

Leverage AI Tools to Empower Leadership with Sid Pandiya, Kona
AI tools are here to stay, and they’re reshaping numerous aspects of the business world. One area where artificial intelligence is demonstrating its potential for tangible impact is leadership and management. In this episode, Sid Pandiya of Kona joins A.J. to explore how AI tools like Kona are empowering managers and helping them become more effective leaders in the long run.
About Sid Pandiya:
Sid Pandiya is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kona, an AI-powered leadership coach helping remote teams build culture and stay connected through expert-backed advice and daily check-ins. Their goal at Kona is to empower managers and support them as they hone their leadership skills. Prior to founding Kona, Sid worked as an intern at Zumper, where he made significant contributions to the company’s product management, software engineering, and machine learning.
Sid’s remarkable talent for innovation and tech leadership earned him distinctions like the Kleiner Perkins Engineering Fellowship and the role of a Product Management Fellow at Product Space. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Greenwood High International School.
Episode highlights:
- Using AI can help stay consistent with your business WHY, create structure, and achieve high results. (05:20)
- AI takes the guesswork and stress out of leadership. It helps lead more efficiently and uplift the team’s spirit. (15:24)
- Making AI more proactive in the future. (19:40)
- The importance of coaching and therapy for founders. (26:32)
- Managers need safe spaces and supporting communities. (31:11)
- AI can make sure that managers do their jobs more efficiently by providing valuable feedback and high-quality advice to their people. (31:58)
Sid’s best advice for entrepreneurs:
“I've seen and felt the impact that both a bad manager can have on your well-being, mental health, and overall happiness. On the flip side, how uplifting and energizing, having a great manager can be for your life, your career, your success, and your overall happiness because a big part of your mental health and well-being comes from your work and your work environment and your manager is the most important person that you will interact with at any given job.” (15:47)Connect with Sid:
Resources Mentioned:
- Kona
- Evolution Coaching
- Geoff Graber
- Janine Davis
- Kona’s Manager Book Club
- Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
- Just Work: How to Root Out Bias, Prejudice, and Bullying to Build a Kick-Ass Culture of Inclusivity by Kim Scott
- Kona’s Manager Accelerator Program
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