Tech Titans: How Do You Lead When No One's Looking? with Jack Tam, Intuit
Get the full intelligence
Search transcripts, export clips, track mentions, and explore all topics from “Tech Titans: How Do You Lead When No One's Looking? with Jack Tam, Intuit” inside PodZeus.
In this timeless episode of Modern CTO, host Joel Beasley sits down with Jack Tam, Senior Vice President and CTO at Intuit, to explore the essence of authentic leadership in technology. With over 20 years at Intuit, Jack reflects on why he's stayed with the company—its culture of growth, ambition, and continuous learning. He emphasizes that true leadership isn't about visibility but about integrity, excellence, and accountability when no one is watching. Drawing from personal experience and mentors like Warren Buffett and former CTO IsTalo Stansbury, Jack shares how he’s cultivated calm, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence—practices like pausing before responding to emails and taking time for reflection. He also highlights the importance of a growth mindset, curiosity, and the courage to bet on unconventional talent, citing a recent promotion of a non-traditional manager who excelled through high EQ and coachability. Jack closes with an optimistic vision for the future, where democratized innovation and AI present endless possibilities for leaders who anchor themselves in strong values and technical foundations.
Leadership is most powerful when it’s consistent—even when no one is watching.
Integrity in tech means holding yourself accountable to engineering excellence, even in the absence of oversight.
Calm and emotional intelligence are skills that can be cultivated, not just innate traits.
High EQ and coachability can outweigh traditional management experience for leadership potential.
A growth mindset and curiosity are essential for long-term relevance and innovation.
Introduction and Jack Tam’s Journey at Intuit
Joel Beasley introduces Jack Tam, SVP and CTO at Intuit, and sets the stage for a deep dive into authentic leadership, drawing from Jack’s 21-year tenure at the company.
Authentic Leadership: Integrity in the Shadows
“When no one's looking, when no one's inspecting, when no one's checking up, we hold ourselves to a high bar when it comes to engineering and operational excellence.”
Mentors, Mindset, and Inner Calm
“I would say bigger picture comes through faith. It comes through family, the things that are going on in the world. There's so many things that are bigger than my little microcosm.”
Investing in Unconventional Talent
“If you're an individual contributor, highly technical, but you're coachable with a high EQ, you can essentially do anything as long as you have the desire to do it.”
The Future of Innovation and AI
Jack closes with an optimistic outlook on the future, emphasizing that innovation is now more democratized than ever, and AI should be leveraged—not feared—as a tool for limitless possibilities.
“If you're an individual contributor, highly technical, but you're coachable with a high EQ, you can essentially do anything as long as you have the desire to do it.”
“When no one's looking, when no one's inspecting, when no one's checking up, we hold ourselves to a high bar when it comes to engineering and operational excellence.”
“I think innovation, the ability to innovate is so much more democratized. So having a core foundation of what you believe, what your leadership style is, good technical foundations, I think allows anyone to be successful in this type of environment.”
Host
Guest
Jack Tam
person
Intuit
organization
Joel Beasley
person
Modern CTO
media
Warren Buffett
person
IsTalo Stansbury
person
Evernote
product
YouTube
other
other
What Will Usher in the Next Renaissance with Zack Kass, Author & Former OpenAI GTM Lead
Modern CTO • 29m • 4/2/2026
The AI Bubble Nobody's Talking About with Brian Singer, CTO as RSI
Modern CTO • 43m • 4/6/2026
Why AI is Actually Artificial Creativity with Brian Alvey, CTO of WordPress VIP
Modern CTO • 34m • 4/9/2026
When AI Writes All the Code, Who's Watching? with Kayvon Beykpour, Cofounder & CEO of Macroscope
Modern CTO • 47m • 4/13/2026
Will AI Kill Code Review? with Francisco Trindade, VP at Braze
Modern CTO • 37m • 4/16/2026
Get the full intelligence
Search transcripts, export clips, track mentions, and explore all topics from “Tech Titans: How Do You Lead When No One's Looking? with Jack Tam, Intuit” inside PodZeus.
Start discovering podcast insights today
Start with a 7-day trial and explore a growing catalog of popular podcasts. No credit card required.
No credit card required • 7-day trial • Cancel anytime