Welcome to Transform’s Q&A Author Spotlight Series, where we feature insightful authors who are redefining people and culture, work, leadership, and technology. Join us to gain fresh perspectives and practical knowledge from those at the forefront of today’s evolving professional landscape.
About The Author
Dr. Vijay Pendakur
A true multi-sector organizational leader, Vijay has held senior roles at four companies: Zynga, VMware, Dropbox, and Salesforce. He has also served as the Dean of Students at Cornell University. Dr. Pendakur serves on the institute teaching faculty of the Race and Equity Center at the University of Southern California and was recognized as a top DEI leader by Channel Futures in 2021 and Untapped in 2022. Vijay is a board advisor with Ezra Coaching, Enterprise Ireland, and Wisq. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Katie, a psychotherapist and yoga teacher, and his two young daughters, Mira and Savi. He is also the Author of “The Alchemy of Talent: Leading Teams to Peak Performance.”
Background and Inspiration
Transform: How have your professional experiences influenced your writing and perspectives on workplace trends?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: I spent 18 years working for universities, transforming environments, systems, and policies so that students had the best opportunity to thrive in college. Universities are extremely data-rich environments, often filled with researchers and scientists who demand strong data-driven insights into the student experience. Universities have also used predictive analytics, robust LMS approaches, and other enterprise solutions in the “student tech stack” for years. When I shifted to employee experience work, my background informed much of my work.
I am surprised at how many organizations still lack a coherent strategy for connecting their employee sentiment data to actionable tactics to improve the employee experience. I also have a deep academic background in adult development and performance outcomes, or how people learn and thrive in high-pressure settings. I have been stunned at the theory-to-practice gap on HR teams, and it gives me meaning and energy to help close this gap.
Writing Process
Transform: What does your typical writing day look like when working on topics related to HR and business?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: My solopreneur business is a mix of audience-based engagements, like keynotes and workshops, and fractional advising roles. I publish a newsletter, The Alchemy of Talent, that helps me connect with audiences who share a passion for high-performing teams and other parts of the employee experience. The newsletter forces me to constantly follow emerging trends and the news cycle on employee experience which, in turn, helps me add value for my clients as a speaker or advisor because I am able to help them stay in front of the innovation or response curve.
Transform: How do you stay current with the rapidly changing trends in the workplace to ensure your writing remains relevant?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: I would be in trouble without my podcasts! In addition to running my business, I am committed to being an active husband and father, and my aging parents live local to me as well. Podcasts allow me to learn about HR trends and news while driving, working out, or taking a quick walk between virtual meetings. I use the notes app on my phone to keep track of things I learn in podcasts that can inform my writing or work with clients.
Content Development
Transform: How do you develop your book’s case studies or examples, and do they evolve as you write?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: My new book, The Alchemy of Talent, was in gestation for five years. LOL! I was working through the ideas that show up in the book for years as an in-house leader who was charged with optimizing elements of the employee experience. From leading efforts at the largest Ivy League university to multiple VP and C-level roles at large tech companies, I was in the trenches for a long time.
When I launched my own business, I knew I had to write a book to get my point of view clarified and to expand my reach to a broader audience. Once I had an idea of the problem I wanted to address, the book honestly poured out of me in a deluge. I don’t think this will ever happen again, but I wrote the whole book in a very short period of time because I’d been playing with the core mechanics for so long as an operational leader.
Since I used a phenomenal hybrid publisher, I had incredible control over the stylistic choices I made in the book. I knew I wanted to write something that was actually FUN to read. Why are the canonical books on leading teams often so dry and painful to read? I’ve coached so many team leaders and they have very little time for upskilling. I wanted my book to be short, clear, fun, and engaging. The chapters blend quick case studies to hook the reader and clarify the problems, some behavioral science to validate the ideas as best practice, and plenty of practical “do this; not that” style guidance that team leaders can just put right into play.
