The Future Of Less Work

What if the future of work isn’t about hiring more people—but about building smarter systems that scale on demand? What happens when cloud-based teams replace org charts, and companies optimize for outcomes instead of headcount? Can companies using on-demand teams instead of employees?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Krishna Vardhan Reddy, founder and CEO of AiDOOS, to explore the seismic shift away from traditional employment toward distributed, project-based execution. Together, they dive into how organizations can unbundle work from jobs, rebuild delivery models in the cloud, and rethink the very structureof the enterprise.Krishna introduces the concept of the Virtual Delivery Center (VDC), a model that connects global talent to enterprise projects through AI-enabled, cloud-native workflows. You’ll hear how companies can shrink to their strategic core, orchestrate work through on-demand teams, and deploy AI as a productivity amplifier—not a replacement for people. From startup agility toenterprise transformation, Krishna shares his vision of a borderless, outcome-driven world of work.If you’ve ever wondered how to scale without hiring, what comes after the job description, or how AI and humans might truly collaborate in the next generation of work—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠If The Job Was Never The Work, What Is The Right Structure?", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/eIh44FpE8u4Guest Information:Krishna Vardhan Reddy is the founder & CEO of  AiDOOS, the world’s first Virtual Delivery Center (VDC) platform that enables enterprises to execute projects via distributed, cloud-based expert teams. A technologist and futurist at heart, Krishna is on a mission to redefine how work gets done in the age of AI and agility. With over two decades in enterprise delivery, Krishna now builds models that collapse organizational complexity and drive outcome-focused execution.Chapters:00:00 – What If Employment No Longer Made Sense?03:12 – Are We Returning to a World of Micro-Entrepreneurs?05:15 – Can Companies Rely on On-Demand Teams for Core Work?07:15 – How Do You Ensure Quality and Control Without Employees?09:26 – Can One Person Build a Unicorn with Cloud-Based Teams?11:24 – How Do You Maintain Culture Without Traditional Structures?13:14 – What Makes This Different from Freelance Platforms?14:13 – Can Dashboards Replace Direct Supervision?15:28 – Will Outcome-Based Compensation Replace Salaries?17:45 – How Does the AiDOOS Unit-Based Pay System Work?19:32 – Which Types of Work Fit the Virtual Delivery Model?20:09 – Can AI Agents Replace Human Teams?21:34 – Why Would Companies Use a Platform Instead of Building Their Own AI Stack?23:40 – Are We Entering Life 4.0?25:11 – What Is the Future of Talent Clouds?26:40 – What Happens to Culture in Borderless Organizations?27:16 – What Should We Ask About the Future of Work?

What if nearly half your team felt misunderstood—and you didn’t even know it?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Matt Poepsel, behavioral scientist, leadership expert, and VP at The Predictive Index, to unpack one of the most overlooked cracks in today’s workplace: the growing gap between what leaders think their people need—and what people actually experience at work.With fresh data showing that nearly 50% of employees don’t feel understood by their manager, Matt and Nirit explore the consequences of this misalignment on trust, energy, and performance—and why it’s not just a communication problem, but a design problem. They dive into the hidden ways organizations are still structured around systems of control, even as work demands flexibility, focus, and recovery.The conversation tackles tough questions: Can AI help leaders become better coaches instead of better monitors? What does it take to build leadership models that match how people actually function? And how can we rethink productivity to align with purpose, not just output? From rehumanizing leadership to using AI as a mirror for self-awareness, Matt offers a roadmap for evolving management—not just for efficiency, but for impact.If you’ve ever wondered how to lead in a world where performance systems and human behavior are out of sync, this episode is your starting point.https://youtu.be/I6e7N7to2FoGuest Information:Matt Poepsel , PhD is the author of Expand the Circle: Enlightened Leadership for Our New World of Work and host of the Lead the People podcast. He serves as Vice President & Godfather of Talent Optimization at The Predictive Index and is a graduate professor at