What makes work meaningful, and how can leaders create that experience for their teams? Kevin is joined by Wes Adams and Tamara Myles, who state that their research shows nearly 50% of an employee's experience of meaning at work is tied to what their leaders do or fail to do. Meaningful work is the upstream factor that drives engagement, productivity, innovation, and the bottom-line results that organizations want. The conversation centers around the Three C’s of Meaningful Work: Community – Creating authentic connections and a sense of belonging among team members, even in remote or hybrid work environments. Contribution – Helping employees see the impact of their work and making clear connections between daily tasks and larger organizational goals. Challenge – Supporting team members as they grow, learn, and take on meaningful tasks, balancing stretch assignments with strong support.

Listen For

00:00 Intro: Why Meaningful Work Matters
00:45 Welcome to the Remarkable Leadership Podcast
01:35 Sponsor: Flexible Leadership Book
02:30 Guest Introductions: Wes Adams and Tamara Myles
04:01 The Origin of the Book and Their Research
05:35 The Leader’s Role in Creating Meaning
06:13 Why Meaning is Crucial for Performance
07:50 Leaders as a Leverage Point for Meaning
08:50 The Three C’s of Meaningful Work
09:53 C1: Community – What It Is and Why It Matters
11:12 Building Community in Hybrid and Remote Work
12:12 Inside Scoop Practice for Deeper Connections
13:16 Home Base Teams: Dropbox’s Neighborhood Model
16:59 High Purpose vs Low Purpose Team Activities
18:22 Empowering Employees to Build Community
20:06 C2: Contribution – Driving Greater Impact
21:33 Purpose vs Meaning – Understanding the Difference
22:11 Calendly’s Mission: Saving Time as Meaning
23:03 Storytelling and Making Work Personal
24:12 Highlighting the Impact of Individual Roles
25:07 C3: Challenge – The Growth-Minded Definition
26:04 Balancing High Challenge with High Support
27:40 Everyday Examples of Meaningful Challenge
28:43 Why All 3 C’s Matter – Not Just Contribution
29:32 Immediate Leadership Action: Give Positive Feedback
30:51 Meaning Can Happen in Any Job, Every Day
31:24 Fun Question: What Do You Do for Fun
32:39 What Are You Reading
34:25 Where to Learn More: makeworkmeaningful.com
35:33 Final Thought: Now What Will You Do

Wes Adams and Tamara Myles are the authors of Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee.

Wes is the CEO of SV Consulting Group. He partners with Fortune 500s and scaling companies to develop high-impact leaders and design operating structures that support high-performing teams. He is also a positive psychology researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies the leadership practices and organizational structures that help employees thrive.

Tamara Myles is an accomplished consultant, author, and international speaker with over two decades of experience helping leaders improve business performance. She is the author of The Secret to Peak Productivity, which introduced her proprietary Peak Productivity Pyramid framework. Tamara’s insights have been featured in leading publications such as Forbes, Fast Company, USA Today, and Business Insider. She has worked with clients such as Microsoft, KPMG, MassMutual, and Google. Tamara has a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also serves as an instructor in the master’s program and a trainer for the world-renowned Penn Resilience Program. She is a professor in the Master of Science in Leadership program at Boston College, where she integrates cutting-edge research into practical applications for leadership and organizational success. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

https://www.makeworkmeaningful.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesadams1/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramyles/

https://www.instagram.com/tamaramyles/

This Episode is brought to you by...

Flexible Leadership is every leader’s guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos.

Book Recommendations

Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee by Wes Adams and Tamara Myles
Lessons from Plants by Beronda L. Montgomery
Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage You by Ethan Kross

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