Two business leaders discussing meaning in a green office space

06 Mar 2026

The meaning deficit

In this episode of What Next? we're joined by educator, leadership thinker and author, Sudhanshu Palsule, Gillian Secrett, Director of Leadership and Culture at CISL and community leader and rector, Richard Springer. Together they examine what many describe as a growing ‘meaning deficit’ in society. They explore how fragmentation, consumerism and polarisation erode our sense of purpose, and discuss how leaders can help rebuild meaning through authenticity, empathy and genuine connection.

Key takeaways

Meaning is a human need and vacuums get filled dangerously. When people lack genuine meaning, they reach for substitutes that can become socially harmful. Leaders who ignore this create space for cynicism, fragmentation and manipulation.
Corporate purpose is often performative and people see through it. Purpose becomes meaningful only when it reflects real choices, empathy and accountability. Otherwise it functions as managerial control dressed up as inspiration.
Self-interest drives behaviour and must be treated as legitimate. People engage when issues connect to their lived experience, not abstract ideals.
Understanding real constraints, motivations and identities is essential to unlocking collective action.
Shared meaning requires shared space supported by rules and dialogue. Rebuilding connection across difference depends on structured engagement where people can challenge, be challenged and still stay in the conversation.
Change builds from winnable actions and leadership’s role is to enable them. Momentum comes from tangible wins at local or organisational level.

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In this episode Sudhanshu Palsule, Gillian Secrett and Richard Springer answer the crucial question: why are so many people struggling to find meaning? And what can leaders do to facilitate collective action?

Sudhanshu Palsule, Educator and author

We’re meaning-making creatures, but today much of the meaning we create is strangely self-destructive.

Richard Springer, Rector

People move when they experience the issue inside their own lives. Not because someone tells them what should matter.

Gillian Secrett, Director of leadership and culture, CISL

Leadership is the craft of creating spaces where people can connect, feel seen, and take accountability together.

Chapter notes | Scroll to the areas that interest you

00:00 : Why Meaning Matters in Times of Fragmentation

Lindsay and Marc open the episode by exploring the growing “meaning deficit” - a rising sense of disconnection, incoherence and anxiety in society.
Guests describe how many people, especially younger generations, feel overwhelmed, helpless and unsure of their place within increasingly fragmented systems.
The panel reflects on why meaning isn’t a luxury, but a deep human need that shapes wellbeing, agency and our ability to act

07:00: When Meaning Gets Distorted: Identity, Consumption and Performative Purpose

The conversation turns to how people often seek meaning in unhelpful or harmful ways - through consumption, tribal identities or narratives that divide rather than connect.
The guests critique how organisations and institutions sometimes exploit meaning to generate compliance or loyalty, rather than fostering genuine belonging.
They highlight the danger of “performative purpose” that looks good on the surface but lacks integrity underneath.

15:00: Rebuilding Meaning Through Empathy, Shared Space and Human Connection

Richard and Sudhanshu argue that meaning emerges through direct experience and shared spaces, not corporate slogans or abstract values.
They stress the need for leaders to start with people’s lived realities – wages, time, identity, responsibilities – rather than expecting moral alignment from the outset.
Real progress comes from structured, patient, community-led work that establishes trust and allows people to act together.

23:00: Leadership’s Role: Creating the Conditions Where Purpose Can Flourish

The guests argue that leadership is about enabling meaning to emerge, not manufacturing it.
They call for leaders to strip out noise, resist superficial narratives, and focus on creating cultures where accountability, connection and collective action are possible.
The episode closes with a focus on “winnable actions”: concrete steps that build momentum and confidence in a fragmented world.

What next? Leadership conversations for a better future

Podcast series hosted by Marc Kahn, our Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, and Lindsay Hooper, CEO at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).

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Disclaimer:

The views in this podcast series are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation.

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The meaning deficit

Key takeaways

Listen to the podcast

Chapter notes | Scroll to the areas that interest you

What next? Leadership conversations for a better future

Listen to more episodes from the What Next? podcast series

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