on my lap. So that's how crazy I am with books. I love
books. That's been, a huge journey for me
(03:24):
to just go through, you know, through the books and
mentors and all that. So Yeah. I love that you said not just one book.
You would have a stack of books. Oh, yes. It's usually I mean, my husband
gets mad at me, but, yes, it's usually, like, three to five books or it
used to be even more, but now it's, like, usually three.
And it stayed with you from all the time when you were very young
(03:47):
till, you know, a little girl until now, that reading. Yeah. That's
wonderful to have a passion like that. Yeah. Right. So now tell us about the
work you do. Yeah. So we already like, you
shared that, Robin, that I, was at Microsoft for twenty
years. And then I joined a tech start up, was there
for almost a year. And then now what I do is,
(04:10):
coach tech professionals, become sought after leaders
so they can thrive in their career, rise in leadership, and
realize their limitless potential without burnout,
without hustle, without playing politics. And,
I help them really navigate everything that's
happening in the tech world today with modern leadership
(04:33):
skills that's really needed to thrive. Sounds like important work, and, of
course, I would think that. Right? Oh, yes. Yeah.
Alright. So are they emerging leaders? I mean,
like or are they people who are already in leadership who wanna
develop further? So mostly,
experienced leaders. So I would say, fifteen
(04:56):
to eighteen to twenty years of work experience is the
people that I usually work with. And they are trying to get
to, like, a VP position. You know, so that's really
my target audience. So they're not already usually in executive
positions, but they would like to get there. Oh, I
see. They're in some form of leadership, but not executive level
(05:18):
leadership. Correct. Correct. Yeah. It could be, you know,
very experienced individual contributors managing
large strategic projects, as well as managers
having people, but they're not yet in that executive
ring. I see. And do you teach leadership skills, like,
particular leadership skills? Because I know you said you're you're the CEO
(05:41):
of limitless leaders. So I'm guessing there's a particular
type of skill that you're teaching. Yes. So I
mainly have, four pillars that I have realized, you
know, in the last few years that I've started coaching, that
today's aspiring and emerging leaders need. One
is how to be strategic, how to create strategic
(06:04):
impact without burnout. And so that is one
pillar that we go deep on. The second pillar is
really honing communication and speaking skills and executive
presence. The third area is building authority and
personal brand because today, we need to stand out and personal
brand is becoming more and more important. And last but not the
(06:27):
least, relationship mastery. So how do you build
powerful allies and network and build relationships so you
can thrive at work? So that's those are the four areas that I
really help with. Sounds like you cover everything. I
mean, if you they have all those, then they have everything they need.
Oh, yes. That I real I mean, it's a very comprehensive
(06:51):
type of program that I've created. And, yes,
it's seeming to work, and we are seeing lot of success stories and
wins with my clients. Alright. Good. That's that's wonderful.
And how did you come to this work? So as I said, I started
at Microsoft and was there for twenty years, had a
blast, left Microsoft, and joined a tech startup
(07:13):
to head developer community there. And, again, had a
blast. But long story short, it ended abruptly,
and I ended up resigning after the the CEO insulted me
in a meeting. And then three weeks after my last day at
work, I was walking my dog, Mia, the first dog
that we have. And just the entire my
(07:35):
career life, you know, just came and flashed in front of
me. And I realized that I've always been
limitless. No. No one's really been able to hold me back.
Nothing's been able to hold me back. If I set my mind to achieve something,
I would go achieve it. And so that's when the
word limitless came to me, just flash in front of me and said, I'm
(07:57):
limitless. And just felt so much bliss and
joy just when I realized that. And then the next thought that
came to me was, well, wait a sec. Like, if I'm limitless,
so is everyone else. Because I really didn't come with
any special privilege or background or anything like that.
So I've realized if I feel limitless, everyone
(08:19):
else is limitless. But I do know that not
everyone knows that. And so that was the
moment that there was a deeper purpose that I
discovered and I realized, okay. I'm going to use my
voice and my energy and my time now to help
others realize their limitless potential in leadership.
(08:41):
So no matter what happens, they can go achieve their goals.
And whatever their definition of leadership goals might be,
they can go achieve them and thrive them. So literally came up with the name
Limitless Leaders. In that walk, I came back. My husband was
working from home. It was during COVID, and I told him that I'm starting
Limitless Leaders, and I haven't stopped since.
(09:05):
Amazing. Alright. So okay. So that was that moment. Was there
anything in the back of your mind at any time before then
that somehow you might teach others not just particularly
limitless, but that you would just do something on your own? Separate part.
Never. In fact, no, Robin. In fact, I have a very negative
perspective on starting my own business because my father had a
(09:28):
series of failed businesses. I grew up with that.
So for me, the nine to five job, having a, you know, a
stable nine to five job has been the thing.
I would never ever, like, you know, think of starting something.
