What happens when you’ve achieved the senior role, the title, the salary… and yet something still feels flat? In this episode, Sarah explores why meaning can quietly disappear as your leadership career progresses and why this isn’t a sign you’ve failed, but a signal worth paying attention to. She shares the powerful difference between achievement and fulfillment, introduces a simple but profound framework to help you reconnect with what truly matters, and explains why you don’t necessarily need to change your career to feel more meaning again.
If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Is this it?” or wondering why your work no longer energises you in the way it once did, this episode will help you pause, reflect, and take practical steps to redesign how you lead so your career feels meaningful again.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why career success doesn’t automatically lead to fulfillment
- How the “hedonic treadmill” keeps high achievers chasing the next milestone
- The four essential lenses that create meaning in leadership
- Why senior leaders often have more agency than they realise
- Practical questions and small actions to help you reconnect with purpose now
Show Notes
01:00 – Why meaning matters more as you become more senior
How career progression can sometimes lead to unexpected feelings of flatness or disconnection.
02:00 – The warning signs that meaning may be missing
Recognising the thoughts and emotions that signal it’s time to pause and reflect.
03:00 – The hedonic treadmill explained
Why promotions, pay rises, and achievements create only temporary satisfaction and keep you chasing more.
05:00 – How your definition of success evolves over time
Why what motivated you earlier in your career may no longer be enough.
06:00 – Common struggles senior leaders share about meaning
“I’m so busy I don’t have time to think.”
“I’m not sure I’m on the right path.”
“I can’t remember the last time I felt excited by my career.”
07:00 – Introducing Eudaimonic Wellbeing
The deeper form of fulfillment that comes from purpose, values, and alignment.
07:45 – The Four Lenses of Meaning Framework
The four key areas that determine how meaningful your leadership career feels:
- Impact
- Alignment
- Agency
- Growth
08:15 – Lens 1: Impact
Understanding the real difference your work makes and how reframing your impact can change everything.
09:30 – Lens 2: Alignment
The importance of using your strengths and working in line with your values.
10:00 – Lens 3: Agency
Why having choice, autonomy, and influence is essential for meaningful leadership.
10:45 – Lens 4: Growth
Why development and challenge still matter, even at the most senior levels.
11:15 – Three powerful reflection questions
Simple questions to help you identify what’s missing and what needs to change.
12:00 – Small actions that can quickly restore meaning
Why you don’t need to blow up your career to feel fulfilled again.
13:00 – How senior leaders can recraft their role
Using your leverage to redesign your work, relationships, and focus.
14:00 – Success and fulfillment are not mutually exclusive
How you can create a leadership career that delivers both.
Meaning doesn’t disappear overnight. It fades when impact, alignment, agency, or growth are missing.
Useful Links
Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration
Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes
Book a Free 121 Clarity Call
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Rate & Review the Podcast
If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk
