20 Under 40 Update: Ram Haddas, PhD, MBA, MEng
Ram Haddas Inspires with TEDx Talk on the Importance of Perseverance and Dreams
Ram Haddas, PhD, MBA, MEng, recently gave a powerful TEDx Talk on the importance of dreams and perseverance. In his talk, Dr. Haddas shared deeply personal stories about overcoming adversity, both in his early life and throughout his career, to show how dreams—when combined with hard work and determination—can shape a path to success.
Dr. Haddas leads groundbreaking research at the intersection of medical science and engineering, overseeing state-of-the-art motion labs in Rochester, New York. His TEDx Talk, which has resonated with audiences globally, is a demonstration of his belief that while dreams may evolve, the passion to pursue them should remain unwavering. For those who haven’t yet seen the talk, it’s a must-watch for anyone looking to be inspired by the transformative power of persistence and ambition.
In this Q&A, Dr. Haddas discusses his TEDx experience, his evolving views on the role of dreams, and how he continues to push the boundaries of his field. His journey serves as a powerful reminder that setbacks are often stepping stones on the path to success.
How did you initially become involved with TEDx?
I was nominated by a few local trailblazers who thought that my story and passion needed to be heard. I would like to thank to this group of people who provided me with the opportunity to be at the front line. When I went to the TEDx interview, I was not sure what I was getting myself into and how I should best prepare.
What inspired you to share your story through a TEDx Talk?
I always believe in leading by example. I would never ask my students or mentees to do something that I would not do. I think that it is important to share with others my belief that while it is great to have dreams, such is not enough. Instead, dreams are reminder for us to keep working hard. I feel that my experiences and my journey could be beneficial and inspirational for others. Moreover, I was hoping to share with the audience and provide some examples that it is important to be proactive and always work hard to pursue your dreams.
What role did dreams play in shaping your career and life choices?
Growing up with a single-parent family, I am thankful for the extensive support of grandparents who helped to significantly shape my unique personality and positively influence my life. I had limited options due to my circumstances, and I felt that I had no choice but to grow up as a fighter, a winner, and a learner. I viewed every loss as something that could serve to help me grow personally and in my career. I’ve encountered more than one occasion where I almost gave up and my goals, but throughout the journey, my dreams have pulled me forward and helped me to better understand what I am capable of.
Perseverance is a theme throughout your talk. How did you develop the ability to persevere? Have you always been self-motivated, or did you have external motivators to persevere? What role did dreams play in shaping your career and life choices?
A combination of both. Every failure in my career made me hungry to try again. It is our choice how to respond after a loss. You can choose to suffer the pain of defeat or use that feeling to propel you toward a future victory. Like most of us, I hate to lose, and I’ve consistently chosen to put the time, energy, and effort in to work on my mistakes and to become better. Of course, during my career, I have also had many mentors (Dr. Lieberman and Guyer [Texas Back Institute], academic mentors: Dr. Brooks and James [Texas Tech University Health Science Center], and my current role with Dr. Rubery, Lavelle, and Mesfin [University of Rochester Medical Center/Upstate New York]) who have motivated me and encouraged me on the path toward success.
I really enjoyed your version of Newton’s First Law as it relates to dreams. Can you elaborate on that?
I am engineer by training and was always inspired by the laws of motion in physics. We can see evidence of these laws are everywhere, even in our dreams. As a medical scientist with many scientific publications, I wanted my talk to also be supported by science and not a unique story. As a result, I believe listeners will be more likely to connect to my talk and the take-home message. From there, I took some creative liberty to modify Newton’s laws a bit and associate them with dreams.
In your talk, you discuss how publishing your first scientific paper was difficult, but that you persevered and now have hundreds. What challenges did you face when trying to publish your first scientific paper, and how did you overcome them?
Often, when you are doing something for the first time, it can induce fear and is commonly freighted with its own unique challenges. While failing is neither fun nor easy, it can be a superb teacher. The biggest lesson I have learned from this process is to avoid taking failures personally. Instead, I choose to view falling short as an essential part of the professional growth process. My recommendation is to embrace every failure as part of journey and will affect shaping your career and personality. Failures are the best lesson you can get. With the years, I learn how to polish my scientific writing skills.
What advice would you give to young professionals facing setbacks in their careers?
Setbacks are part of most careers. However, it is important to keep your eyes on the prize and never look back unless except to learn. It important to keep long-term and short-term goals and recognize the small wins along the way. There are many ways to get from point A to point B, and that straight line is far less common when considering career advancement. Furthermore, it is very important to break down your dream to small achievable goals. No one is expecting you to jumping from 10th place to 1st place in one day. Instead, it is better to set goals on continuous improvement, moving to 9th place, 8th place, and so on. Over time, it can then be possible to start looking toward being in the top 3 with your goal to keep getting incrementally better.
How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals despite setbacks?
Small victories serve as a source of energizing power, motivation, and confidence. Here are a few crucial steps I’ve come to recognize in pursuing dreams and goals: 1) you have to want it; 2) you must believe that you can do it; 3) set smaller and achievable step-wise goals, which can keep you motivated and boost confidence; 4) learn from your achievements; and 5) always remember that dreaming is not enough.
Can you share an example of a small victory that fueled your motivation and confidence?
My very first grant with the Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS) came around the same time as when my position was threatened by layoff due to cutting in funds. Despite the mixed emotions associated with landing a grant but potentially losing my job, the grant opened the gate for many larger grants down the road, including government funds, and winning the Innovation Award of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS). All of these small victories added up to a big win that helped demonstrate to others (including funding agencies) that I am on the right track for success.
How do you incorporate lessons from failures into your path toward success?
It is all about perspective. Some people may see failure as a bad thing and get frustrated and ignore the important lessons that could be gained. Failures can be some of the best lessons you could ever ask for. No one likes to fail; however, it is important to stop and analyze the reason for the failure and its root cause(s).
Here are the steps I take after each failure: 1) analyze; 2) correct; 3) produce; and 4) repeat. It is also important to note that you should also incorporate lessons learned from wins as well. We are all watching the tape of losing and analyzing what we did wrong. However, how many of us watching the tape after we won? How many of us that won want to keep watching the tape again to become our best? In my case, I am watching all my talks at NASS over the years and making notes how I can perform better next time.