Ashish Kothari: Rethinking Success, Happiness, and Leadership

Ashish Kothari: Rethinking Success, Happiness, and Leadership

From Growing with Purpose by Jean Moncrieff

January 29, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 115

About this episode

Ashish Kothari discusses the intersection of success, happiness, and leadership, emphasizing the importance of well-being and personal transformation.

High Performance. High Well-Being. Redefining Success. In this episode of Growing With Purpose, Jean Moncrieff speaks with Ashish Kothari, Founder and CEO of Happiness Squad, about success, well-being, and what it truly means to live and lead a meaningful life. Ashish reflects on his journey from a high-pressure career at McKinsey to a deeper exploration of happiness, purpose, and human connection. He shares how anxiety and burnout became powerful catalysts for personal transformation, and why redefining success is essential for leaders who want to sustain both high performance and a fulfilling life. This conversation explores why high performance demands high well-being, the role of relationships and community in flourishing leadership, and how small, consistent micro-practices can create lasting change. Ashish also challenges common misconceptions about happiness, reminding us that it is not something to chase, but a byproduct of living with purpose, service, and care for others. Key themes include: High performance and high well-being Burnout and personal transformation Redefining success and significance Relationships and community Micro-practices for sustainable change…

People in this episode

Host: Jean Moncrieff

Guest: Ashish Kothari

Topics covered

  • success
  • happiness
  • leadership
  • well-being
  • personal transformation

Keywords

  • high performance
  • burnout
  • redefining success
  • relationships
  • micro-practices
  • purpose-driven leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Happiness Squad

Books & works: Growing With Purpose

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