Creating Meaningful Work with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Release Date: 06/04/2025
Creating Meaningful Work with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
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...
info_outline
How Many Meetings Are Too Many? - Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Are you drowning in meetings? In this episode of Remarkable TV, Kevin Eikenberry explores a common leadership challenge: How many meetings are too many? The answer may not be a number—but a shift in mindset, purpose, and effectiveness. Discover: ✅ How to clarify your desired meeting outcome ✅ How to decide whether a meeting is truly necessary ✅ How to choose the right people for your meeting ✅ Tips to stay focused and finish strong ✅ Why meetings ARE part of your real work If you're tired of unproductive, time-wasting meetings, this episode is for you. Make your meetings more...
info_outline
Fearless Authenticity with Jeanne Sparrow
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
How can you be authentic in a way that strengthens your leadership and personal success? Kevin sits down with Jeanne Sparrow to chat about what authenticity truly means, why it matters for leaders, and how you can live it out with courage and confidence. Jeanne explains that being authentic isn't simply about being yourself; it's about knowing yourself deeply, having the bravery to express it, and using it to advance your work and connect with others meaningfully. Kevin and Jeanne explore the relationship between authenticity and confidence, the role of leaders in creating environments where...
info_outline
What Do You Celebrate? - Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
We’re great at celebrating birthdays and personal milestones—but are we celebrating enough at work? In this episode, I explore why workplace celebrations matter and how we can make them more intentional and meaningful. I share questions you can ask yourself and your team to determine what’s worth celebrating and how to do it in a way that reinforces your culture, motivates your people, and aligns with your organizational goals. Whether you lead a remote team, a hybrid team, or a traditional office-based one, you'll walk away with ideas to bring more purposeful recognition and joy into...
info_outline
Win the Inside Game with Steve Magness
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Are you thriving or just surviving? Steve Magness joins Kevin to discuss how many of us operate in psychological survival mode far more often than we realize, treating everyday workplace challenges as threats rather than growth opportunities. They explore the psychological traps of modern stress responses, protective systems, and the impact of flattening our identities. They also cover accepting “messiness”, the balance between short-term comfort and long-term growth, redefining success, and why authenticity must go beyond performance to resonate. Listen For 00:00 Introduction to The...
info_outline
What Leaders Can Learn from Trees
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
What can a tree teach you about being a better leader? More than you might think. In this episode of Remarkable TV, Kevin Eikenberry draws powerful lessons from the natural world—specifically trees—to help you become a more stable, adaptable, and effective leader. Learn how to stay rooted in your values while remaining flexible in your approach to leadership challenges. 🌳 🌟 Key Takeaways: - The importance of being rooted in principles, values, and purpose - How flexibility in your leadership approach strengthens your effectiveness - Why true leadership is about balance: being both...
info_outline
Become the Manager You Want to Be with Sabina Nawaz
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
What if your well-intentioned leadership style is holding your team back? Kevin sits down with Sabina Nawaz to discuss the illusion of "bad bosses," the myth of singular authenticity, and the impact of pressure on leadership behaviors. Sabina introduces the idea that it’s pressure, not power, that corrupts and outlines the three primary pressure pitfalls leaders fall into: controlling, abdicating, and automating. They talk about why delegation often fails and how unexamined internal “hungers” sabotage our best efforts and intentions, as ell as how leaders can learn to shift their...
info_outline
How Patient Are You With Yourself? - Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
How patient are you with yourself? In this episode of Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast, I’m challenging you to reflect on an important leadership skill: giving yourself the same patience and grace you extend to others. We’ll explore: - What your self-talk says when things don’t go as planned - How to zoom out and gain perspective when you feel stuck - Why staying in the present moment builds patience and confidence - How building personal patience strengthens your leadership and reduces stress for you and your team Leadership is a journey, not a destination. These...
info_outline
How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge with Melody Wilding
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
Do you know how to effectively communicate with someone in a higher position, such as your boss, a board, or anyone in a position of authority? Kevin welcomes Melody Wilding, who shares strategies and conversation frameworks to help professionals at all levels navigate complex relationships with their leaders. Melody and Kevin discuss the concept of “managing up”; not as sucking-up or people-pleasing, but to take ownership of your success by fostering productive and respectful relationships with those in charge. They also discuss the critical conversations outlined in her book and dive...
info_outline
How Patient are You with Others? - Thoughts from Kevin
The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
How patient are you with others—especially as a leader? In this episode of Remarkable TV, Kevin Eikenberry explores why patience is more than just a virtue—it’s a leadership skill that impacts trust, engagement, and your effectiveness as a coach. Kevin walks through the common triggers that test our patience (like stress, urgency, and mood), and he offers practical steps to help you respond more thoughtfully—even in high-pressure situations. Discover how understanding your own mindset can help you show more grace and build stronger, more productive relationships. My name is Kevin...
info_outlineWhat 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.