Boston College, where he teaches leadership, human resources, and business spirituality. Matt holds a PhD in Psychology, an MBA, and a Harvard Business School Certificate of Management Excellence, and brings more than 25 years of leadership experience as a software executive and consultant.2024 Workplace Perception Gap DataThe Predictive Index's joint report with RaconteurChapters:00:00 — Why Half of Employees Feel Misunderstood at Work01:40 — What Causes the Manager-Employee Disconnect?03:10 — How Employee Expectations Changed After the Pandemic04:20 — The Three Systems Every Manager Must Balance05:50 — Why Feeling Seen at Work Drives Performance06:45 — Are Engagement Surveys Still Useful?08:35 — Is Work Structured Against Human Behavior?10:10 — Are AI Tools Making Work More Human or More Robotic?12:00 — Productivity vs. People: What's the Real AI Strategy?13:50 — The Power of Trust in High-Performance Cultures15:00 — Why Managers Fear AI and Empathy-Based Leadership16:20 — How Incentives Undermine the Manager's New Role17:35 — Can You Have Productivity and Purpose?18:50 — Where Should Managers Start? Self-Awareness19:40 — How to Free Up Time for People Leadership20:45 — Using AI as a Coach for Leadership Development21:55 — The First Five Minutes: A Habit for Human Connection23:30 — Motivation at Work Isn’t Always About Money24:45 — Closing the Perception Gap with Strength-Based Coaching26:40 — Real Examples of Using AI for Self-Coaching28:30 — The One Question Every Leader Should Ask About the Future of Work

What if experience isn’t what it used to be—but still exactly what we need? In a world where the rules change faster than we can accumulate wisdom, how do we lead when the past is no longer a reliable playbook? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dr. Paul Achleitner—former CFO of Allianz, Supervisory Board Chair of Deutsche Bank, and author of Accelerate Your Experience—to explore how leadership must evolve when expertise alone won’t cut it.From leading by asking questions to embracing ambiguity, Paul challenges traditional notions of authority, judgment, and performance. Together, they examine why legitimacy now matters as much as results, how remote work is reshaping learning and innovation, and why intellectual humility—not overconfidence—is the most future-ready skill of all. If you’ve ever wondered how to lead in a world of AI, why overperformance can be as risky as mediocrity, or what it really takes to stay relevant when experience itself is being disrupted—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Is AI Making Your Experience Obsolete At Work?⁠", to explore these ideas further.  ⁠https://youtu.be/WG1AhpR4RYM Guest Information:Dr. Paul Achleitner is a globally recognized investor, advisor, and board leader with a distinguished career at the highest levels of international finance, industry, and governance. He is best known for his decade-long tenure as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank, where he continues to serve as Chair of the Global Advisory Board. A former partner at Goldman Sachs and Chief Financial Officer of Allianz SE, Achleitner has helped steer some of Europe’s most influential institutions through periods of transformation. He began his career in academia and consulting—first in research at the University of St. Gallen and Harvard Business School, then at Bain & Company—and has served on the boards of Bayer, Daimler, MAN, and RWE. Beyond corporate leadership, he contributes to global dialogue through advisory roles with Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Hakluyt, HPS, and Hedosophia; nonprofits including the Alfred Herrhausen Society, Brookings, Bilderberg, and the Munich Security Conference; and academic institutions such as Harvard Business School, WHU, Bocconi, and the University of St. Gallen. An Austrian citizen based in Munich, he and his wife, Professor Ann-Kristin Achleitner, are also active startup investors. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/A/bo257334367.html  Chapters:00:00 – What does it mean to accelerate your experience?02:27 – Why leadership needs curiosity over control05:31 – How trust and humility reshape the future of leadership08:19 – Why legitimacy now matters as much as performance11:12 – Can overperformance be as dangerous as underperformance?13:49 – What remote work changes about learning and innovation17:17 – How do we build cohesion without shared space?19:24 – Is experience earned—or built through reflection?21:36 – Why adaptability beats overconfidence24:15 – What mindset should leaders carry into the future?

