EP27 Meaning and Performance: The Story of the Paradoxical Commandments with Kent Keith

What does a meaningful career and a fulfilling life look like? Kent Keith is an author, a university president, and a businessman who has thought deeply about what makes a meaningful life. In this episode of the Management Muse podcast, Kent helps us build a more fulfilling life, one decision at a time.

Episode Highlights:

• As a college student who wanted to encourage his peers, Kent wrote the Paradoxical Commandments, which went viral long before the Internet age.

• Success involves identifying how your work matters and finding the personal meaning in what you do.

• The symbols and trappings of success, like power, wealth, fame, and prestige don’t provide lasting happiness.

• Kent’s research shows that the source of meaning for most people comes from living your values, being in relationship, and serving others.

Quotes:

“If you have the meaning, you don’t have to have the glory.” – Kent Keith

“Our lives are shaped by a degree to what the world does to us, but they are really shaped by how we respond to what the world does to us. And the response is always up to us.” – Kent Keith

“We can find meaning in adversity, and the way that we choose to respond is a large part of our legacy.” – Geoffrey Tumlin

“I think unconditional love is what can hold our families and communities together. There’s just not enough of it in the world.” – Kent Keith

About: Kent Keith is an author, a university president, and a businessman. He's also the kindest person you'll ever meet.

Resources:

Kent Keith (2021). The paradox of personal meaning.

Kent Keith resources and writing here: https://www.kentmkeith.com/

Key Words: Personal meaning, servant leadership, work-life balance