EP201 - Why Your Job Feels Meaningless—And What You Can Do About It with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles

In this episode of The Tyler Dickerhoof Show, Tyler Dickerhoof sits down with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles—leadership experts and co-authors of Make Work Meaningful. Together, they unpack the 3 Cs of meaningful work—Community, Contribution, and Challenge—and how leaders can apply them to create trust, purpose, and engagement at work. They explore why Gen Z is opting out of leadership, how remote work and AI have reshaped workplace values, and what it truly means to “walk the talk.” Wes and Tamara also share personal stories that shaped their leadership lens—and offer practical tools for anyone ready to lead with authenticity and impact. Follow Wes: https://www.wesadams.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesadams1 Follow Tamara: https://tamaramyles.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramyles/ https://www.instagram.com/tamaramyles/ Make Work Meaningful: https://www.makeworkmeaningful.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Meaningful-Work-Passion-Performance-Employee/dp/1541704533 The Tyler Dickerhoof Show https://www.youtube.com/@impactdrivenleader https://www.instagram.com/thetylerdickerhoofshow/ Subscribe to the newsletter: https://impactdrivenleader.beehiiv.com/ Tyler is on: https://www.tylerdickerhoof.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tyler.dickerhoof.3 https://www.instagram.com/tyler_dickerhoof/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-dickerhoof-1960351b What We Discussed: 00:00 Introduction 01:49 You don’t need a “calling” to find meaning at work 06:32 How leaders create meaning 09:52 Community, contribution & challenge 13:28 Why ‘walking the talk’ matters more than ever 19:12 Leadership is more than a title 23:34 Wearing a mask at work is draining 26:33 What happens when workplaces devalue your background 32:00 The most powerful thing a leader can say 34:32 How being an immigrant shaped their perspective on work 38:35 Are we just iterating on a broken system? 42:20 Humans are meaning-making machines 44:40 How great organizations align with the 3 Cs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices