From Means to Meaning: Reinventing Yourself in the Age of AI

This is a TL;DR but if you are currently in that part of your career where you want to reinvent yourself, give this a read.

I am the unofficial executive coach to many board directors, founders, and CXOs. It sort of comes with the territory because I’m guiding people in and through their careers. Right now, we are living through major changes in how companies think about hiring, who they hire, where they hire, and, as importantly for us individually, what we should do.

There are loads of videos that poke fun at the differences between generations. While humorous, the truth is we are all at the beginning stages of AI transforming our economy from a means-based economy to a meaning-based economy.

What do I mean by that? AI isn’t just the next evolution of software. It’s as profound as when humans discovered paper, or even fire. It will fundamentally change humanity. The aim of AI will be to increase productivity to such an extreme that it drives the cost of goods and services to near zero. So if we are living in a world where basic needs are easily met, what then becomes the focus of humanity? The focus becomes meaning.

Meaning may express itself through exploration, art, politics, entertainment, escapism, or faith. These are all different ways of searching for meaning.

This may sound outlandish, because it is. Uncharted waters are by default outlandish. But we are at the very beginning of that shift. Which means we have to balance the practical realities of a means-based economy as it transitions, not smoothly, into a meaning-based one.

So how do you navigate this? And more importantly, how do you thrive?

First, you need to get really clear and really honest with yourself. Honest and clear about what your priorities are. For many of us, we carry so much responsibility that it almost doesn’t matter what our priorities are because the pressure to produce is constant. Still, I encourage you to create just enough space for yourself to ask this question, and give yourself permission to answer it. What do I want?

Second, what are you great at? Not good, great. What comes to you so easily that others often compliment you on it? Maybe you enjoy it, maybe you barely notice you do it, but it’s probably the thing you instinctively use to solve every problem. Your go-to skill set.

Third, what are you passionate about? This is incredibly important to be honest about, because it might be the thing farthest away from your current career. What are the areas that cause you pain, that trigger you when you see the need unmet? Often that’s a good indicator of your calling.

Now the hard part. What used to be a framework I’d give executives looking for a happier career is now becoming a necessity as traditional roles come under pressure. The idea is to triple down on doing the thing you’re great at, within the context of an organization that closely aligns with your passion.

By the way, that wasn’t the hard part. The hard part is going in with the understanding that you probably won’t make this transition while keeping the same level of income in the short term. It will likely be a significant, though temporary, setback. You may need to scale back lifestyle. Many won’t want to do that, and I completely understand, but those who move sooner rather than later will be far better positioned two to five years from now, when the AI transition really starts to peak. Unless, of course, you’re already in a role or industry you are absolutely passionate about. If that’s the case, I’ll be writing another piece on how to reinvent yourself right where you are.

Even though you might begin with an income setback, pairing tenacity and hunger with what you’re great at, in the context of something that gives you deep satisfaction, will almost certainly allow you to exceed your previous earning capacity faster than you think.

Proven Leaders

I build with proven leaders — people who already know success and are ready to create something category-defining.

No hype. No billion-dollar fantasy. Just builds that endure.

Category-defining. Real.

Building a healthcare practice

We’re in the process of building out our healthcare practice group at Wells Onyx, and I’d love your perspective.

Which healthcare organizations have truly impressed you—whether as a patient, a partner, or even just observing the way they innovate? This could be startups, medical device companies, providers, research institutions, or hospitals—no limits.

We’re especially curious to hear about the traits or actions that stood out: what did they do that made you say “they’re doing it right”?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to get a pulse on who’s leading the way in healthcare innovation and delivery, both in the U.S. and globally.