Beyond the Case
A podcast where global leaders from the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management (OPM) community join in a personal capacity and share the real decisions, failures, and mental models behind building enduring companies.
This podcast is independent and not affiliated with Harvard Business School.
Beyond the Case
The Inner Operating System of an Entrepreneur: Advisors, Yoga, and Time - Sudhakar Kadavasal
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Sudhakar Kadavasal, a second-generation entrepreneur from Chennai has built and led businesses across IT services, logistics, chemicals, construction, and energy, with operations in India and Dubai. Sudhakar shares how his father’s early entrepreneurial leap created a foundation that enabled him to take bold risks, including returning to India in 1997 and later starting afresh in Dubai.
He reflects on leadership lessons that transcend industries, especially people management, capital allocation, and managing chaos. Sudhakar openly discusses failure, humility, and the importance of healing and reflection through advisors, yoga, and time. Over the years, his definition of “enough” has evolved from financial success to the freedom to pursue purpose-driven work, including music, education, and nonprofit service.
He believes success follows purpose, not the other way around, and emphasizes lifelong learning through programs like Harvard’s OPM, which he describes as both a reminder and a sharpening tool for forgotten fundamentals. For Sudhakar, wisdom lies in surrounding oneself with people smarter than oneself, maintaining integrity, and refusing to compromise on personal disciplines like early mornings and self-reflection.
Here are the Top 10 Takeaways from the conversation:
- Foundations matter: A strong business and values foundation enables bolder, smarter risk-taking.
- Integrity wins business: Saying “no” to what you can’t do builds long-term trust and credibility.
- Second-gen ≠ easy path: Advantage exists, but courage and execution still matter, especially in new geographies.
- People management is universal: Across industries, success depends on managing people and chaos well.
- Failure humbles and teaches: Early setbacks are powerful teachers if faced honestly and quickly.
- Healing takes time and tools: Advisors, reflection, and practices like yoga help recover from setbacks.
- Enough is freedom: True “enough” is the ability to do what you enjoy, not just financial milestones.
- Purpose precedes success: Doing meaningful work naturally leads to sustainable success.
- Learning is lifelong: Programs like OPM reinforce forgotten basics and prevent leadership negligence.
- Wisdom is collective: The wisest leaders attract and retain people smarter and more balanced than themselves.
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