Resumes aren’t dead. But they’re no longer what they used to be.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Volen Volkov, co-founder of Enhancv, to explore how AI is transforming self-presentation in a hiring market that’s more automated, competitive, and algorithm-driven than ever.With over 45% of resumes now AI-generated, and tailoring down by 27%, job seekers are caught between speed and substance—while employers rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) that may never even surface their applications. Volen and Nirit unpack what’s happening on both sides of the job search: why resume formats are evolving beyond one-page rules, how visual design and micro-details impact parsing, and what the shift to AI screening means for authenticity, personalization, and bias.Together, they demystify what today’s job seekers need to know about bots, keywords, and digital presence—while reaffirming what hasn’t changed: that your story still matters.If you’ve ever struggled to write a resume, wondered how it’s being read, or feared that AI is gaming the job market, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/XXWrpIpjE5oGuest Information:Volen Vulkov is a resume expert and the co-founder of Enhancv. He has written more than 500 resume guides and deep-dive articles on how to create your resume and cover letter, that inspire job applicants to make a resume to be proud of. His work has been featured in Forbes, Zendesk, HubSpot, and Business Insider, and cited by top universities and educational institutions, like Thunderbird School of Management, Rochester University, University of Miami, and Udemy. Volen applies his deep knowledge and practical experience to write about career changes, development, and how to stand out in the job application process.  https://enhancv.com/blog/resume-statistics/ Chapters:00:00 – How AI Is Changing Resumes01:18 – Why Focus on Resumes?02:36 – Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid03:33 – Should You Let AI Write Your Resume?05:59 – Why AI Tools Still Require Human Input07:17 – Can Recruiters Spot AI-Generated Applications?10:14 – Why Tailored Resumes Are Declining11:47 – Are Job Seekers Spamming Applications?13:50 – When AI Applies and AI Hires14:57 – How Applicant Tracking Systems Really Work16:09 – What Resume Keywords Actually Do17:02 – What Is a Resume Parser?17:46 – Why Creative Resume Formats Can Backfire19:23 – Do Visual Resumes Hurt ATS Compatibility?20:10 – What’s Changing in Resume Screening?21:39 – Focus on Content, Not Just Format23:05 – Everyone’s Resume Sounds the Same—Now What?23:30 – How Does AI Select Candidates?23:58 – Why Online Presence Matters More Than Ever24:51 – The Rise of Automated Screening Tools25:31 – Be Ready to Defend Your Resume with Evidence27:41 – AI Is Looking for Fit, Not Just Keywords28:43 – Generational Differences in Resume Language29:34 – Will Resumes Disappear in the Future?30:49 – What Comes After the Digital Resume?32:37 – How to Tell Your Career Story with Impact

What happens when AI takes over the tasks—but connection, trust, and leadership are still what hold teams together? What if the biggest differentiator in the future of work isn’t technical skills or automation—but the people leading other people?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Jennifer Dulski, CEO of Rising Team and longtime tech leader at Google, Meta, and Change.org, to explore what leadership looks like when the work itself is changing.From the rise of soft skills to the risk of outsourcing our own thinking to AI, Jennifer unpacks the new manager playbook—one built on coaching, connection, and the kinds of human capabilities machines can’t replicate.Together, they explore how to build trust in distributed teams, why small moments of belonging drive big performance gains, and what it really means to equip managers to lead in an AI-first world.If you’ve ever wondered how to prepare your leaders for the future, why emotional intelligence is the new competitive edge, or how to build culture in a world where no one shares an office—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/s7Qqb30vKy8Guest Information:Jennifer Dulski – Formerly of Meta and Google, professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business and CEO of  RisingTeam. Jennifer has 25+ years of executive experience leading large, globally distributed teams at top companies including Facebook, Google, Yahoo! and Change.org. She is founder and CEO of Rising Team, a team performance platform that helps companies increase employee engagement and retention,build trust and connection, and improve manager and team