It's just that when this moment happened, I feel like all the
inner work, all the work that I've done, all the reading, all the, you
(09:51):
know, coaching, mentoring that I have achieved, I think I was ready for that
moment at that time. And I didn't have any hesitation.
No doubt. Like, never. Like, not even a single moment of doubt.
Not a moment of doubt when I wanted to resign as well. I resigned after
the meeting in which I, you know, was insulted. There
was not not a single ounce of hesitation or doubt. I decided I
(10:14):
will I knew my self worth, and I said I'm gonna resign. And then
same thing with when I decided to start limitless leaders,
zero hesitation. I came back, said I will start it, and then
I'm going strong still. About how much time
between the time you resigned and you received that sort
of moment while you were walking your dog? So it was
(10:36):
July 8 when I resigned the meeting, and then I resigned.
And then the CEO apologized. And then
long story short, he wanted me to at least stay for a month to help
with the transition. I had a huge team. I had five teams, 50 people
under me. And so I stayed for a month, and August 5 was
my last day. So August 5, last
(10:58):
day, I came into I mean, I had already told my husband when I resigned
that I'm gonna take six months and figure out what I want to do
next. And I knew that when all this happened,
because I had poured myself into everything. Like, at Microsoft, I
was doing fantastic. At this company, I was doing
fantastic. I was even promoted at this start up in five months to senior
(11:21):
director. And I knew that this is not I mean, this couldn't
be happening like this. It couldn't be ending like this. So if this is happening,
it must be because there is something bigger and better waiting for me. Maybe
I'm ready for something, and I just don't know what it is. You
know? And I knew that I was meant to do something bigger in that moment.
Not this is not something I had thought of before, but just in that
(11:43):
moment, that those were the thoughts I I that came.
And so every day after August 5, literally, I would get
ready just as if I'm going to work, and I would sit on my computer
and just be thinking, okay. What could I do? Like, you know, what is the
next thing I want to do? And this walk was three weeks
into it. So it was in August of twenty twenty two. And,
(12:05):
within three weeks, I came up with the idea. So was able
to then steer everything after that towards the company.
That's amazing. That's absolutely amazing. And what
you thought might take six months, and I'm saying this for people who might
be having a similar experience right now, sometimes you just don't
know. We we always think it's gonna take long. It has to
(12:28):
take a long time no matter what the it is. We tend to think
it's gonna take a long time, But you had focus and
intention and just putting yourself there and three
weeks and there it was, and then you took action immediately.
Yeah. I'm I'm I'm grateful that's how it worked out. Like, I don't know
if that is really how it worked out, but I'm glad, that
(12:51):
was the journey that I'm going through. That's amazing. Alright.
So now was there anything you talked about earlier about your love of
reading. Was there anything that you see
from little Uma, separate from reading, anything in
little Uma that's reflected in what you do today? I
think that little Uma did have the drive
(13:15):
to make a difference, to serve others, and I see that still
carrying through. When I joined Microsoft, my role I mean,
I joined in a very junior role in a in a very
simple kind of function and role, not something, you know, doing great
things. But I attached meaning to it from
day one. And so I saw it as serving
(13:36):
developers. You know, my role with smart customers were developers, and we my
role was to help developers building on top of Microsoft platform,
building applications. And so, when I wrote
content, when I wrote samples, I thought of, you
know, each and every piece that I wrote helping and impacting
those developers. And with every year,
(13:59):
every year of growth, and as I grow in my career,
I did bigger and bolder things, and everything attached that
kind of meanings and sense of purpose. So that really helped. I
think that's been a pattern even at the tech startup.
Same thing, we launched developer community, and I saw that as
impacting developers all over the world. So all of
(14:22):
that kind of I think it's been the same journey that I'm going on, you
know, going through from when I was little. It's just
that the purpose and the impact is just becoming
bigger and bigger. It's growing, in the positive direction.
So that's really amazing to see. It is amazing.
Alright. So now you're helping leaders. And when
(14:44):
you were early in your career, you were helping developers. Was
there anybody around you when you were little, Uma, that you were helping that you're
aware of? Oh, I do think so. I think with the little
Uma, I don't think was was, I think, was selfish and
probably just focused on herself. Not not
really sure if I was helping when I was little. Yeah. But I
(15:06):
was absorbing and learning, I guess. Yeah. You are a
learner. Yes. Totally. Yes. Learner till today, but
I think when I was younger, definitely was,
learning, and then I think connected that
learning to serving. Yeah. And it's that's the journey that I
think, it's it's continuing right now. I love that
(15:29):
thread, learning and serving. Yes. Yeah. Alright.
So that was sort of like your career journey brought you from where
you were all the way up to where you are now. So now that
you're here and you're following your what your life has been leading
you to, do you feel like you have purpose in your life? Oh,
100%. Definitely.
