Ken Banta Releases New Substack Article on Meaning and High-Performance Leadership

Ken Banta, Founder and CEO of The Vanguard Network, has published a new Substack article titled “Why Meaning at Work Unlocks High-Performance Leadership.” The piece explores why performance, engagement, and resilience increasingly hinge on whether leaders help people feel their work truly matters.

Drawing on a recent Vanguard Network conversation with Wes Adams, co-author of Meaningful Work, Banta highlights research showing a strong link between perceived meaning at work and measurable outcomes such as productivity, profitability, and retention. The article introduces the “three Cs” of meaningful work—community, contribution, and challenge—and explains how leaders can activate each through everyday behaviors rather than large-scale initiatives.

Banta argues that meaning is no longer a “soft” cultural concept, but a core leadership lever in an era of constant disruption, burnout, and talent pressure. By intentionally creating environments where people feel connected, valued, and stretched, leaders can unlock sustained high performance that no metric alone can deliver.

To read the full article on Substack, click here.

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The Vanguard Network is a leadership community and advisory platform that helps senior executives sharpen foresight, strengthen performance, and achieve impact. Through forums, exchanges, and programs, Vanguard convenes leaders across industries to share challenges and solutions in a confidential, collaborative setting.