Altitude Humbles You: What Everest Taught Me About Leadership
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What does trekking 17,000 feet to Everest Base Camp have to do with leading a business or team in today’s world? As it turns out, quite a lot!
In this episode, I sit down with Ketul Patel, a supply chain and business transformation expert and author of A Journey of Elevation, to unpack the leadership lessons forged on the trail to Everest Base Camp.
Ketul shares how the mountain became a mirror for everything leaders face today: constant crisis, the illusion of control, and the pressure to keep moving when the path forward is anything but clear.
After 30+ years leading organizational transformations and working alongside CEOs and executives navigating relentless change, Ketul found that a 12-day trek through the Himalayas – complete with mudslides, altitude sickness, a failed Plan A, a failed Plan B, and a grueling 19-hour Jeep ride – taught him more about resilient leadership than any boardroom ever could.
Whether you're leading a company through uncertainty, managing a team through change, or simply trying to figure out how to keep going when “the weather” won't cooperate, this conversation will challenge you to rethink what leadership really looks like under pressure.
And, Ketul leaves listeners with a powerful challenge: find your own Basecamp moment. Because growth, clarity, and self-knowledge don't require a mountain. They just require the courage to step outside your comfort zone.
Listen in!
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With a master’s degree from the University of Houston, Ketul Patel has made a lasting impact as both a seasoned corporate leader and a Big Four supply chain consultant, transforming global supply chains across retail, wholesale, and manufacturing.
As the founder and president of OMIIA Consulting, he serves as a business turnaround specialist and COO for companies seeking profitable growth and striving to scale toward Fortune 500 performance.
Patel has authored multiple white papers and blogs on supply chain thought leadership and is a speaker at supply chain conferences, known for blending strategic insight with real-world pragmatic execution to drive sustainable business success.
His debut book, A Journey of Elevation: Lessons for Business Transformation from Everest Base Camp, was released in January 2026.
Learn more about Ketul, or grab the book at omiiaconsulting.com/books or connect with him on LinkedIn.