(15:51):
You know, I I I'm coaching clients. There was this
one client that came to me, was so frustrated with
the current, you know, work situation. And I see them, like, when they
come, they're, you know, completely drained out. Like, you can see, you
know, even though we are only meeting on Zoom, you can see,
their state of mind and, how they are feeling. And then
(16:14):
just a couple of weeks later, I see them, like, radiating
and, you know, with, like, glowing and, you know, talking with
excitement. They're already seeing wins. They have, just a
lot of good things starting to happen at work and, you know, with
their, relationships at work, with management, with leadership, with
peers, getting, you know, them seeing newer opportunities,
(16:37):
seizing them. It's just amazing. So when I see that,
it's just makes my day as well. And I always give
my phone number to my clients and tell them to text me if they have
wins. And many of my clients will text me during the week
if they, you know, went and did a presentation and it was very well
received, things like that. And when I see that, it just makes
(17:00):
my day. And I I do think that my work,
however small, like, even when, you know, day one I started Microsoft
to today, I've been able to always
believe that my work, you know, has impact.
And I'm able to see that and has really given me
joy and, happiness and satisfaction.
(17:23):
Yes. It sounds like impact is very important to you. Yes.
Definitely. What would you say was the the biggest challenge
in your pursuit throughout your career? It sounds like you've done a lot of sort
of personal development and growth. But what was
a a struggle or a frustration or a challenge in the
pursuit of really kind of coming into alignment with your purpose?
(17:45):
I think it would be this constant
need for you know, this have needing for sense of
achievement. So I find purpose
in what I do, but I think I've also because I find
so much joy and purpose in everything that I do,
I also end up caring too much and
(18:07):
overcommitting and doing too much. And I have found
myself not really burning out, but finding myself
in situations where I'm overcommitted, you know, and
overdoing things. And I really like it because I'm,
again, I'm getting that sense of achievement and purpose and meaning,
but something suffers. You know? Sometimes it's my health. Sometimes
(18:30):
it's some relationships that are really important to me.
So, definitely, that's been and mostly for me, it's
been the health. Whenever I overdo
it, I get a warning from the health
gods. So the and thankfully, nothing serious or
major, but definitely, you know, enough, serious enough
(18:52):
to make me pause and realize, okay. Maybe I'm running too
fast or, you know, running, behind some
purpose that's meaningful, but still, you know, maybe I need to slow down
a little bit and have some boundaries. And so that has happened
repeatedly for me now a few times. And I've learned every
single time that happened, I've recalibrated
(19:15):
and slowed down and, you know, set boundaries. But it's
been a journey, to be honest. And I feel like I've come a long way
now. Like, touch wood at this moment, I feel like I have good
balance and, you know, good boundaries, healthy boundaries, and I'm very
self aware as well. And I know when I'm you know, if
I'm overdoing it, I know how to stop. But that's
(19:38):
been my challenge, I would think. Makes sense too, especially if
you really enjoy what you're doing. The tendency is to wanna do more and
more. But I agree the body has a way of reminding us when we need
to sort of get back in alignment. Yeah. Yeah. The body is
very clear and I'm glad that you now have a way to, you
know, kind of keep it in check. Yeah. And I know for
(20:00):
everybody, it always whatever the thing is might find its
way back to us. But generally speaking, we know how to in your case, you
know how to keep it in check. So that's wonderful. Alright. So now that you
know that, let's talk to the woman who's listening right now and
I'll tell you who she is. She's a high achieving woman and this is my
definition which I'm believing you will resonate with. She's high
(20:22):
achieving and by that what I mean is she's
ambitious and she's responsible. People can
count on her no matter where she's is or what she's doing,
people can count on her. She's good at a few things
and people come to her in her professional life for
advice, want to hear her thoughts, whether it's related to her
(20:44):
role, her position, or anything, she's the one that they come
to. And in her outside of her profession,
in the home or community or neighborhood, if anything is going
on, she's the one that people come to sort of like to hear her
thoughts and her advice. So this is who I mean by the high
achieving woman. Yeah. So it sounds like you
(21:06):
resonate with that. Oh, definitely. And I don't know how I mean, how many people
come to me for advice, but I def definitely resonate with, you
know, many of us trying to do a lot, like,
on many fronts and wearing too many hats. So that's the
one we're speaking to. And she's feeling she has a
success, but she's unfulfilled. Like I achieved all
(21:28):
this. I checked the boxes, I got the promotions
and she's asking either it's quietly in
the back of her mind whispering or for some it could be
shouting, is this all there is? And she's looking for
more meaning and more impact and
more purpose and fulfillment in her work. So
(21:50):
she's the one we're talking to right now. So what's something
from your any part of your life, personal or professional, that
