169: Wes Adams and Tamara Myles: Creating Meaningful Work in Every Job, Every Day

2025
Written By Kathy Oneto

Overview

If we want work to work better for us, we need meaningful work. But that doesn’t mean we have to choose between what’s good for individuals and what’s good for our organizations.

Today’s conversation with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles advances our ongoing exploration of the role of work in our lives to make a critical point: meaningful work is vital to both individual and organizational flourishing. 

In this episode, Wes and Tamara dig into why meaningful work matters, why we need to shift away from downstream metrics like engagement, and three essential focus areas for fostering meaningful work. 

Becoming meaning-driven leaders doesn’t have to be overwhelming or require an organizational overhaul. Rather it invites us to be thoughtful and intentional about creating moments of meaning for those around us.

More About Our Guests

Wes Adams 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. He lives in Atlanta, GA. 

Tamara Myles is a speaker, author, professor, and entrepreneur specializing in the science of human flourishing at work. She helps leaders and organizations like Microsoft, KPMG, and MassMutual unlock the power of meaningful work to drive peak performance, innovation, and resilience. A faculty member at Boston College and a researcher and instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Tamara’s work challenges assumptions about work, showing that when leaders make work meaningful, they create thriving teams and lasting impact. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts. 

They are the authors of Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

  • How Wes and Tamara each found their way to studying meaningful work and what “meaningful” really means.

  • Why purpose alone isn’t enough — and what truly makes work feel worthwhile.

  • The three C’s that drive meaning at work: Community, Contribution, and Challenge.

  • How small leadership habits can make a big difference in people’s sense of purpose.

  • What it really means to be a meaning-driven leader.

Learn more about Wes Adams:

Learn more about Tamara Myles:

Resources Mentioned

Thanks for Listening!

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Kathy Oneto
Next

168: Dana Miranda: The Intertwined Realities of Work, Money, and Wellness