Show Notes
Episode 187 | Give Before You Take: AI as Force for Equity | Bala Muthiah How do you create people-first technology that scales for high-performance teams? How do you lead engineering groups under pressure as you develop resilience and innovate sustainably? How do you champion AI as a force for equity rather than replacement, democratizing mentorship and surfacing areas for growth? Transform your approach to empathy, psychological safety, and long-term growth on this episode of the Work Positive Podcast with Dr. Joey Faucette and Bala Muthiah. Bala is Director of Engineering at Lyft, leading the engineering groups responsible for real-time decision systems that support millions of riders and drivers. His work centers on creating environments where teams thrive under pressure. He prioritizes empathy, psychological safety, and long-term growth as he champions AI as a force for equity and leadership. Listen as Bala explores: ☀️ How community shaped him from home to neighbors to extended family, teaching him he stands on the shoulders of giants ☀️ Why women leaders played a huge role in his development, with his first mentor being female and continuing through his career ☀️ The power of coffee walks and why real meetings happen after the meeting, rather than clicking the red button on Zoom ☀️ How starting meetings five minutes late and ending five minutes early gives you time to breathe, reflect, and avoid jumping from meeting to meeting ☀️ Why work is no longer the number one priority for people, which is completely the right thing as individuals develop their community Bala transforms how leaders think about technology by proving that as you bring together analytical skills and people skills, you unlock potential and become a better engineer and a better person. 🔑 Key Insight: "I am standing on the shoulders of giants. I'm taller and able to do things because I am built on top of somebody else's hard work. Someone gave me the opportunity, the learning, and knowledge. Every single opportunity I see, a friend of mine recently shared this: respect the opportunity. Anything you get, respect it. That teaching and that culture helped me stay grounded. Engineers are heads down solving problems, usually not very known for people skills. But as these two come together, you really unlock potential. You become a better engineer and a better person. It's a collective gain. Both benefit from each other. That's the formula I kept and it got me where I am." 💡 Your DOT (Do One Thing): Do two things. First, regardless of where you work or who you work with, as you ask someone "How are you?" and they tell you "I'm good," don't stop there. Ask "Tell me more." That opens up insights and creates better relationships. Many times we ask people how they are, they say good, and we walk away. Some of us ask the question and walk away rather than even listening. Be curious about them. Second, give before you take. Imagine the world as we all give before we take. The world transforms into a much better place. Whether you're talking or creating relationships, always give first before you take anything from that relationship. That makes the whole thing better. People come to you. You are one person who gives before you take, but there are ten people who come to you and give. Mathematically, you actually get more than you give. Note: The views expressed in this episode are those of Bala Muthiah and do not represent the views of his employer. ----more---- Connect with Bala Muthiah:
Visit BalaMuthiah.com to read blog posts and discover podcast appearances Connect with Bala on LinkedIn Reach out via email on his website (Bala loves connecting with people to learn) Discover how a 30-minute conversation triggers more insights than reading any amount of books Learn how to create environments where teams thrive under pressure
#GiveBeforeTake #PeopleFirstTechnology #AIForEquity #CoffeeWalks #TellMeMore #StandingOnShoulders #CultureEatsStrategyForBreak
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