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For years, I pursued success the way many ambitious professionals do—through relentless…
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Ashish Kothari shared thisThe biggest inequality in the talent pipeline isn't at the top. It's at the very first promotion to manager where careers either accelerate, or quietly stall. That's the central finding from McKinsey's landmark Women in the Workplace research, and it's what brought me into a deeply important conversation with Kweilin Ellingrud, senior partner at McKinsey & Company and co-author of The Broken Rung. This article unpacks the data, the dynamics, and the actions that can change the trajectory for individuals, and for the organizations they work in. Here are three things you'll take away from reading this: 1) Why the first promotion to manager, not the C-suite, is where workplace inequality is actually won or lost 2) What "experience capital" is, and why it determines half your lifetime earnings 3) The critical difference between mentorship and sponsorship and which one truly moves careers forwardThe First Rung Is Broken. Here's the Proof. The hidden barrier that's stalling women's careers before they even begin.The First Rung Is Broken. Here's the Proof. The hidden barrier that's stalling women's careers before they even begin.
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Ashish Kothari shared thisI used to let one bad moment hijack the whole day. A difficult conversation in the morning. A plan that fell apart. A message that landed wrong. And just like that, the rest of the day was colored by it. Over time, meditation has been one of the most transformative forces in my life. Quietly rewiring how I respond to the moments that used to derail me. It took years of meditation practice to learn what neuroscience now confirms: The pause is where everything changes. When we pause, even for 60 seconds, we give our brain a chance to shift from reaction to response. From hijack to choice. Meditation doesn't make the setbacks disappear. It trains you to feel them fully and not be swallowed by them. Thousands of years of wisdom. Now backed by modern science. And available to every one of us, every single day. This graphic says it better than I ever could. Thanks dear Stephanie Harrison for creating this wonderful graphic Don't let one setback color your day. Pause. Feel it. Then keep going.
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Ashish Kothari shared thisYour mind doesn't break you in big moments. It hesitates in small ones. That invisible friction right before you perform, speak, lead, or decide? That's not weakness. That's your nervous system protecting you from a threat that isn't there. Carlos Alcaraz said something recently that most high performers won't say out loud: "I'd choose happiness over massive success because happiness is already success." That's not softness. That's mastery. Here's why it matters: When you chase success from fear, you grip. You overthink. You force. Your body tightens around the outcome. And tight bodies don't perform. Free ones do. But when happiness is your baseline, not the reward waiting on the other side of winning, something shifts. You stop performing for the result. You start performing from yourself. Three shifts that unlock this: → Name the state, don't become it. "I'm failing" becomes "my nervous system is activated." One is identity. One is information. → Shrink the target. Not "be brilliant." Just: what does great execution look like for the next 30 seconds? → Reconnect to meaning. Why does this matter beyond the outcome? Meaning calms the mind faster than motivation ever will. Because happiness isn't the opposite of ambition. It's what makes ambition sustainable. Remember the one thing that helps you get out of your own head before a high-stakes moment. Clip compilation credit: @maya.mental.fitness
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Ashish Kothari shared thisNobody talks about menopause at work. And this biological transition remains shrouded in silence, misconception, and stigma. The cost is real. Women not feeling at their best, navigating brain fog, disrupted sleep, and unpredictable energy often doing it alone. Nobody is talking about it. There’s no support around it. And there are no options to work with. I sat down with Kacy Fleming, M.A. of The Fuchsia Tent to change that. What she helped me see: This isn't just a women's health issue. It's a leadership issue. A culture issue. A retention issue. Our lack of awareness on this topic and our discomfort with these conversations, are making women suffer. We need to change this because everybody matters and everyone should have the opportunity to flourish at work. In this graphic you’ll see 10 practical ways to support women in your organization. On my latest Flourishing Edge podcast, Kacy shares her own journey through menopause. We discuss why menopause is such a dangerous myth that organizations are holding and why it's so important that they care. ♻️ Repost this to inspire leaders to speak up about menopause.
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Ashish Kothari shared thisMost productivity advice is lying to you. It tells you to do more. Faster. Earlier. Harder. But your brain doesn't work that way. Your attention is finite. Your energy runs in cycles. Your mind needs recovery, not just rest. The real lever isn't your calendar. It's your nervous system. I put together 15 principles to help you work with your brain instead of against it. One graphic. 60 seconds to scan. Worth saving for later.
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Ashish Kothari shared this10 micro-recoveries that change how you lead and power-up your day. You can't lead well on an empty tank. Most leaders I speak with are disciplined, driven, and deeply committed. They're also running on fumes. Not because they aren't trying. Because they've been filling their schedules while emptying themselves. Here's what the research actually tells us: → Recovery isn't the opposite of performance. It's the precondition for it. → Workers are interrupted ~42 times per hour. At that rate, flow, your most creative, productive state, is nearly impossible. → 70-80% of people say they don't have protected time to focus. The productivity loss? 10-20%. These aren't soft numbers. They're business numbers. The good news: micro-recovery doesn't require a policy change or a budget. It starts with small, intentional practices woven into the rhythm of your day. In my conversation with Jessica Grossmeier, we unpacked 10 of them, grounded in neuroscience and 30 years of workplace wellbeing research. Read the full article in my latest newsletter.
