Rama Kolli

Before I ever met Manish, I marveled at the company-wide impact he was having even while not being in a position of authority. His influence stemmed purely from his systems thinking approach and his ability to help others see the bigger picture.

As a Principal Engineer at Microsoft, I work on large-scale distributed systems that serve millions of users. The technical complexity is immense, but what I learned from Manish is that the real complexity lies in the interactions between technical systems, teams, processes, and business objectives.

Manish’s systems thinking workshop was a revelation. He showed me how to step back from individual technical problems and see the entire ecosystem. This perspective has been invaluable in my role as a technical leader and mentor to other engineers.

What struck me most was how Manish could influence positive change without formal authority. He demonstrated that understanding systems and helping others see systemic relationships is one of the most powerful forms of leadership. This has completely changed my approach to technical leadership.

Since applying his methodologies, I’ve become more effective at driving technical decisions that align with broader business objectives. I can now anticipate how technical choices will ripple through the organization and design solutions that strengthen the entire system.

The impact on my teams has been significant. Engineers who understand systems thinking make better architectural decisions, write more maintainable code, and collaborate more effectively across team boundaries. This has elevated the quality of everything we build.

For any technical leader who wants to expand their impact beyond their immediate sphere, systems thinking is essential. Manish provides the frameworks and mindset to achieve this transformation.