About this episode

Barry Rowan discusses how to bring meaning to our work and life.

We want the thousands of hours we work over our lifetime to matter. But how do we make them truly significant? What can infuse our lives, our offices, and our world with meaning? Today’s guest is the business leader and author Barry Rowan. He contends, “We don’t derive meaning from our work; we bring meaning to our work.” With stories from his life in high-ranking roles, he helps us go from being defined by what we do, to having our work become an expression of who we are . This episode is drawn from an Online Conversation in 2026. You can view the transcript and other resources here Go deeper into the issues discussed in this episode with these Trinity Forum Readings: Why Work Dorothy L. Sayers How Much Land Does a Man Need? Leo Tolstoy Brave New World Aldous Huxley Two Old Men Leo Tolstoy

People in this episode

Guest: Barry Rowan

Topics covered

• meaning in work
• personal significance
• business leadership
• identity
• life stories

Keywords

• meaning
• work
• significance
• identity
• business leadership
• life stories

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Why Work, How Much Land Does a Man Need?, Brave New World, Two Old Men

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