How smart people end up in the wrong careers
From McKinsey Talks Talent by McKinsey People & Organizational Performance
January 29, 2026 · 24 min
About this episode
In this episode, Suzy Welch discusses with McKinsey leaders how high performers can find meaningful work amidst career uncertainties exacerbated by AI.
Many high performers think they’re doing everything right—yet still feel somehow wrong about their day-to-day. And the advent of AI means work-related decision-making is more complex than ever. As job uncertainty ups the ante, more employees might be tempted to settle for the “B+ life,” in the words of Suzy Welch, author of Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career (HarperCollins, May 2025). In this episode of McKinsey Talks Talent , Welch talks to McKinsey leaders and talent experts Brooke Weddle and Bryan Hancock , as well as Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly, about where so many successful people go awry—and more important, about how to discover work that you value, that’s economically viable, and that you’re genuinely wired to do. See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information
People in this episode
Guests: Suzy Welch, Brooke Weddle, Bryan Hancock
Topics covered
- career development
- high performance
- AI in the workplace
- job satisfaction
- authenticity
- work-life balance
Keywords
- career choices
- job uncertainty
- B+ life
- work values
- economic viability
- talent management
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: McKinsey, HarperCollins
Books & works: Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career
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