you could leave her with as, you know, just something to think
about that might help her where she is today? I think I I
would like to tell her that her journey is unique
and the way purpose and meaning, you
(22:12):
know, looks like in her life might be different from the
other women that she's probably, you know, listening to on
podcasts, you know, seeing on other, you know,
channels. So just trusting her journey
and trying to find meaning and purpose
in just the, you know, the day to day flow of life and
(22:35):
being open to opportunities, being open to
being courageous to you know, when she sees those opportunities,
being able to, you know, seize those and follow, up with those, I think that
would be, what I would suggest. I didn't
go, you know, trying to find a a
big purpose or anything. Like, my journey was it just unfolded
(22:58):
by, just me showing up to, you know,
whatever was in front of me, you know, my job, my different
things I did, and then just choosing to serve
intentionally. And so that would be my advice
is, you know, don't look at other people and
maybe, you know, feel like, oh, they have achieved this and maybe I
(23:20):
haven't achieved this or their purpose look there's it looked like, you know,
if somebody's impacting thousands of people
thinking that that is what I have to do to feel
that sense of meaning and purpose instead. Just see what
is in front of you because your journey, your meaning and purpose
might look very different. I mean, couldn't say it any better
(23:42):
than that. Thank you. Yeah. I
really appreciate that. Alright. You've been so generous with your
time. But before we go and before you tell people how they can get
in touch with you, is there anything that I didn't think to ask you
that you wanna share, or is anything popping your mind? Like, one more
thing. If not, it's okay, but I wanna give you the opportunity in case I
(24:04):
didn't ask you. I think I would just say that just believe
in yourself, and each and every one of us has
limitless potential. You know, we don't need anything. We don't
need fancy titles. We don't need, you know, this
or that. Like, wherever we are, we can lead, from
the current place and really achieve the
(24:26):
things that we wanna achieve. So just be
open to just look I mean, just have your eyes
open and see what is possible. Don't limit yourself. Get
help. That is another advice I always give is get help. Like, I
don't try to do things on my own. Like, I'm very good at asking
for help if I'm doing something new. So or something
(24:48):
challenging. So that is another thing I would say is don't try to do
it alone. I see many women trying to do things alone and
thinking they have to, you know, do it they have to, you know,
do the hard way. Get help. And,
yeah, the life is limitless, and, you are limitless.
That's what I would say. Yes. You are limitless. Alright,
(25:10):
Uma. This has been so so insightful
sharing your wisdom that you gleaned over the years. Now what if
they wanna hear, like, I wanna find out how I can learn more and how
can they be in touch with you? LinkedIn would be the best place.
I'm usually on limp LinkedIn, very active. So find
me, Uma Subramanian, on LinkedIn, and we also have a
(25:32):
website, thelimitlessleaders.com. You can also book a
call with me, from there. So happy to have a conversation with
anyone that's interested. Okay. That sounds great. And is it The
Limitless Leaders or just Limitless? The Limitless. I I I
couldn't get the domain, so I had to get The Limitless Leaders.
Okay. I wanna make sure they can find it. So the limitless leaders and also
(25:54):
on LinkedIn. Alright, Uma. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and
your grace and your beautiful presence with us here today. Thank you
so much. It was really my pleasure. Thanks a lot.
Okay. Everyone, I'd love to hear your response to the episode. Let me know
something that kind of stuck out in your mind, and you can find
me on all the social media channels, but I spend most of my
(26:17):
time on LinkedIn and you can reach me at
Robin L Owens PhD, at Robin L
Owens PhD. And until next time,
this is Dr. Robin. Thank you for tuning into
this episode of the Leadership Purpose with Dr Robin
podcast. If you enjoyed it, head on over and
(26:38):
rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
New episodes drop every week, and I can't wait to
hang out with you again soon. Meanwhile,
this is Dr Robin signing off.
See you next time.
Welcome to the Leadership Purpose with Doctor Robin podcast.
I'm your host, Robin l Owens, PhD. I'm a college
professor. And when I'm not doing that, I am teaching others
how to find and stay in alignment with their true purpose.
And this is where we talk with women who've made bold career
transitions in search for more meaning and purpose in
(00:24):
their work. So if you're feeling that pull toward more meaning and purpose in
your work or just curious about what's possible when you
pursue purpose over position, then these
conversations are here to encourage, inspire,
and guide you. Okay. Let's get started.
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Leadership Purpose
(00:47):
with Doctor. Robin podcast. I'm so glad you're here and you're listening to
the podcast. I say it all the time and I will continue to say it.
I really appreciate you for listening in. And because you've been
such faithful listeners, you helped us get ranked in the top
5% of all podcasts globally
according to Listen Notes. So thank you for doing that. And if you would
(01:09):
help us keep it going, rate and review the podcast.
