A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world
A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world

AGL 479: Uma Subramanian on The Sought After Leader

24 July 2026 33:34 John Rouda: technical leader, author, speaker, educator

Listen to episode

About this episode

About Uma

Uma Subramanian founded Limitless Leaders to help mid-career tech professionals become confident leaders who inspire trust, build influence, and drive meaningful impact in their careers. With over two decades of experience in the tech industry, including a 20-year tenure at Microsoft, she understands the challenges of stepping into leadership roles, gaining recognition, and thriving in today’s fast-paced workplace.

Uma is on a mission to build a community of empowered, sought-after leaders in tech. Her coaching programs provide the mindset, tools, and strategies needed to lead authentically, think strategically, and achieve measurable success—without sacrificing personal well-being. By blending practical strategies with actionable insights, she helps professionals grow into impactful leaders who inspire teams and deliver results. Her expertise spans communication, emotional intelligence, and strategic leadership, enabling her clients to lead with clarity and purpose.

Uma brings deep expertise through certifications in Executive Coaching, DISC Behavioral Analysis, and the Corporate Facilitator Program from Maxwell Leadership. She has also completed advanced training in Positive Psychology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Coaching for Leaders through Seattle Coach.

Outside of work, Uma is a proud mom of two teenagers and a beloved dog. She enjoys exploring personal development books, traveling to new destinations, and dancing to the vibrant beats of Bollywood music. Uma is deeply committed to balancing a fulfilling career with family life and inspiring others to live with purpose and intention.


Today We Talked About

  • Time at Microsoft
  • Individual contributor to Manager
  • Work on yourself first
  • Leadership
  • Coaching
  • Perception Gap
  • Hardwork isn’t enough
  • SOAR Framework
    • Strategic Impact
    • Outstanding Communication and Influence
    • Authroity and Personal Brand
    • Relationship
  • The Value you bring vs. the Value others see
  • Communicate the Value
  • Evaluate the Value

Connect with Uma

  • LinkedIn
  • Website
  • Book

Leave me a tip $
Click here to Donate to the show


I hope you enjoyed this show, please head over to Apple Podcasts and subscribe and leave me a rating and review, even one sentence will help spread the word.  Thanks again!

Want to find AI jobs?

Join thousands of AI professionals finding their next opportunity

We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe at any time.

© 2026 A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the world. All rights reserved.

Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about how DevFound's AI matching, resumes, and referrals work.

DevFound's AI Copilot ingests your profile, goals, and live job data to deliver curated matches in seconds. Every match includes a resume variant, suggested referrals, and interview prep so you can act immediately. The more feedback you provide, the sharper the Copilot becomes.

AI-led job searches shrink the hours spent sifting through boards and formatting resumes. DevFound pairs automation with your personal outreach, so you reserve energy for interviews and negotiation. Traditional networking still matters, but AI gives you a lift before you even send a message.

Modern AI roles expect comfort with production-grade code, data fluency, and practical ML tooling. The strongest candidates pair deep technical chops with storytelling—translating model impact to product, GTM, and exec partners. Continuous learning keeps you ahead as stacks evolve.

DevFound rewards active seekers. Keep your profile fresh, respond to match quality prompts, and enable alerts so you never miss a role. The AI prioritizes companies and teams that align with your feedback, accelerating both introductions and interview invites.

High-density tech hubs continue to host the deepest AI talent pools, yet distributed teams are catching up fast. Use DevFound filters to hone in on onsite, hybrid, or fully remote roles and watch openings expand across time zones.

DevFound aggregates thousands of remote AI openings and flags the nuances—core hours, async culture, and visa needs—up front. The Copilot also recommends how to position your distributed work experience so hiring managers know you can thrive on a remote team.