Jim Harter is Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Well-being at Gallup — one of the world’s most trusted voices in understanding what makes work, and workers, thrive. Over three decades at Gallup, Jim has helped shape how organizations across the globe make sense of engagement, performance, and well-being.

His research has defined the modern science of engagement. From pioneering the first meta-analysis linking engagement to performance outcomes, to co-authoring Wellbeing at Work with Jim Clifton, Jim’s work has influenced leaders, managers, and policymakers in every industry.

In this episode, Jim and Subbu explore the evolving story of how people feel about their work: what drives engagement, why well-being can’t be separated from it, and how today’s hybrid workplaces are testing the limits of both. They unpack Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace 2025 report — from the sharp decline in manager engagement to the paradox of remote work, where autonomy rises but connection fades.

We cover:

• How Gallup’s decades of research have reshaped our understanding of work
• The drop in global engagement and why it matters more than most leaders think
• Why managers hold 70% of the variance in engagement and what to do about it
• The three habits of great managers
• How engagement and well-being intertwine, and why one without the other won’t last
• The rise of “the great detachment” and what it says about loyalty and belonging
• How AI and hybrid work are redefining the manager’s role
• The next frontier in Gallup’s research: strengths utilization and how it drives both performance and prosperity

Professor Malissa Clark is one of the world’s leading scholars on workaholism, burnout, and the science of healthy work. She is Professor and Head of Psychology Department at the University of Georgia, where she also leads the Healthy Work Lab. Her research has redefined how we think about overwork as a multidimensional phenomenon with deep consequences for individuals, families, and organizations.

Prof. Clark is the author of Never Not Working, a book that blends rigorous research with personal insight to challenge the myths of productivity and the culture of “always on.”

In this episode, Malissa and Subbu unpack why workaholism is far more complex than simply clocking long hours, how burnout is preventable, and what both individuals and organizations can do to build healthier ways of working. They also explore the hidden costs of overwork on families, the myths that refuse to die, and the cultural signals that silently enforce “ideal worker” norms.

We cover:

• Malissa’s winding career path—from sales and consulting to academia
• Why she founded the Healthy Work Lab and what “healthy work” really means
• The four dimensions of workaholism: motivational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
• Why long hours don’t predict productivity—and how overwork can harm teams
• The health consequences of chronic overwork—from poor sleep to cardiovascular risk
• The ripple effects of workaholism on spouses, children, and workplace culture
• Burnout as an organizational problem, not just an individual one—and why it’s preventable
• Practical strategies to “kick the habit”: Eisenhower matrix, recovery breaks, and mastery experiences
• How organizational norms—like praising late-night availability—shape unhealthy cultures
• What leaders can do to reset expectations, model balance, and experiment with change
• The promise and challenges of the four-day week movement
• Why vulnerability and personal storytelling matter in academic work

Daniel Pink is one of the world’s most influential thinkers on work, behavior, and human motivation. He is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers—including Drive, When, and The Power of Regret—books that have shaped how leaders, educators, and individuals approach purpose, timing, decision-making, and the emotions that drive us.

Across a career that spans law, politics, speechwriting, and two decades of groundbreaking writing, Dan has made complex research in psychology and behavioral science accessible to millions of readers worldwide. His TED talks have been viewed tens of millions of times, and his work continues to influence the way organizations and individuals think about performance, choice, and meaning.

In this episode, Dan and Subbu unpack why regret is not something to suppress but a vital emotion that helps us learn, grow, and make better choices. They also explore how to navigate today’s flood of information, the habits of good decision-making, and the human commonalities revealed by studying regrets from around the world.

We cover:

• Dan’s winding career path—from law school and politics to bestselling author
• Why he regrets not having mentors early in his career
• How he stays current with fast-moving research without drowning in information
• The puzzle at the heart of The Power of Regret—why an emotion that feels terrible is so universal
• Why “no regrets” culture is misguided, and how to confront regrets productively
• The difference between regrets of action and inaction—and why inaction regrets dominate as we age
• The four universal categories of regret: foundation, boldness, moral, and connection
• What 26,000 submissions to the World Regret Survey reveal about being human
• How to deal with regrets through self-compassion, writing, and sense-making
• The regret optimization framework, and how to apply it to the decisions that matter most
• Why kindness and pro-social behavior should become our “default setting”
• How changing the delivery of ideas matters as much as the ideas themselves in an age of AI and distraction