Really, really, that would mean a would mean a lot to us and help us
keep going. Alright. And I'm looking forward to today's
conversation. I am talking with Uma
Subbanya, and she is a certified executive leadership
coach, trainer, speaker, and accomplished
(01:31):
tech industry veteran, including a twenty year
tenure at Microsoft, and she is passionate
about empowering leaders. She's the founder and CEO of
Limitless Leaders, which is a global brand that
helps mid career tech professionals, and she's on a
mission to build a community of empowered, sought after
(01:53):
leaders in tech. And she's deeply committed to inspiring
others to live with purpose and intention,
which, of course, I especially appreciate. And she says outside
of work, she's a proud mom of two teenagers and a beloved
dog. Welcome, Uma. Thanks a lot. One
correction. Just two weeks ago, we got two dogs. We got a
(02:15):
second puppy. Now it's two and two.
Yes. Now it's two and two. Two children and two doves.
Yes. Well, congratulations.
I figured you would so much. You're new addition to your family.
Thank you. And thanks, Robin, for having me. It's an honor to be
here. It's a delight to have you. I can't wait to get into those conversations.
(02:38):
Now you heard us. Well, you heard me read your introduction. But why
don't you tell us in your own words two things? Well, we know one thing
about you. You have a new member of your family, but tell us something else
about you and then about the work you do. I'm an avid reader.
So I if you saw me when I was five years old,
you would have seen me with a book in hand. So
(03:01):
that's me. And even if I if you let's say we were you're in
LA. I'm in Washington state. If I were driving and doing a
road trip to LA and you saw me in a car right next to you,
you will see my husband driving and me with a stack of books
on my lap. So that's how crazy I am with books. I love
books. That's been, a huge journey for me
(03:24):
to just go through, you know, through the books and
mentors and all that. So Yeah. I love that you said not just one book.
You would have a stack of books. Oh, yes. It's usually I mean, my husband
gets mad at me, but, yes, it's usually, like, three to five books or it
used to be even more, but now it's, like, usually three.
And it stayed with you from all the time when you were very young
(03:47):
till, you know, a little girl until now, that reading. Yeah. That's
wonderful to have a passion like that. Yeah. Right. So now tell us about the
work you do. Yeah. So we already like, you
shared that, Robin, that I, was at Microsoft for twenty
years. And then I joined a tech start up, was there
for almost a year. And then now what I do is,
(04:10):
coach tech professionals, become sought after leaders
so they can thrive in their career, rise in leadership, and
realize their limitless potential without burnout,
without hustle, without playing politics. And,
I help them really navigate everything that's
happening in the tech world today with modern leadership
(04:33):
skills that's really needed to thrive. Sounds like important work, and, of
course, I would think that. Right? Oh, yes. Yeah.
Alright. So are they emerging leaders? I mean,
like or are they people who are already in leadership who wanna
develop further? So mostly,
experienced leaders. So I would say, fifteen
(04:56):
to eighteen to twenty years of work experience is the
people that I usually work with. And they are trying to get
to, like, a VP position. You know, so that's really
my target audience. So they're not already usually in executive
positions, but they would like to get there. Oh, I
see. They're in some form of leadership, but not executive level
(05:18):
leadership. Correct. Correct. Yeah. It could be, you know,
very experienced individual contributors managing
large strategic projects, as well as managers
having people, but they're not yet in that executive
ring. I see. And do you teach leadership skills, like,
particular leadership skills? Because I know you said you're you're the CEO
(05:41):
of limitless leaders. So I'm guessing there's a particular
type of skill that you're teaching. Yes. So I
mainly have, four pillars that I have realized, you
know, in the last few years that I've started coaching, that
today's aspiring and emerging leaders need. One
is how to be strategic, how to create strategic
(06:04):
impact without burnout. And so that is one
pillar that we go deep on. The second pillar is
really honing communication and speaking skills and executive
presence. The third area is building authority and
personal brand because today, we need to stand out and personal
brand is becoming more and more important. And last but not the
(06:27):
least, relationship mastery. So how do you build
powerful allies and network and build relationships so you
can thrive at work? So that's those are the four areas that I
really help with. Sounds like you cover everything. I
mean, if you they have all those, then they have everything they need.
Oh, yes. That I real I mean, it's a very comprehensive
(06:51):
type of program that I've created. And, yes,
it's seeming to work, and we are seeing lot of success stories and
wins with my clients. Alright. Good. That's that's wonderful.
And how did you come to this work? So as I said, I started
at Microsoft and was there for twenty years, had a
blast, left Microsoft, and joined a tech startup
(07:13):
to head developer community there. And, again, had a
blast. But long story short, it ended abruptly,
and I ended up resigning after the the CEO insulted me
in a meeting. And then three weeks after my last day at
work, I was walking my dog, Mia, the first dog
that we have. And just the entire my
(07:35):
career life, you know, just came and flashed in front of
me. And I realized that I've always been
limitless. No. No one's really been able to hold me back.
Nothing's been able to hold me back. If I set my mind to achieve something,
I would go achieve it. And so that's when the
word limitless came to me, just flash in front of me and said, I'm
(07:57):
limitless. And just felt so much bliss and
joy just when I realized that. And then the next thought that
came to me was, well, wait a sec. Like, if I'm limitless,
so is everyone else. Because I really didn't come with
any special privilege or background or anything like that.
So I've realized if I feel limitless, everyone
(08:19):
else is limitless. But I do know that not
everyone knows that. And so that was the
moment that there was a deeper purpose that I
discovered and I realized, okay. I'm going to use my
voice and my energy and my time now to help
others realize their limitless potential in leadership.
(08:41):
So no matter what happens, they can go achieve their goals.
And whatever their definition of leadership goals might be,
they can go achieve them and thrive them. So literally came up with the name
Limitless Leaders. In that walk, I came back. My husband was
working from home. It was during COVID, and I told him that I'm starting
Limitless Leaders, and I haven't stopped since.
(09:05):
Amazing. Alright. So okay. So that was that moment. Was there
anything in the back of your mind at any time before then
that somehow you might teach others not just particularly
limitless, but that you would just do something on your own? Separate part.
Never. In fact, no, Robin. In fact, I have a very negative
perspective on starting my own business because my father had a
(09:28):
series of failed businesses. I grew up with that.
So for me, the nine to five job, having a, you know, a
stable nine to five job has been the thing.
I would never ever, like, you know, think of starting something.
It's just that when this moment happened, I feel like all the
inner work, all the work that I've done, all the reading, all the, you
(09:51):
know, coaching, mentoring that I have achieved, I think I was ready for that
moment at that time. And I didn't have any hesitation.
No doubt. Like, never. Like, not even a single moment of doubt.
Not a moment of doubt when I wanted to resign as well. I resigned after
the meeting in which I, you know, was insulted. There
was not not a single ounce of hesitation or doubt. I decided I
(10:14):
will I knew my self worth, and I said I'm gonna resign. And then
same thing with when I decided to start limitless leaders,
zero hesitation. I came back, said I will start it, and then
I'm going strong still. About how much time
between the time you resigned and you received that sort
of moment while you were walking your dog? So it was
(10:36):
July 8 when I resigned the meeting, and then I resigned.
And then the CEO apologized. And then
long story short, he wanted me to at least stay for a month to help
with the transition. I had a huge team. I had five teams, 50 people
under me. And so I stayed for a month, and August 5 was
my last day. So August 5, last
(10:58):
day, I came into I mean, I had already told my husband when I resigned
that I'm gonna take six months and figure out what I want to do
next. And I knew that when all this happened,
because I had poured myself into everything. Like, at Microsoft, I
was doing fantastic. At this company, I was doing
fantastic. I was even promoted at this start up in five months to senior
(11:21):
director. And I knew that this is not I mean, this couldn't
be happening like this. It couldn't be ending like this. So if this is happening,
it must be because there is something bigger and better waiting for me. Maybe
I'm ready for something, and I just don't know what it is. You
know? And I knew that I was meant to do something bigger in that moment.
Not this is not something I had thought of before, but just in that
(11:43):
moment, that those were the thoughts I I that came.
And so every day after August 5, literally, I would get
ready just as if I'm going to work, and I would sit on my computer
and just be thinking, okay. What could I do? Like, you know, what is the
next thing I want to do? And this walk was three weeks
into it. So it was in August of twenty twenty two. And,
(12:05):
within three weeks, I came up with the idea. So was able
to then steer everything after that towards the company.
That's amazing. That's absolutely amazing. And what
you thought might take six months, and I'm saying this for people who might
be having a similar experience right now, sometimes you just don't
know. We we always think it's gonna take long. It has to
(12:28):
take a long time no matter what the it is. We tend to think
it's gonna take a long time, But you had focus and
intention and just putting yourself there and three
weeks and there it was, and then you took action immediately.
Yeah. I'm I'm I'm grateful that's how it worked out. Like, I don't know
if that is really how it worked out, but I'm glad, that
(12:51):
was the journey that I'm going through. That's amazing. Alright.
So now was there anything you talked about earlier about your love of
reading. Was there anything that you see
from little Uma, separate from reading, anything in
little Uma that's reflected in what you do today? I
think that little Uma did have the drive
(13:15):
to make a difference, to serve others, and I see that still
carrying through. When I joined Microsoft, my role I mean,
I joined in a very junior role in a in a very
simple kind of function and role, not something, you know, doing great
things. But I attached meaning to it from
day one. And so I saw it as serving
(13:36):
developers. You know, my role with smart customers were developers, and we my
role was to help developers building on top of Microsoft platform,
building applications. And so, when I wrote
content, when I wrote samples, I thought of, you
know, each and every piece that I wrote helping and impacting
those developers. And with every year,
(13:59):
every year of growth, and as I grow in my career,
I did bigger and bolder things, and everything attached that
kind of meanings and sense of purpose. So that really helped. I
think that's been a pattern even at the tech startup.
