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

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