Throughout the writing and design process, I had a post-it note that reminded me that I was writing a “…practical blueprint that an average leader could leave on their desk as a reference tool.” This was an important nudge for me, as it helped me cut elements out of the book that would have just been filler, or a distraction from the high-value actions that are featured in The Alchemy of Talent.
I also wanted to include internal artwork that was much more fun than the normal business literature aesthetic. So, my readers will find internal images that look like a graphic novel…lifelike representations of people, interesting diverse looks, an edgier style. All of this helps more visual learners get value out of certain complicated concepts, which hopefully translates into empowering them to lead more effectively!
Themes and Messages
Transform: What core themes do you explore in your book, “The Alchemy of Talent,” and why are they significant to you and your readers?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: There’s an increased attention to performance in HR right now. Every CHRO I speak with shares that their organization has a “renewed focus on performance,” especially in tech. When I ask about how these organizations are addressing the leadership readiness to build trust after a layoff or M&A disruption, it’s crickets. If I ask about how these organizations are driving performance by harnessing the science of belonging to increase resilience on teams, it’s crickets. If I ask about how these organizations are teaching team leaders to generate connection on hybrid and remote teams, again crickets.
My book is about the behavioral science of teams that win, purpose-built for an era of endless disruption and ambiguity. In my work with large complex companies, I see how the focus on performance is often narrowly a focus on “talent hygiene”: organizations are adding more rigor into performance reviews, setting distribution guidance for annual performance scores (e.g. only 5% of the org can receive an “exceeds expectations” on annual review), or adding high-performer development programs. These are smart investments for competitive orgs, but they do not address the need for trust, belonging, and connection on teams that outperform consistently.
I wrote “The Alchemy of Talent” to offer team leaders, from frontline leaders all the way to the C-Suite, a radically simple, science-based guide on how to turn up the volume on human flourishing at work, even while we work in a slow-motion earthquake.
The book is very practical and skills-based, taking leaders from quick “aha” moments right into “so what do I do to win trust from my team?” Each chapter is loaded with evidence-based practices, reader challenge questions, and takeaway tools to lead your team to peak performance.
Publishing and Reception
Transform: What has been the most surprising reaction from readers of “The Alchemy of Talent”?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: I frequently hear, “I am surprised by how simple the playbook is?!” from my readers. I think there’s been a trend in the past few decades to produce team effectiveness guides that are extremely complicated. My experience with leading through the fog of volatility is that I cannot handle complicated best practices…I need simple and practical! So, I had a persona in mind when I was writing the book: a really earnest individual contributor on a sales or product team that is “rewarded” for their success by being given management of a 5-person team. They go to the LMS to get help on leadership and what they find is primarily “talent hygiene” courses (see my previous answer on what I mean by this bit of snark!). Their manager is busy and cannot mentor them effectively, but they are expected to not just hit the KPIs but to be innovative and agile along the way. I wrote the book for this frontline leader and also left enough nuggets in there for a VP of HR to use to actually redesign the talent development approach at their company.
Advice and Future Plans
Transform: What’s next for you? Are you working on any new projects or books about the future of work?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: While the next few months are going to be spent promoting the book through podcasts, keynotes, and author spotlights (ahem…case in point!), I am excited to develop an “Alchemy of Talent Book Club” product in 2025. This will be an e-learning experience for frontline leaders to have a set of videos, worksheets, and facilitation guides to run a self-directed book club at their company! In my market research, I know that not every organization has the budget for my onsite keynotes or virtual workshops, so I want to bring a product to market that is scalable and cost-efficient for either more budget-conscious organizations or orgs looking to bring a development experience to thousands of front line leaders.
Personal Insights
Transform: What book (besides your own) do you wish you had written and why?
Dr. Vijay Pendakur: I am enamored with Jamil Zaki’s “The War for Kindness” and secretly wish that I had written it! HA! It’s brilliantly researched and beautifully written, AND it addresses an urgent need for our world. What’s not to admire there?! If you’re interested in the science of empathy, definitely pick up a copy of this stellar book.