Editor’s note: This article is based on insights from a podcast series. The views expressed in the podcast reflect the speakers’ perspectives and do not necessarily represent those of this publication. Readers are encouraged to explore the full podcast for additional context.
Risk is often portrayed as something to be avoided but what if risk is simply a part of everyday life? That question sits at the heart of a thoughtful conversation on “The Indianness Podcast,” hosted by Sanjay Puri, featuring Soumitra Dutta, a globally respected voice in technology, innovation, and leadership.
As the founding co-editor of the Global Innovation Index and a trusted advisor to governments and Fortune 500 companies, Dutta brings decades of global experience to the discussion. In this episode, he reflects on risk-taking, adaptability, leadership expectations, and how unplanned moments often shape the most meaningful chapters of our lives.
Dutta begins by reframing risk as something unavoidable, “I think you take risks every time. When you drive a car, you’re taking a risk. When you take a plane, you’re taking a risk. But you manage the risk, you manage the probabilities, outcomes, and then you take decisions. So I think whether it’s enterprise or whether it’s starting your own company, you’re taking risks every day.”
Effective leaders, he explains, constantly weigh probabilities and outcomes before making decisions. This applies just as much to individuals as it does to enterprises. Avoiding risk altogether is neither realistic nor desirable growth depends on informed, intentional choices.
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Growing up in an Indian Air Force family meant frequent moves, new schools, and repeated adjustments. What could have been destabilizing instead became a powerful foundation for adaptability. Each transition forced Dutta to build resilience, form new relationships, and stay open to change.
This early exposure later helped him navigate global environments living and working across India, Europe, and the United States. His takeaway is clear: adaptability is best learned through experience, not theory.
One of the most resonant themes in the conversation is the idea that success is not universal. He shares, “Other people around you may define success in other ways. And this ability to be able to discern the difference and to actually respect the fact that other people around you may define success for themselves in different ways. And thereby, your expectations in terms of what you expect from them has to be modified accordingly.”
Dutta shares a story where increased responsibility failed to motivate an employee because her priorities were different. The lesson? Leadership requires understanding what success means to others, not imposing a single standard across diverse individuals and life stages.
In today’s hybrid and remote work environments, leaders often see only a narrow slice of an employee’s life. Dutta emphasizes the importance of recognizing that performance is influenced by personal realities, family challenges, mental health, or major life transitions.
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This doesn’t mean lowering expectations indefinitely. Instead, it calls for flexibility, empathy, and the ability to recalibrate expectations when circumstances demand it.
Perhaps the most striking insight from the episode is Dutta’s belief, “The general heuristic you’ll probably come to is that 20% are planned and 80% unplanned. And the real issue is, what life is, is how you react to those 80% unplanned moments.”
What matters most is how we respond to those moments. Do we recognize them? Do we have the courage to act? Many pivotal life decisions, careers, relationships, relocations emerge from serendipity rather than strategy.
Risk-taking is not limited to startups. Dutta recounts how he led a major institutional transformation at Cornell University by merging multiple business-related schools into a single College of Business, a bold move in a traditionally conservative academic environment.
The experience shows that meaningful change is possible even within established systems, when leaders are willing to challenge norms and take responsibility.
As the conversation on “The Indianness Podcast” comes full circle, Dutta’s message is both grounded and inspiring: work hard, remain curious, take risks early, ideally with safety nets and stay open to change.
In a world defined by uncertainty, adaptability, empathy, and thoughtful risk-taking may be the most enduring leadership skills of all.