Success Isn’t Feeling Like Success Anymore

In this week's episode, host Mike Horne speaks to Rachel Cook, a workplace strategist and host of the Modern Mentor podcast, about how modern workplace perceptions of success are evolving amid generational, organizational, and technological change. Together, they explore the disconnect between traditional success markers and employee fulfillment, along with practical leadership strategies to foster engagement and resilience.

‍

Key Points:

• Success at work is being redefined across generations, with many people placing greater value on meaning, flexibility, and purpose than on titles or visibility.
• Bureaucracy, constant responsiveness, and pressure to always be “on” can create a kind of exhaustion that drains people beyond normal effort.
• Effective leadership depends on collaboration, shared expertise, and adapting to the needs of the team rather than relying on top-down control.
• Work design matters because people do their best work when they have the conditions to deliver, develop, connect, and thrive.
• Trust, psychological safety, and stronger questions help teams stay engaged and aligned through change.
• Over-optimization and overreliance on AI can reduce meaning in work, so purpose needs to stay at the center of performance. 

‍

Links: 

Learn more about Mike Horne on Linkedin

Email Mike at mike@mike-horne.com

Learn More About Executive and Organization Development with Mike Horne

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikehorneauthor 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikehorneauthor/, 

LinkedIn Mike’s Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6867258581922799617/, 

Schedule a Discovery Call with Mike: https://calendly.com/mikehorne/15-minute-discovery-call-with-mike  

‍

Learn More about Rachel Cooke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcookeleadabovenoise/

https://leadabovenoise.com/