effectiveness. The platform combines software that equips managers to lead deeply connective team workshops with a personalized AI leadership coach.Jennifer is also a faculty member at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she teaches one of the most popular courses, “Managing Growing Enterprises,” about people leadership. She also writes about leadership and the future of work for Fast Company and LinkedIn Influencers. Her first book, Purposeful, is about how each of us can be movement starters, and is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller. Chapters:00:00 — Why Leadership Must Change in the Age of AI01:44 — What’s Driving the Shift in How We Lead03:40 — Why Managers Are Underprepared05:29 — From Executive Coaching to AI-Powered Managers07:10 — What Actually Makes Teams High Performing09:28 — What Humans Still Do Better Than AI11:17 — Are We Automating the Heart Out of Work?13:16 — How Rising Team Builds Human-Centered Managers15:36 — Will AI Replace Human Connection in Management?17:39 — The Line Between What AI Can and Can’t Do18:46 — One Question That Predicts Great Managers20:28 — Why Time With Your Team Still Matters Most21:59 — Rethinking How We Teach Managers to Lead23:08 — Building Trust at Scale With Software24:38 — What Happens When AI Agents Join the Team?26:00 — How to Manage AI Agents vs. Humans28:06 — The Most Important Leadership Skill of the Future30:05 — What Will We Regret Not Doing at Work?32:16 — The Future of Less Work That Matters

What happens when job seekers have bots applying for thousands of roles—and employers can no longer tell what’s real?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Adam Stafford, CEO of Recruitics, to explore how AI is rewriting the rules of talent acquisition. From bot-to-bot job applications to AI recruiters holding first interviews, hiring has become noisier, faster—and more confusing than ever.Together, Nirit and Adam unpack why the old ways of finding talent are collapsing, why job boards may be losing their edge, and how leading companies are adapting. The conversation explores what hiring looks like when resumes no longer reflect reality, how social platforms are becoming the new front doors for talent, and why digital presence may matter more than a degree or a title.Stafford offers a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is transforming the hiring funnel—from targeting to screening to the human moments that still matter. And he shares a hopeful vision for what’s next: a future where technology helps match people not just to any job, but to the right one.If you’ve ever wondered what happens when machines take over recruiting—or what comes after the job board—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/x5DI0axLuJoGuest Information:Adam Stafford is the Chief Executive Officer of Recruitics, an award-winning, data-powered recruitment marketing firm recognized for its innovative use of AI and data analytics to transform talent acquisition. Since joining Recruitics in 2016 as Director of Product, Adam has advanced through key leadership roles—including Senior Vice President of Product, President, and Chief Operating Officer—before being appointed CEO in January 2023. Under his leadership, Recruitics continues to pioneer technology-driven solutions such as ApplyAnywhere™, enabling global brands to seamlessly connect with hard-to-find talent. The company’s comprehensive suite of tools and services encompasses candidate targeting and acquisition, applicant nurturing and engagement, employer branding, programmatic advertising, and advanced data analytics. Adam holds an MBA from the Boston College Carroll School of Management, equipping him with a robust understanding of business strategy and management principles. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he serves as a member of the customer experience advisory board at Rutgers University, where he contributes his expertise to advance customer-centric initiatives in higher education.  Chapters:00:00 – Why Job Boards Are Failing02:45 – What Is Always-On Recruiting?06:00 – How AI Bots Apply to Jobs09:00 – Are Job Boards Still Relevant?11:00 – Recruiting Through TikTok and Instagram14:00 – Does Your Digital Presence Matter More Than Your Resume?16:00 – Can AI Replace the First Interview?18:30 – Why Human Moments Still Matter in Hiring21:00 – How Recruiting Became Marketing23:30 – Are Hard Skills Losing Value?26:00 – How to Stand Out in the AI Hiring Era29:00 – What Makes a Talent Ad Convert?31:00 – Is Bot-to-Bot Hiring the Future?34:30 – Can We Trust Digital Applicants?36:00 – How Do You Match People to the Right Jobs?

