Wisdom for Our Disruptive Times from Global Hospitality and Tourism Leader Aradhana Khowala
I recently had one of those discussions that leaves you feeling both energized and thoughtful. You know the kind—where your soul feels nourished and your mind buzzes with possibilities.
My conversation was with Aradhana Khowala, worldwide expert in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry. I believe her insights can transform how we think about leadership.
What Does It Mean to Thrive?
Aradhana’s journey fascinates me—from a young girl in India with a travel addiction (her words!) to advising governments across 85 countries on tourism strategies. What strikes me most is how she carries this vast global experience with such humility.
As we talked, I couldn’t help but nod in agreement when she described the current state of the world as a “perma-crisis.” Don’t we all feel it? The climate anxiety, technological disruption, deepening inequalities, and geopolitical tensions swirling around us. As Aradhana pointed out, “the old playbook does not work anymore” in this environment, yet we’re stubbornly measuring success with the same outdated metrics.
I asked Aradhana what thriving means in today’s world. Her answer resonated with me: Thriving isn’t about “climbing up, but going deep.” This mirrors what I’ve witnessed in my last three decades working with executives—those who focus solely on climbing often end up asking, “Is this all there is?”
For Aradhana, thriving in life and leadership includes these aspects at its core:
- Find Your Internal Compass: “You have to be aligned with your values… with the impact that you want to create. And you have to be in service to that course that you pursue.” This reminded me of the countless leaders I’ve coached who found their true north only after painful detours.
- Embrace the Journey: “Thriving is a practice, not a destination.” How often do we catch ourselves thinking, “When I achieve X, then I’ll be happy and well?” We put our growth and wellbeing on hold, waiting for some elusive moment in the future when everything aligns perfectly. In truth, however, thriving isn’t something that happens later; it emerges from the choices we make every day. It’s not the end goal; it’s about how we live, work and lead in the present.
- Choose Integrity: “You can be on the cover page of Forbes or Time. But if you haven’t done it with integrity, it doesn’t mean anything.” I’ve seen this play out time after time with executives who reach the pinnacle of their careers only to discover a profound emptiness.
Aradhana’s words “thriving is not about more…it’s so much more about meaning” struck me. While purpose and meaning are key elements in most modern leadership models, they often remain absent in the day-to-day realities of leadership practice.
Where Real Leadership Lives
When I asked Aradhana where to find thriving leadership, her answer was beautiful. “It’s happening in the margins and in the fringes,” she said. It’s critical to uplift and amplify the voices of these under-the-radar leaders, the ones who may never receive mainstream recognition, but who are quietly and positively transforming their corners of the world:
- School principals and teachers who navigate impossible challenges, such as COVID
- Young entrepreneurs who refuse to separate profit from purpose
- Indigenous wisdom-keepers who’ve been “regenerative” long before that became a buzzword
- Athletes who’ve tasted bitter defeat and found their higher purpose beyond winning
- Spiritual practitioners who serve without expectation
Aradhana also mentioned the countries of Bhutan, where the Gross National Happiness index emphasizes wellbeing over solely economic growth, and Barbados, where Prime Minister Mia Mottley addresses reparations and regeneration in the same breath. This kind of leadership, whether at the individual, organizational, or national level, refuses to fragment what should be whole. Like Aradhana, I believe there are dedicated leaders all around the world who are working to repair what’s broken and knit our globe community together with a focus on wellbeing.
The Courage to Hold Contradictions
What I find most challenging—and most liberating—in my own leadership journey is learning to hold contradictions. Throughout our conversation, Aradhana articulated this leadership challenge so well: “It’s not either profit or purpose—it’s both.” “You want to be fierce, but fluid.” “You want to be visionary, but vulnerable.”
Organizations suffer when leaders force false choices: Innovation OR reliability, empathy OR performance, sustainability OR profitability. Leaders who thrive are most apt to have the capacity to help their teams and organizations embrace our paradoxical realities with “both/and” thinking.
Gratitude: The Ground of Why and How We Lead
When I asked Aradhana about her personal leadership practices, she spoke about gratitude as “the antidote to all things entitlement.” I couldn’t agree more. In my own life, I’ve found that gratitude practice (imperfect as it sometimes is) keeps me from sliding into cynicism or burnout. And it reconnects me to the abundant potential inherent in all people and the world.
She described leaders who begin meetings with genuine appreciation. This act alone, done with diligence, can transform the culture of a team or organization. Consider what might change if you started every team interaction with a simple thanks?
“If you are grateful, you are hopeful,” Aradhana said. This truth can carry us through challenging times. When combined with a service mindset, it’s the perfect recipe for leadership that remains grounded and connected, rather than becoming self-important.
We Need a New Leadership Operating System for Thriving
As Aradhana and I concluded our conversation, she offered this insight:
“We all need to build a new leadership operating system. One which shamelessly prioritizes healing over hustle. Systemic change over silos… Leadership in the next chapter will not be coming from people who speak the loudest. It will come from people who have the clearest soul and mind.”
According to her, “Thriving isn’t about success. It’s about significance.”
I left our conversation recommitted to my own purpose to help leaders, teams, and brands expand the circle of thriving for people and our planet. This isn’t just work for me or my team; it’s a heartfelt calling.
ABOUT ARADHANA KHOWALA
Dr. Aradhana Khowala is a globally recognized expert in travel, tourism, and hospitality with 24 years of experience spanning five continents and 85+ countries. As CEO of Aptamind Partners, she leads strategic consultancy for governments and organizations seeking regenerative tourism solutions. Previously, she served as Managing Director of Tourism at NEOM and Chair of the Board of Advisors at Red Sea Global, both transformative Saudi Vision 2030 projects. Her expertise in luxury hospitality and wellness tourism has earned her recognition as one of the most influential leaders in global hospitality for four consecutive years (2021-2024). She currently serves on prestigious boards including Patrizia SE, Elaf Group, and the Global Wellness Institute.
