The human brain is wired to enjoy solving challenges. Asking "What puzzles would you like to solve?" sparks passion and ownership. In contrast, asking "What are your goals?" often elicits a feeling of obligation and a list of burdensome tasks, draining the work of its inherent meaning and excitement.

Ask every team member, "How do you make the company money?" For non-revenue roles like a camera operator, frame their contribution in terms of preventing costly mistakes (e.g., wasted footage, delays). This fosters a deep understanding of their impact and gives their work more meaning.

Purpose isn't exclusive to high-status professions. Any job can become a source of deep purpose by connecting its daily tasks to a larger, positive impact. A NASA custodian can be "putting a man on the moon," and a parking attendant checking tire treads can be ensuring driver safety. Purpose is a mindset.

Pandora's founder kept employees working for two years without pay by framing their work not as data entry, but as a magical, culture-shifting mission. Great leaders make everything bigger than it is, transforming jobs into purpose-driven crusades to sustain motivation.

To regain motivation for mundane or challenging work tasks, reframe the situation by comparing it to genuine adversity, such as a friend's experience in a war zone. This mental exercise provides grounding perspective, making typical business challenges feel insignificant and manageable by comparison.

After burning out, Bumble's founder returned with renewed purpose by reframing the company not as an app, but as a "vehicle to deliver love." This elevated, mission-driven perspective—seeing the company as a means to a greater societal end—can be a powerful tool for leaders to overcome fatigue and reconnect with their work.

To engage employees in seemingly mundane roles, like cleaning factory tanks, leadership must clearly connect their specific task to the company's success. The Novonesis CEO emphasizes that explaining this critical importance and frequently expressing simple gratitude is key to maintaining a motivated workforce.

To maintain strong employee engagement, leadership explicitly connects every role—even seemingly mundane ones like cleaning fermentation tanks—to the company's high-level purpose. This ensures every employee understands their specific contribution to enabling a healthier planet.

People with a strong calling don't just work harder out of sheer will. Research indicates the primary mechanism is increased enjoyment of the work itself. This positive feeling directly translates into greater effort on relevant tasks, supporting the "love what you do" axiom.