When the workplace stopped being a place, presence stopped being physical. But that didn’t make it any less important—it made it essential.In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Lorraine K. Lee, bestselling author of Unforgettable Presence and former LinkedIn editor, to unpack how professionals can thrive in a world where digital impressions often matter more than physical ones.Together, they explore how to get noticed without burning out, how to build influence in hybrid and remote settings, and why your video presence, Slack updates, and LinkedIn posts might be more critical than your resume. Lorraine shares her 4Es framework for building visibility (Explore, Establish, Envision, Excel) and explains why career success today requires thinking like the CEO of your own brand.You’ll hear why visibility is no longer about charisma—it’s about intention. Why thoughtful communication beats constant noise. And why, even in an AI-powered world, presence is still one of the most human—and valuable—skills you can master.If you’ve ever felt unseen at work, wondered how to build credibility online, or struggled to “show up” when no one’s in the room, this is the episode for you.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Your Online Presence Matters More Than Your Resume", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/eHi9IkJ3TVAGuest Information:Lorraine K. Lee is a keynote speaker and the best-selling author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. She also teaches popular courses at Stanford Continuing Studies and LinkedIn Learning.She is passionate about empowering leaders to elevate their presence, influence, and impact. Her frameworks have been adopted by globally recognized organizations like Zoom, Amazon, Cisco, and McKinsey & Company.Lorraine is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice with hundreds of thousands of followers, and previously spent over a decade as a founding editor at companies including LinkedIn and Prezi. Her insights are featured in top media outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fast Company.https://lorraineklee.com/unforgettable-presence/ Chapters:00:00 — Why Visibility Matters More Than Ever01:32 — What Is Presence in the Digital Workplace?02:59 — Be the CEO of Your Career05:23 — Speaking Up in Virtual Meetings07:15 — How to Communicate with Presence Online08:53 — Overcoming Proximity Bias in Hybrid Work10:39 — The 4Es Framework for LinkedIn Presence12:21 — Why Personal Brand Is Essential for Employees14:14 — How LinkedIn Builds Confidence and Opportunity16:22 — How to Align Your Offline and Online Presence17:48 — Why Your LinkedIn Profile Shapes Perception19:11 — One Small Move to Improve Video Presence20:42 — The T Framework for Video Presence: Tech, Energy, Aesthetics22:34 — Stop Underdressing for Video Meetings23:45 — What Questions Should We Be Asking About the Future of Work?24:55 — Will AI Replace Presence or Make It More Valuable?

What happens when the future of work demands not just new skills—but new muscles for conflict, tension, and trust? What if your ability to disagree well is what sets you apart in an AI-powered world? How should you handle disagreements at work?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Justin Jones-Fosu, CEO of Work. Meaningful. and author of I Respectfully Disagree, to explore how respectful disagreement is emerging as a core leadership skill.Together, they unpack why “culture fit” may be an outdated hiring filter, how over-agreeable teams erode trust, and why emotional safety matters more than ever in hybrid and remote settings. Justin introduces his Five Pillars of Disagreement Intelligence, shares the Heart.Head.Hand. model for conversations that connect, and explains why AI will only make the human skills harder—and more necessary.You’ll hear how inclusive design helped shape his thinking, how working across cultures challenges assumptions, and why boundaries are different from barriers when it comes to building workplace belonging.If you’ve ever struggled to speak up, lead hard conversations, or disagree without disengaging—this episode is your guide to building a more courageous, human, and future-ready workplace.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"⁠⁠⁠⁠One In Three Employees Would Rather Clean A Toilet Than Ask For Help⁠", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/EL8hvdcrIPQ Guest Information:Justin Jones-Fosu brings energy everywhere—whether scaling one of the famed 7 Summits, dancing with his wife, or chasing after his four turbocharged kids. But his real passion? Elevating workplaces, one keynote, one training, and one course at a time.As the CEO of Work. Meaningful. Justin delivers 50+ keynotes a year, helping organizations climb higher with enchanting employee experience through meaningful engagement, belonging, and leadership that actually sticks.An author and workplace researcher, he’s written Your WHY Matters NOW, The Inclusive Mindset, and his latest, I Respectfully Disagree, a guide to navigating tough conversations in a divided world.With humor, insight, and research-backed wisdom, Justin doesn’t just speak—he creates experiences that leave participants not just informed but transformed. Chapters:00:00 – Why is disagreement essential in the workplace?02:40 – What is disrespectful agreement?05:00 – How should leaders handle team tension?08:51 – What are the Five Pillars of Respectful Disagreement?11:20 – How can we build disagreement skills before conflict happens?12:45 – What is the Circles of Grace Challenge?13:45 – Why does hiring for culture fit limit inclusion?15:15 – How can disagreement lead to innovation?16:00 – What is the Heart. Head. Hand.™ model?18:15 – Why human stories matter more than ever19:40 – What leadership skills will AI never replace?21:55 – Can AI simulate empathy and curiosity?23:45 – What is double Dutch communication—and how do we fix it?25:15 – Can disagreement actually build belonging?26:34 – What question should we ask about meaning at work?

