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IMPLICATIONS FOR EXECUTIVES, HUMAN RESOURCES, AND INDIVIDUALS

meaning is both a lead indicator of these outcomes and a
valued outcome in and of itself.

Employee Implications

The importance of meaning to the next generation came
into sharp focus in the spring of 2009 when almost half of
the M.B.A.s graduating from Harvard Business School took
a pledge to “do no harm,” “serve the greater good,” and “act
with the utmost integrity.” While symbolic more than bind-
ing, this ambitious pledge sent a clear signal about the hopes
and ambitions of a talented and capable elite group. They
expect work to make a difference for good in the world, they
expect to make a difference at work, and presumably they
expect work to make a difference to them. We see this social
responsibility pledge as a worldwide tsunami with more
and more business-oriented students wanting to both make
money and do good.
In a very different setting, a colleague shared how he
applied some of the concepts presented in this book with an
entirely different audience:

Last week I used your ideas (with some modification) to youth who are
sentenced in a Detention Center. Their ages run from 10 to 18 years
old. I first showed them pictures of several famous people—lead-
ers and celebrities—and asked them what attributes come to mind
when they thought of each particular person. After a few minutes of
discussion I had them think of a person they knew personally who
has made a significant difference in their lives and who has helped
them find meaning. I had them list their attributes. Some shared a
great deal—it was very touching at times. I then told them to list

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