Same thing, we launched developer community, and I saw that as
impacting developers all over the world. So all of
(14:22):
that kind of I think it's been the same journey that I'm going on, you
know, going through from when I was little. It's just
that the purpose and the impact is just becoming
bigger and bigger. It's growing, in the positive direction.
So that's really amazing to see. It is amazing.
Alright. So now you're helping leaders. And when
(14:44):
you were early in your career, you were helping developers. Was
there anybody around you when you were little, Uma, that you were helping that you're
aware of? Oh, I do think so. I think with the little
Uma, I don't think was was, I think, was selfish and
probably just focused on herself. Not not
really sure if I was helping when I was little. Yeah. But I
(15:06):
was absorbing and learning, I guess. Yeah. You are a
learner. Yes. Totally. Yes. Learner till today, but
I think when I was younger, definitely was,
learning, and then I think connected that
learning to serving. Yeah. And it's that's the journey that I
think, it's it's continuing right now. I love that
(15:29):
thread, learning and serving. Yes. Yeah. Alright.
So that was sort of like your career journey brought you from where
you were all the way up to where you are now. So now that
you're here and you're following your what your life has been leading
you to, do you feel like you have purpose in your life? Oh,
100%. Definitely.
(15:51):
You know, I I I'm coaching clients. There was this
one client that came to me, was so frustrated with
the current, you know, work situation. And I see them, like, when they
come, they're, you know, completely drained out. Like, you can see, you
know, even though we are only meeting on Zoom, you can see,
their state of mind and, how they are feeling. And then
(16:14):
just a couple of weeks later, I see them, like, radiating
and, you know, with, like, glowing and, you know, talking with
excitement. They're already seeing wins. They have, just a
lot of good things starting to happen at work and, you know, with
their, relationships at work, with management, with leadership, with
peers, getting, you know, them seeing newer opportunities,
(16:37):
seizing them. It's just amazing. So when I see that,
it's just makes my day as well. And I always give
my phone number to my clients and tell them to text me if they have
wins. And many of my clients will text me during the week
if they, you know, went and did a presentation and it was very well
received, things like that. And when I see that, it just makes
(17:00):
my day. And I I do think that my work,
however small, like, even when, you know, day one I started Microsoft
to today, I've been able to always
believe that my work, you know, has impact.
And I'm able to see that and has really given me
joy and, happiness and satisfaction.
(17:23):
Yes. It sounds like impact is very important to you. Yes.
Definitely. What would you say was the the biggest challenge
in your pursuit throughout your career? It sounds like you've done a lot of sort
of personal development and growth. But what was
a a struggle or a frustration or a challenge in the
pursuit of really kind of coming into alignment with your purpose?
(17:45):
I think it would be this constant
need for you know, this have needing for sense of
achievement. So I find purpose
in what I do, but I think I've also because I find
so much joy and purpose in everything that I do,
I also end up caring too much and
(18:07):
overcommitting and doing too much. And I have found
myself not really burning out, but finding myself
in situations where I'm overcommitted, you know, and
overdoing things. And I really like it because I'm,
again, I'm getting that sense of achievement and purpose and meaning,
but something suffers. You know? Sometimes it's my health. Sometimes
(18:30):
it's some relationships that are really important to me.
So, definitely, that's been and mostly for me, it's
been the health. Whenever I overdo
it, I get a warning from the health
gods. So the and thankfully, nothing serious or
major, but definitely, you know, enough, serious enough
(18:52):
to make me pause and realize, okay. Maybe I'm running too
fast or, you know, running, behind some
purpose that's meaningful, but still, you know, maybe I need to slow down
a little bit and have some boundaries. And so that has happened
repeatedly for me now a few times. And I've learned every
single time that happened, I've recalibrated
(19:15):
and slowed down and, you know, set boundaries. But it's
been a journey, to be honest. And I feel like I've come a long way
now. Like, touch wood at this moment, I feel like I have good
balance and, you know, good boundaries, healthy boundaries, and I'm very
self aware as well. And I know when I'm you know, if
I'm overdoing it, I know how to stop. But that's
(19:38):
been my challenge, I would think. Makes sense too, especially if
you really enjoy what you're doing. The tendency is to wanna do more and
more. But I agree the body has a way of reminding us when we need
to sort of get back in alignment. Yeah. Yeah. The body is
very clear and I'm glad that you now have a way to, you
know, kind of keep it in check. Yeah. And I know for
(20:00):
everybody, it always whatever the thing is might find its
way back to us. But generally speaking, we know how to in your case, you
know how to keep it in check. So that's wonderful. Alright. So now that you
know that, let's talk to the woman who's listening right now and
I'll tell you who she is. She's a high achieving woman and this is my
definition which I'm believing you will resonate with. She's high
(20:22):
achieving and by that what I mean is she's
ambitious and she's responsible. People can
count on her no matter where she's is or what she's doing,
people can count on her. She's good at a few things
and people come to her in her professional life for
advice, want to hear her thoughts, whether it's related to her
(20:44):
role, her position, or anything, she's the one that they come
to. And in her outside of her profession,
in the home or community or neighborhood, if anything is going
on, she's the one that people come to sort of like to hear her
thoughts and her advice. So this is who I mean by the high
achieving woman. Yeah. So it sounds like you
(21:06):
resonate with that. Oh, definitely. And I don't know how I mean, how many people
come to me for advice, but I def definitely resonate with, you
know, many of us trying to do a lot, like,
on many fronts and wearing too many hats. So that's the
one we're speaking to. And she's feeling she has a
success, but she's unfulfilled. Like I achieved all
(21:28):
this. I checked the boxes, I got the promotions
and she's asking either it's quietly in
the back of her mind whispering or for some it could be
shouting, is this all there is? And she's looking for
more meaning and more impact and
more purpose and fulfillment in her work. So
(21:50):
she's the one we're talking to right now. So what's something
from your any part of your life, personal or professional, that
you could leave her with as, you know, just something to think
about that might help her where she is today? I think I I
would like to tell her that her journey is unique
and the way purpose and meaning, you
(22:12):
know, looks like in her life might be different from the
other women that she's probably, you know, listening to on
podcasts, you know, seeing on other, you know,
channels. So just trusting her journey
and trying to find meaning and purpose
in just the, you know, the day to day flow of life and
(22:35):
being open to opportunities, being open to
being courageous to you know, when she sees those opportunities,
being able to, you know, seize those and follow, up with those, I think that
would be, what I would suggest. I didn't
go, you know, trying to find a a
big purpose or anything. Like, my journey was it just unfolded
(22:58):
by, just me showing up to, you know,
whatever was in front of me, you know, my job, my different
things I did, and then just choosing to serve
intentionally. And so that would be my advice
is, you know, don't look at other people and
maybe, you know, feel like, oh, they have achieved this and maybe I
(23:20):
haven't achieved this or their purpose look there's it looked like, you know,
if somebody's impacting thousands of people
thinking that that is what I have to do to feel
that sense of meaning and purpose instead. Just see what
is in front of you because your journey, your meaning and purpose
might look very different. I mean, couldn't say it any better
(23:42):
than that. Thank you. Yeah. I
really appreciate that. Alright. You've been so generous with your
time. But before we go and before you tell people how they can get
in touch with you, is there anything that I didn't think to ask you
that you wanna share, or is anything popping your mind? Like, one more
thing. If not, it's okay, but I wanna give you the opportunity in case I
(24:04):
didn't ask you. I think I would just say that just believe
in yourself, and each and every one of us has
limitless potential. You know, we don't need anything. We don't
need fancy titles. We don't need, you know, this
or that. Like, wherever we are, we can lead, from
the current place and really achieve the
(24:26):
things that we wanna achieve. So just be
open to just look I mean, just have your eyes
open and see what is possible. Don't limit yourself. Get
help. That is another advice I always give is get help. Like, I
don't try to do things on my own. Like, I'm very good at asking
for help if I'm doing something new. So or something
(24:48):
challenging. So that is another thing I would say is don't try to do
it alone. I see many women trying to do things alone and
thinking they have to, you know, do it they have to, you know,
do the hard way. Get help. And,
yeah, the life is limitless, and, you are limitless.
That's what I would say. Yes. You are limitless. Alright,
(25:10):
Uma. This has been so so insightful
sharing your wisdom that you gleaned over the years. Now what if
they wanna hear, like, I wanna find out how I can learn more and how
can they be in touch with you? LinkedIn would be the best place.
I'm usually on limp LinkedIn, very active. So find
me, Uma Subramanian, on LinkedIn, and we also have a
(25:32):
website, thelimitlessleaders.com. You can also book a
call with me, from there. So happy to have a conversation with
anyone that's interested. Okay. That sounds great. And is it The
Limitless Leaders or just Limitless? The Limitless. I I I
couldn't get the domain, so I had to get The Limitless Leaders.
Okay. I wanna make sure they can find it. So the limitless leaders and also
(25:54):
on LinkedIn. Alright, Uma. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and
your grace and your beautiful presence with us here today. Thank you
so much. It was really my pleasure. Thanks a lot.
Okay. Everyone, I'd love to hear your response to the episode. Let me know
something that kind of stuck out in your mind, and you can find
me on all the social media channels, but I spend most of my
(26:17):
time on LinkedIn and you can reach me at
Robin L Owens PhD, at Robin L
Owens PhD. And until next time,
this is Dr. Robin. Thank you for tuning into
this episode of the Leadership Purpose with Dr Robin
podcast. If you enjoyed it, head on over and
(26:38):
rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
New episodes drop every week, and I can't wait to
hang out with you again soon. Meanwhile,
this is Dr Robin signing off.
See you next time.
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