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Ashish Kothari shared thisHere's the flourishing paradox: The thing we think destroys us actually builds us. The leaders who flourish fastest don't avoid failure. They metabolize it. Not avoiding mistakes. Learning from them faster. Not protecting their image. Building their capacity. Not staying comfortable. Getting stronger. Most leaders see failure as the opposite of flourishing. The best ones see it as the foundation. They don't just survive setbacks. They transform because of them. Every failure becomes fuel. Every mistake becomes wisdom. Every setback becomes strength. The paradox isn't that failure leads to success. It's that avoiding failure guarantees you'll stay exactly where you are. The leaders who thrive don't have fewer failures. They just know how to turn them into flourishing. Graphic credit thanks to: Roberto Ferraro Ferraro
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Ashish Kothari shared thisThe moment you don’t feel like it? That’s the moment that counts. Michael Phelps once pointed to something most people miss: the best performers aren’t always the strongest— they’re the ones who can execute when they don’t want to. And that isn’t just sport. That’s leadership having the hard conversation. That’s parenting showing up with patience after a long day. That’s business doing the unsexy work before it pays. Most meaningful results are built in unglamorous moments: • showing up when motivation disappears • choosing discomfort over avoidance • doing the boring reps no one claps for • keeping your word when it’s easier not to The shift that changed my life: Stop negotiating with your feelings. Decide, then follow through. Because flourishing isn’t a mood. It’s a practice. If this hits, repost it for someone who needs it today.
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Ashish Kothari shared this10 research-based practices I wish I’d implemented 20 years ago to protect my wellbeing at work. Early in my career, I used to end many days completely drained. Not because the work lacked meaning. But because I never gave myself a moment to recover. Meeting after meeting. Task after task. No space between. No chance to reset. I thought exhaustion was simply the price of doing meaningful work. I was wrong. The science is clear: Our brains are not built for constant output. Without recovery, stress builds. Attention fragments. Energy drops. Over time, our creativity, relationships, and decision-making begin to suffer. What helps is not always a huge life change. Often, it’s small recovery practices built into the workday. On this graphic, here are 10 that changed everything for me. These practices, repeated consistently, can shift how we think, lead, collaborate, and feel at work. I recently spoke with Jessica Grossmeier, who has spent more than two decades researching workplace wellbeing, about the science behind micro-recoveries, flow, and how leaders can create the conditions for people to flourish. The conversation goes deep on why recovery isn't optional, it's foundational to performance. You can find it on the Flourishing Edge podcast.
Ashish Kothari replied to a comment
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Karen Seymour it releases on April 7th. Let me know your thoughts
Ashish Kothari commented on a post
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It can’t just be a coincidence that I literally today was sharing the phantom of the opera song with my mom today and planning to watch it this evening with her.
Loved your reflections on the powerful leadership insights. So many people have masks keeping their inner worlds secret as they feel no one will accept them. But, true freedom lies in sharing and being witnessed and held with compassion for the perfectly imperfect beings we all are
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Thanks dear Matt Burchett, Ph.D. For your sponsorship. Looking forward to meeting you in person soon
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Ashish Kothari liked thisAshish Kothari liked thisNVC 2026 Round One is officially in the books—and I’m incredibly grateful for this community. Between our virtual and in-person judging, over 100 community members raised their hands and said, “heck yes”—showing up to support our founders in a big way. That kind of engagement is what makes this ecosystem so special. We’ll be announcing our semifinalists tomorrow, and on April 7, those teams will pitch again to earn a spot on stage at the Boulder Theater on April 22. Wait…What? You haven’t registered yet? No worries—we’ve got you covered. This is one of the best nights of entrepreneurship in Boulder, and you won’t want to miss it. 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gwJT6rx3
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Ashish Kothari reacted on thisGrateful to be part of such an incredible leadership team! Come join us!Ashish Kothari reacted on thisReady to help plan strategic initiatives and support the work of our leadership team? We are hiring for my former role, come join our amazing team! https://lnkd.in/gfC5CqE4Executive Assistant %26 Strategic Operations ManagerExecutive Assistant %26 Strategic Operations Manager
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Ashish Kothari reacted on thisProud dad moment ! https://lnkd.in/g8jVr-5TAshish Kothari reacted on thisToday, Congressman Jonathan Jackson - IL-01 visited the U-High to congratulate Lab junior Saanika Dutta, winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for Illinois’ 1st District. 🎉 The nationwide challenge encourages middle and high school students to explore coding and computer science by developing original apps. Winning apps are displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Registration for the 2026 Congressional App Challenge opens May 1. https://lnkd.in/dGexkHA #UCLSkids #UChicagoLab #CongressionalAppChallenge #STEM #Coding #StudentInnovation
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Design to Value: A smart asset for smart products
McKinsey & Company
When done well, Design to Value (DTV) can increase product
margins by 350 to 900 basis pointsOther authors -
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