Dr. Cree Scott finished this @fastcompany.com article weeks before she passed away in December. Her core message—that you can’t separate how you lead from how you live—is a powerful legacy. It’s my honor to share it.

New data: half of workers would give up a 10% raise for a real sense of belonging. People who get this are able to build something money can't buy. Tracy Bower’s latest is well worth your time.

In my early career, I got a trust score of 3 out of 7 from my stakeholders. It was a gut punch. Getting honest with myself transformed how I show up for the people I work with. This piece from @hbr.org gets at exactly why that kind of vulnerability matters.

We don't need more grind. We need a different relationship with work altogether. This thought-provoking piece from @fastcompany.com spells out why anyone can create meaning in their work, regardless of their role or title. This very insight is the essence of why we created MeaningSphere.

Some of the most important shifts in my worklife started with me saying: “I might be wrong.” For me, humility and curiosity have opened more doors than certainty ever did.

I’ve noticed that what counts as “meaningful work” has shifted for me over time. What felt right years ago doesn’t energize me like it once did.

This is a great reminder from @fastcompany.com. Sometimes, our inner voice moves us to create meaning in professional circumstances that aren’t ideal. In those types of scenarios, I’ve had to focus on how I show up, who I connect with, and what I decide to pay attention to.

Most people aren’t asking for less work. They’re asking for work that doesn’t drain them. What would make work feel more fulfilling for you this year?

This really lands for me. I’ve learned that without regular space to reflect, even meaningful work starts to feel hollow. No pause. No perspective. A little space goes a long way.

People don’t just want to perform well, they want their work to mean something. So our goal with MeaningSphere is big: A future where “What do you do?” evolves into “Why do you do it?”

MeaningSphere’s new blog post names something most of us feel but rarely say out loud: meaningful work and pleasant work are rarely the same thing. Some of the most meaningful chapters of my career were also the most demanding.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to love what you do for a living. The problem is when it feels like a moral imperative.

I built a thriving company, won awards, and led a strong culture, but still felt like I didn’t deserve it. Success was thrilling and hollow at the same time. Ever felt your wins aren’t enough, or that there has to be more?

I don’t think Gen Z is “lost.” I think they’re naming what too many of us have put up with quietly. And maybe that honesty is the beginning of something healthier. Thank you @jessgrose.bsky.social for giving us a more nuanced and compassionate lens through which to view Gen Z’s work struggles.

Have you seen the Abbott & Costello skit from the 50s “Who’s on First?” with the players: Who, What, and How? Ever sit in a business meeting that feels just as confusing and wonder, “Why am I even here?”

I used to think success was all about winning the next deal. But 33 years ago, a mentor asked me one question that changed everything: “WHY are you doing this?”

At new hire orientations at Vertex, I’d ask, “Why does business exist?” Silence. Eventually someone brave would say, “To make money?” What followed was 20 minutes of polite wrestling over what mattered most: clothes, cars, or the profits behind them?

A few months after meeting Rich Teerlink—retiring Harley-Davidson CEO who had turned near-bankruptcy into $30K return per $1 invested—I got a one-line email from him: “It’s not about the money.”

@davidburkus.bsky.social is spot on. Shifting my focus from how my work benefits me to how it serves others has transformed everything. Asking, “Who does my work benefit?” can infuse our worklives with meaning. Want to go further? Ask yourself, how does my work benefit those benefited by my work!

I appreciate the convenience of Zoom. But when 90% of the call is spent staring at slides, I find myself missing people’s faces. We talk about the “future of work” like it’s all tech. @andrew-pope.bsky.social shares a thought-provoking (and funny) dive into why it’s important to re-center people.

State audits drove huge demand for sales tax systems, and my father and the early leadership team had already built the best solution. My advertising experience just gave it a prettier face.

At 24, I returned from my first (and last) year of law school, having skipped school for spring break in the Florida Keys, my dad’s command was clear: “Get a job!” I had seen what felt like the death march of his corporate life and dreaded signing up for it.

There’s no question that aspects of work itself need to change—hours, pay, safety, dignity. While shifts are happening, prioritizing a meaningful worklife remains consistent. bsky.app/profile/newy...

It’s tempting to act fast and try to “fix” a sense of dissatisfaction. But Dr. @AaronBalick points out that real meaning comes from leaning into what’s happening now, with all of its tension, rather than chasing what we think should come next. www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/midl...

Early in my career, I thought resilience was about powering through every obstacle, wearing stress like a badge of honor. The real shift came when a mentor repeated the same question "Why?" until I started letting go of that external pressure and focusing on what truly mattered.

Burkus’ move away from purpose-as-mission statement is insightful. It’s simpler than that: What’s your impact on other people? When I see people I work with grow, and when they help me grow, it gives me more energy to keep going and know I am on the right track. What or who lights YOU up at work?

2nd place can feel disastrous, but the sting of “almost” is less a verdict on your potential than an invitation to hone it My new article in @fastcompany.com, written w/ Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, is all about how near misses can teach us more than successes: www.fastcompany.com/91345595/the...

New McKinsey research says that for workforce performance/productivity, the working model (office based, working from home or hybrid) is far less important than other factors. What matters most is the work environment that leaders create (whatever the working model): mckinsey.com/capabilities....

"How would you like to come to work at Vertex?" my father asked out of the blue in 1988; I instantaneously said "OK” & my career and life changed in ways I scarcely understood. Have you ever made a career changing decision with little understanding of why/what it would mean for your future?

Happy New Year and Thank You! Together, let's make 2025 a year of meaningful work, whether that work is tax software, paving roads or curing cancer, the meaning is there if we look for it! Join me on this journey to create a worklife that truly matters! #HappyNewYear #MeaningfulWork #WorkMatters