Hope Before Purpose: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants | Jennifer Moss

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Aug 19, 2025

Join award-winning journalist and workplace well-being expert Jennifer Moss as she discusses the crucial link between hope and purpose in combating burnout. Jennifer highlights how cognitive hope empowers employees to set and achieve goals, even amid uncertainty. She addresses the detrimental effects of micromanagement and the pitfalls of 'language of permanence.' With insights on cultivating a compassionate leadership style and fostering community, she provides practical strategies for organizations to create thriving work cultures.

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INSIGHT

Hope Enables Purpose

Hope is a measurable cognitive skill that precedes and enables purpose by giving people agency and multiple pathways to goals.
Organizations must build hope to make work meaningful and economically sustainable for future generations.

INSIGHT

Hopelessness Has Macro Consequences

Hopelessness is reshaping life choices, including declining fertility and disengagement from work among youth.
Economic and social futures depend on restoring hope so people see a viable life and career ahead.

ADVICE

Build Goals, Paths, And Celebrate Wins

Do create clear goals, plan multiple pathways, and celebrate small wins to build cognitive hope at work.
Avoid micromanagement because it kills hope by removing autonomy and alternative routes to success.

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When we think about fixing burnout, most conversations start with purpose, work design, or leadership. But according to Jennifer Moss, the real starting point is hope. And not vague optimism, but cognitive hope—a measurable skill that gives people the power to set goals, find ways to reach them, and keep moving forward, even in uncertain times. In this episode, Dart and Jennifer discuss the link between hope and purpose, the warning signs of hopelessness at work, and what leaders can do to build cultures where people thrive.

Jennifer Moss is an award-winning journalist and author of The Burnout Epidemic and Why Are We Here? She’s a leading expert on workplace well-being who has advised Fortune 500 companies, governments, and the UN.

In this episode, Dart and Jennifer discuss:
- Why hope comes before purpose
- How hopelessness shows up in workplaces today
- How micromanagement kills hope
- The “language of permanence” as a red flag
- Moving from empathy to compassion in leadership
- What organizations can do to steward hope at scale
- How community and belonging fuel hope at work
- Why self-care alone won’t fix burnout or despair
- Practical ways leaders can build pathways and agency
- And other topics…

Jennifer Moss is an award-winning journalist, international speaker, and workplace culture strategist recognized globally as a leading voice on burnout and well-being. She is the author of Unlocking Happiness at Work, The Burnout Epidemic and Why Are We Here? A former member of the Global Happiness Council and co-founder of the Work Better Institute, Jennifer has advised governments, the UN, and dozens of Fortune 500 companies on building cultures where people can thrive. Her work has earned honors including Canadian Innovator of the Year, International Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and a Public Service Award from the Office of President Obama.

Resources Mentioned:
Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants, by Jennifer Moss: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Are-We-Here-Creating-ebook/dp/B0CT6NB5Q3
The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, by Jennifer Moss: https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Epidemic-Rise-Chronic-Stress/dp/1647820367

Connect with Jennifer:
Website: https://www.jennifer-moss.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenleighmoss

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.