What if the skill most missing from the modern workplace isn’t technical at all—but social? And what if our discomfort is actually the secret to our success?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Henna Pryor—workplace performance expert, Inc. columnist, and author of Good Awkward—to unpack why relational discomfort has quietly become one of the biggest blockers to trust, collaboration, and innovation at work.Drawing on new national research, Henna shares that 30% of employees would rather clean a toilet than ask for help—a stat that reveals just how far our social muscle has atrophied. Together, they explore why hybrid work environments have made it harder to be vulnerable, how AI is making human connection even more optional, and why leaders must rethink influence as a relational—not positional—skill.This episode is a call to rebuild what Henna calls “discomfort tolerance”—the willingness to engage with imperfection, disagreement, and awkwardness as core competencies for the future of work. From conflict avoidance to surface-level relationships, from solo productivity to relational blind spots, Henna and Nirit unpack the hidden costs of too much comfort—and how to start training your social fitness like a real skill. If you’ve ever hesitated to speak up, avoided asking for help, or wondered what soft skills really look like in an AI-powered world, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠⁠⁠"⁠One In Three Employees Would Rather Clean A Toilet Than Ask For Help", to explore these ideas further.   https://youtu.be/HS6PWctsAbs Guest Information:Henna Pryor is a workplace performance expert, executive coach, Inc. Magazine columnist, and the author of Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You. A two-time TEDx speaker, Henna specializes in helping high-achievers and teams improve their influence through social confidence and intentional discomfort. Her work draws on neuroscience, communication research, and real-world coaching insights to reframe awkwardness as a workplace asset.Learn more at: https://www.hennapryor.comThe Study: socialmusclereport.comGood Awkward: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646871456 Chapters:00:00 — What is the future of social skills at work?03:04 — Why do we avoid asking for help at work?06:39 — What is social muscle and why does it matter?10:42 — How do you train for discomfort at work?15:48 — Why awkward moments are good for your career19:23 — How to build disagreement intelligence24:51 — Can you grow influence without power?29:10 — What is relational fluency and how do you build it?33:58 — How can leaders foster human connection in hybrid work?39:44 — What’s one question we should all ask about the future of work?

What if meaning isn’t something you find in your job—but something you can create in any role, on any team, starting today?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Wes Adams and Tamara Myles, authors of Meaningful Work and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, to explore what it takes to unlock motivation in a world where paychecks alone aren’t enough.Together, they unpack what really makes work feel worth doing—and why nearly 50% of our experience of meaning at work comes down to what leaders do. From simple gestures of acknowledgment to the deep impact of challenge and trust, Wes and Tamara lay out a practical framework to help managers build community, spark contribution, and foster growth—three pillars that fuel engagement and performance.They also dive into how AI is reshaping the future of work—and why human skills like connection, creativity, and resilience aren’t going away. They’re becoming the most important differentiators of all.If you’ve ever wondered how to retain top talent, spark motivation in your team, or build a culture that actually makes people want to show up—this episode is for you.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, ⁠"Why China’s 996 Work Culture Won’t Win The Future Of Work", to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/6smc_yH-h5E Guest Information: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 is the author of MEANINGFUL WORK: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee with Tamara Myles. 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 is the author of MEANINGFUL WORK: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee with Wes Adams. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts.Chapters:00:00 – What makes work meaningful today?01:14 – What is meaningful work?02:18 – Can any job feel meaningful?03:45 – How leaders build community at work06:01 – Why feedback fuels a sense of contribution09:17 – Micro-moments of recognition that matter10:27 – What is the right kind of challenge at work?12:45 – Why meaning at work matters more today14:45 – How AI is changing the role of human skills17:05 – Will AI make work more meaningful—or less?18:39 – Designing AI for human flourishing20:25 – Practical ways to create meaningful work22:19 – How leaders can stretch more people on their team23:05 – What’s the big question we should be asking about work?24:00 – What do we want people to do with time AI frees up?