Every company, irrespective of industry, could benefit from acting like a hospitality leader — I dedicated most of my professional adult life so far to the hospitality industry. Back in 2014, I left my job in the banking world to join Emirates Airlines, as a result of a hiring spree for international cabin crews. I left everything behind and embarked on a one-way ticket…

Relationships are like volunteer work — There are some people we’d “pay admission to know,” writes Melissa Kirsch from The New York Times. Inspired by an account in the Times of American film and theatre director, Mike Nichols, his wife described Mr. …

A lesson in branding and life — Described by Howard Schultz, ex-CEO of Starbucks, as “a small escape during a day when so many other things are beating you down,” Starbucks has become the quintessential local gathering spot. …

It’s never too late to change an aspect of our world — It is never too late to do anything in life. - Momofuku Ando In 1958, Momofuku Ando was 48 years old when he introduced the first iteration of the famous cup noodles that we know today (spoiler alert — they weren’t in a cup). Sixty years ago, the world thought…

It takes five seconds to pick up your emotional scientist hat — Marc Brackett, a professor at Yale, dedicated his career to studying emotions. In his recent book, Permission to Feel, he argues how nurturing a high degree of emotional intelligence is perhaps just as important, if not more, than our intellectual intelligence. And it all starts with understanding our emotions. Understanding…

It made me question what it means to leave a legacy — Given the news of industry-wide furloughs in recent weeks, I received a few notes of kindness from friends and co-workers. “I heard the airline is laying off thousands of people,” one former classmate said, “and if you’ve been affected, I’m happy to offer any support you may need.” …

Lessons learned from contemplating a tree in bloom — “Look at them! They’re bowing!” I called towards my then partner while pulling his arm in my direction. Underneath a swaying cherry blossom branch, two deer joined into a playful bow. In Nara, Japan, just south of Kyoto, sika deer are roaming freely on the streets, poking their inquisitive noses…

Let’s proudly open our blinds — “Close the shutters!” Is what 19th-century French caricaturist, Charles Amédée de Noé, proclaimed upon viewing Edouard Manet’s The Balcony (1868–9). Sitting at Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the painting is a reminder of the transgression against conventional norms. Manet’s characters, all acquaintances of the artist, are consumed in their own longing…

Embracing uncertainty doesn’t mean trying to control it — Inspired by a blog by Austin Klein last week, I started reflecting once again on the ways we try to control the unknowns in our lives. How triggered by our insecurities, we attempt to reign over uncertainty with knowledge, organization and power. Uncertainty isn’t the culprit. Uncertainty is just a…